In the living room of a house in the Czech Republic, we see an example of how walls, chairs and floors can combine to create an atmosphere in which the best sides of us are offered the opportunity to flourish.
Alain de Botton
I have never been to a living room of a house in the Czech Republic. My comprehension of what Alain de Botton writes in his book, however, is profound. It must demonstrate how the design of walls, chairs, floors, etc., can create an environment where we feel a sense of belonging as soon as we enter. We can experience it in a living room in the Czech Republic, or elsewhere, or in the teacher training school in Finland.
Neuroarchitecture:
Migliani (2020) explains the influences of the environments on the behaviors and emotions of their users with the term "neuroarchitecture".
This is neuroarchitecture: Designing functional spaces based not just on the technical requirements of the law, ergonomics, and environmental comfort but also on subjective metrics like emotion, happiness, and well-being.
It considers the various reactions that users' brains generate in response to environmental stimuli, which can immediately and over time affect their mood and behavior.
When creating spaces using neuroarchitecture:
A sense of belonging is what ties a learner to their environment, and it may be felt by the ´senses´ from the standpoint of neuroarchitecture.
When creating spaces using neuroarchitecture, it should be considered that each person perceives and interprets environmental stimuli differently. As a result, it can be said that there are no rules or formulas; however, there are some considerations. One such consideration is related to human beings´ need for belonging (Migliani, 2020). Belongingness has been widely adopted by neuroarchitecture, which pays attention to people's need to feel themselves like a part of a physical environment. A sense of belonging is what ties people to their environment, and it may be felt by the ´senses´ from the standpoint of neuroarchitecture.
That's why, when creating spaces, investing in designs prompting memories through engaging senses might be beneficial to support the sense of belonging.
Let's shift our focus to a more specific group and environment; children and the learning spaces. It is accepted that children who grow up and/or are in environments that positively stimulate their brains, feel more connected to their environment and, accordingly, exhibit some traits, such as a faster learning rate and a stronger sense of motivation, and a longer attention span.
Two questions:
1) How can it be achieved to foster a sense of belonging in the students considering neuroarchitectural principles?
Through senses.
2) How do the school design and structure appeal to children's senses?
Let's try to find answers to this question by examining a real-life school environment, a teacher training school called Tulliportin Normaalikoulu located in Joensuu/Finland. It is time to look for the features of the learning spaces in which there are opportunities for students to create a bond with the physical environment through the senses. Migliani (2020), in her article, focuses on four senses: sight, smell, hearing, and touch.
Sight:
According to the article, the colors and lighting in the child's environment must be considered. Too bright hues may energize children more than usual, whereas light, pastel tones promote a quieter and more peaceful ambiance. I think the colors used in the classrooms at the teacher training school are appropriate as they are not too bright or dull. Even if there are some corners in some classrooms with bright rays of colors, it is very well balanced as a whole that they are not distracting.
The article takes the spatial organization under the sight sense and sees it as a significant pillar of neuroarchitecture. Orderly spatial organization doesn't make the environment chaotic, and it enhances the visual appeal. Planning ways to keep supplies and toys as orderly as possible is crucial.
The school premises and classrooms have many ways to keep them tidy and orderly. If I am to give some visual examples:
Touch:
Feeling different textures is beneficial for kids' growth. Creating an environment with different textures accessible to the touch is advisable.
There are multiple areas and corners where the students can feel different textures through their touch senses in the teacher training school. Even the furniture used in the classrooms comes in different textures. Some examples from the school premises and classrooms:
Smell:
Another sense kids may associate with their schools and enhance a sense of belonging is the smell. The baking classes immediately come to my mind when I think of school and classroom activities. Schools in Finland have a kitchen, and the students have baking classes. Who doesn't like the smell of a newly-baked bread just out of the oven? Don't we associate the delicious food smells with our home-like environments? Offering home-like ambiance at schools? It sounds binding. The baking classes are also beneficial on many fronts: learning by doing, collaboration, a sense of achievement, promoting self-efficacy in students, etc.
These kitchen photos are from another teacher training school called Rantakylän koulu.
Hearing:
It is crucial to talk about sound and silence, two factors that work together to enhance children's sensory development. Finding a balance between sound and its absence is the ideal one, Migliani (2022) says.
When talking about sound, the presence of musical instruments in some classrooms engages children's sense of hearing, contributing to their connection with the environment by offering binding, relaxing, and soothing effects.
In conclusion, neuroarchitecture principles can play an essential role in designing educational spaces that foster a sense of belonging and enhance learning. By thoughtfully incorporating elements that engage the senses—sight, touch, smell, and hearing- we can create learning environments that support well-being and cognitive development. This helps students feel connected, motivated, and capable of flourishing.
References
De Button, A. (2006) The Architecture of Happiness, London:Penguin Books Ltd.
Migliani, A. (2020) Neuroarchitecture Applied in Children's Design. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/942969/neuroarchitecture-applied-in-childrens-design
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