Sensory engagement is important factor in the developmental growth of a child. The built and the natural environment can be designed to create Multisensory experiences that etch stronger memories in our minds.
To design such a stimulation experience for children it is imperative to consider their scale and perceptive power. The solution thus derived involves a learning space that integrates the spheres of outside and inside to create a variety of independent and shared spaces using tools and elements that engage every possible sense.
Instead of presenting the built space as an inflexible identity bounded by the rigid patterns of a completely developed conscious; the best possible solution can be derived from the users themselves: The children; as Architecture is an extremely personal entity and contextual to oneself.
Hence it is important to have an understanding of Child psychology to be able to design educational architecture for them. The challenge is to weave the natural and built environments into a tapestry that encourages holistic growth.
Preschool by definition is the first stage of organized education for the children belonging to the agegroup of 3 to 6 years. The NCERT curriculum for preschool suggests 5C’s as the major objective of this institution: Being Critical, Creative, Collaborative, Communicative and be connected to the surroundings. This early development in a child works best as a cohesive effort of parents, teachers and the environment.
AIM
‘Redefining the built environment through sensory supported learning spaces for Kindergarten education’
The aim or the design intent as mentioned is to redefine kindergarten education through multisensory spaces. To facilitate this sensory engagement, it is necessary that the indoor spaces are well integrated with the outdoor spaces. Once the circulation pattern or movement is free and open, various interesting experiences can be created along the journey. Individual spaces can be looked upon and categorized in various different ways to engender various permutations and combinations.
The intent is to create an environment based of the derived principles of child psychology and phenomenology that encourages interaction, engendering learning through experience. Every Architectural element should be able to communicate beyond its functionality. Such diversified stimulatory experience advocates the balance of social engagement and individualistic space bubble. It strengthens the foundation of lifelong learning through expansion of the idea of Universal design for the multi-faceted, diversified child population to encourage Social interaction and promote a healthy lifestyle.
OBJECTIVES
To create an ecosystem based on the lines of world within a world to create a sense of wholesome environment for the children.
To create interesting spaces for the children to indulge in that adhere to factors of safety, comfort and the generic curriculum of preschool.
To isolate the independent kindergarten areas from the shared or public spaces to avoid intersection of circulation path to the greatest possible extent
To make the build form energy efficient with respect to lighting, ventilation and maintenance of landscape
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