Approaching Biophilia in Designing Children´s Educational Environment

Authors

  • Engy Habib Doctorate Student and Teaching Assistant, Department of Architectural Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt.
  • Yasser Mansour Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt.
  • Laila Khodier Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt

Keywords:

Biophilia, Biophilic design, nature, children, educational space, nature connectedness, wellbeing

Abstract

In recent decades, several studies started to focus on enhancing connectivity with nature and nurture children´s biophilia to improve their mental health and wellbeing especially in their early formative years. However, in design practice, architects involved in designing children educational environment need to have better understanding on how to enhance this tendency for biophilia. this paper begins to explore this growing body of research and emerging biophilic design dimensions, and attributes in architectural terms, which could help in drawing connections between fields of study, highlight potential avenues for future research, evolve understanding of biophilic design patterns, and capture the cognitive benefits afforded by biophilia in designing educational spaces for childhood. A research methodology consisting of a literature review, analysis of worldwide case studies and a one-to-one interview was conducted with a sample of children (3-7 years old) attending a nature-based nursery in Egypt, was designed to accomplish intended objectives. Findings of this study indicated that early childhood have a positive attraction for all-natural environment and features. Results showed that children enjoy being in, which provides a glimpse into the potentials of integrating nature within architectural context, including offering beauty, freedom, efficient learning, relaxation, and a critical life support system.

References

Louv, R. (2005), ‘Last Child in The Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-deficit Disorder’. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Oudejans, L. (2006) “Report on the 2016 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)”. International Decontamination Research and Development Conference. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-17/174.

Allison, M et al. “The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health”. Pediatrics February 2019; 143 (2): e20183648. 10.1542/peds.2018-3648

Kalvaitis, D and Monhardt, R. (2015) ‘Children Voice Biophilia; the Phenomenology of Being in Love with Nature’, Journal of Sustainability Education Vol. 9, ISSN: 2151-7452

Kue, M., Barnes, M. and Jordan, C. (2019). “Do Experiences with Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-and-Effect Relationship”. Front. Psychol. 10, 305.

Barton, J. and Pretty, J. (2010). “What Is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health”. Environmental Science & Technology, 44: 3947-3955.

Caperna, A and Serafini, S. (2013), ‘Biourbanism as a new epistemological model’. In “Partecipazione ed ICT” by E. Mortola .

New Oxford American Dictionary, [ONLINE: Accessed 10 March 2016 ] Available at: https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/-philia?q=philia

Kellert, S. (2005). ‘Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connection’. Washington D.C.: Island Press.

Kellert,S, J. Heerwagen, M. Mador,eds. (2008). “Biop-hilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life”. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley.

Hedges, James H et al. (2013) “Play, attention, and learning: how do play and timing shape the development of attention and influence classroom learning?.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences vol. 1292,1: 1-20. doi:10.1111/nyas.12154

White, R and Stoecklin, V. (2008). ‘Nurturing Children's Biophilia: Developmentally Appropriate Environmental Education for Young Children’. Resources for Early Childhood Educators.

Sobel, D. (2008). ’Children and Nature: Design principles for educators’. Portland ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

P. Bentsen, F. Jensen, “The nature of udeskole: Outdoor learning theory and practice in Danish schools”, Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning 12(3):199-219, 2012.

Federation for Nature and Nature Kindergartens in Germany. Available online: https://www.bvnw.de/natur-und-waldkindergaerten/deutschland/berlin (accessed on 1 April 2022).

S. Knight (ed.), “International perspectives on Forest School: Natural spaces to play and learn”. Sage Publications Ltd: London, 2013. Available online: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1468798418776193 .

L. O’Brien, “Learning outdoors: the Forest School approach.” Education 3-13 37 (2020): 45 – 60, 2020

K. Jax et al, “Caring for nature matters: a relational approach for understanding nature’s contributions to human well-being”. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2018.

E. A. Welden et al. “Leveraging Nature-based Solutions for transformation: Reconnecting people and nature”. People and Nature. 2021.

L. O’Brien, and R. Murray, (2007). “Forest school and its impacts on young children: case studies in Britain”. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 6: 249-265.

F. Mayer and C. Frantz, (2004) “The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature”. Journal of Environmental Psychology.

E. Nisbet and J. Zelenski, (2009) “The nature relatedness scale: Linking individuals’ connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior”. Frontiers in psychology, 4, 813.

A. Barrable and D. Booth, (2020). “Nature connection in early childhood: A quantitative cross-sectional study.” Sustainability 12(1):375.

Cohen, S and Wingerg, D. (1993). ‘Children and the environment: Ecological awareness among preschool children’. Environment and Behavior 25(1), 103-120.

Shackell, A., and Walter, R. (2012). ‘Practice Guide: Greenspace design for health and well-being’. Edinburgh: Forestry Commission.

Browning,W. and Ryan, C. (2020). “Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide”, 1st ed.; RIBA Publishing: London, UK.

Green School. Available online: https://www.greenschool.org/bali/?t=gs.org (accessed on 5 September 2021).

Archdaily. The Green School / IBUK. Available online: https://www.archdaily.com/81585/the-green-school-pt-bambu (accessed on 7 September 2021).

Dezeen. Fuji Kindergarten. Available online: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/02/fuji-kindergarten-tokyo-tezuka-architects-oval-roof-deck-playground/

Downloads

Published

2022-11-11

How to Cite

Habib, E., Mansour, Y., & Khodier, L. (2022). Approaching Biophilia in Designing Children´s Educational Environment . International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR), 65(1), 110–122. Retrieved from https://gssrr.org/index.php/JournalOfBasicAndApplied/article/view/14799

Issue

Section

Articles