Revisiting the picturesque: The preschool building as garden
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Publicerad
2022
Författare
Nordmark, Isabell
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
Research suggest that the natural environment supports
children’s development, both by providing a wealth
of objects to aid in knowledge formation, and also in
providing a stimulating, dynamic setting that engages
children emotionally. In recent years nature preschools,
where children spend more time outdoors, are increasingly
common. However, the preschool buildings that
house the indoor activities of nature preschools largely
correspond to those of conventional preschools.
Framing this project is the thought; might it be possible
to create a built environment that has the qualities, and
benefits, of the natural environment?
A natural appearence was important in the 18th-century
picturesque landscape garden. The style was marked by
asymmetry, irregular shapes, partially concealed views,
oblique movement, and individual “scenes” with varying
characters. The specific approaches to making space in
the landscape garden were meant to stimulate movement,
curiosity, and imagination.
This thesis explores how some of the qualities of nature
may be reproduced in architecture by engaging the
18th-century landscape garden as a limited milieu of the
larger natural environment.
The project begins with a literature study of 18th-century
writing on landscape gardening. The study focuses
on how the properties of view, movement, character
and variety were used in the landscape garden, to create
picturesque space.
The second part of the project is concerned with finding
and developing tools for configuring space, to create architecture
that retains the qualities of picturesque space.
At last, the tools are tested in a design project—applied
to the program of a preschool, on a site in
Gothenburg—with the aim of transferring the qualities
of space in the picturesque landscape garden to the built
environment. Ideally, this would serve as a supportive
backdrop to children's development; through sparking
movement, curiosity, and imagination.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Landscape gardening , Picturesque , Preschool , Movement , Imagination , Nature , History