Act for Children: Formative Environments

Abstract

Can Architecture serve as an education aid in early childhood development? Can we as designers help children learn while provoking discovery and creative thinking? How can we as designers better prepare our nation's youngest generation for success? Our future rests on the success of our children. Due to social and economic trends, there is a tremendous need in our society for quality child care. The impact of the built environment within these facilities can drastically impact many aspects of development. If we as designers can successfully identify the needs and wants of our users, we can create an environment that fosters learning. My thesis seeks to explore redefining the typical day care center into an educational facility which prioritizes learning. I seek to achieve this by identifying key prepared environments that facilitate learning in early childhood development.