Building together: A child participatory prototyping guide for rural school environments in Kenya and beyond
Publicerad
Författare
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
This thesis investigated how including students as active collaborators in the design and
construction of their learning spaces through Child Participatory Prototyping could enhance
educational environments in contexts with limited resources. Working in an under-resourced
context means that key resources like materials, infrastructure, and funding are limited. The case
study was Awelo School in Siaya, Kenya. The research investigated how the involvement of children
in design processes can foster a sense of ownership, resulting in practical, low-cost improvements
that aligned with the children‘s needs.
The study responded to key problems expressed by the students, particular issues such as dust, a
lack of seating on the school compound, under-resourced outdoor spaces, and inadequate climateresponsive
architecture. Public school architecture being built by the Ministry of Education often
continues to use colonial-era design templates, which have been adapted over time primarily for
cost-efficancy rather then educational or climate improvement.
While national initiatives such as Vision 2030 and the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC)
emphasized education reform, the design and maintenance of school facilities were largely
overlooked. This research addressed the gap by exploring affordable, context-sensitive solutions
that relied on local and recycled materials.
The study used a hands-on, child-participatory approach, moving from exploration to co-design,
prototyping, and implementation. Through a series of workshops, the students shared their ideas
through prototypes, drawings, models, and practical material testing, thereby contributing to the
design process. The insights from this process informed the creation of a practical guide, while
the Child Participatory Prototyping Tool Sheet is offering strategies and considerations for similar
school contexts.
The study examined how child-participatory approaches enabled students to interact with their
environment and collaborate to create solutions that improved sustainability and usability.
The guide aims to support future practitioners and suggests that participatory prototyping can
complement broader educational reforms.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Child-Centered design, Participatory prototyping, Under-Resourced school environments, Local materials