Child-centred Communities : Architectural Intervention as Catalyst for Early Childhood Development

Abstract

Early childhood development (ECD) is a critical stage of development that forms the foundation for the future welfare and edification of children (UNICEF 2017:1). A key principle in this development is the notion that everything which surrounds the child, both visible and invisible, has an impact on the child (Cook & Cook 2009; Steiner Waldorf Education 2014). In this dissertation the impact of the architectural environment on early childhood development is addressed, bringing together the fields of pedagogy and architecture. The research determined the development of a set of design principles and guidelines that acts as a catalyst to generate architectural design solutions that can improve early childhood development, allowing children to engage in their spatial environments through active play and everyday use. Therefore, their early childhood development is enhanced as a result of reconfigured experiential built environments and spatial arrangements, where the environment acts as a third teacher and gives a heightened role to architecture as a medium for child development.

Vroeë kinderontwikkeling is ‘n kritieke stadium van ontwikkeling wat die fondament vir die toekomstige welsyn en opbou van ‘n kind vorm. ‘n Sleutelbeginsel in hierdie ontwikkeling is die begrip dat alles wat ‘n kind omring, beide sigbaar en onsigbaar, ‘n inslag op die kind het (Cook & Cook 2009; Steiner Waldorf Education 2014). In hierdie dissertasie word die inslag van die argitektoniese omgewing op vroeë kinderontwikkeling aangespreek, en sodoende word die velde van pedagogie en argitektuur saamgevoeg. Die navorsing het die ontwerp van ‘n stel ontwerpbesginsels en riglyne bepaal wast as katalisators optree om argitektoniese ontwerpoplossings te genereer. Hierdie oplossings kan vroeë kinderontwikkeling verbeter, en kinders toelaat om deur middel van aktiewe spel en alledaagse gebruik by hul ruimtelike omgewings betrokke te raak. So word hulle vroeë kinderontwikkeling versterk deur middel van ‘n hersaamgestelde proefondervindelike bou-omgewing en ruimtelike ordening, waarin die omgewing as ‘n derde onderwyser funksioneer, en ‘n verhoogde rol aan argitektuur as medium vir kinderontwikkeling toegeken word.