Room to grow

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the wellbeing of school children, and the urban problem of children’s disconnectedness from nature. Mental health related issues amongst school children have been on the rise in Sweden since the 1980s’, and research suggests that a connection to nature is essential for the prevention of several mental health related issues, and can increase our ability to recover from stress, and boost our creativity and productivity. A connection with nature is thus a vital part of being human, but the increasing divide between the young and the natural world comes with great concerns for healthy child development. The thesis questions how an architect can design urban learning environments to reconnect children with nature, and the aim is to critically evaluate the built learning environment and explore what a school could look like and be. Research for the thesis has been conducted through literature, interviews, site visits and mapping and interviews. A specifically chosen school in Gothenburg is the focus for exploratory development. The result is a conceptual challenge to the urban learning environment, with the hopes of offering a new approach to student health. Nature for me is an invaluable place for recuperation and mindfulness, and just by spending time in natural environments I feel more connected to the earth I inhabit. As an aspiring architect I believe it is the role of my profession to always strive for an improvement of the environments around us, to work through spatial agency towards a resilient future. I’m convinced that a better future can be reached through strengthening society’s connection to nature.