Reconnect to nature: Designing learning environments that strengthen children’s connection to nature

Abstract

This thesis emphasizes the importance of nature’s presences in our lives. An increasingly urbanized world with reduced access to green spaces, a rise in electronic media, a change in social norms and a reduced perception of the role of the natural world for human survival have all lead to a disconnection between human and nature. The disconnection has been proposed as a root cause of the global environmental crisis and research findings across a wide range of sectors show the benefits of contact with nature and its impact on human health and well-being. Against this background the purpose of this master’s thesis is to investigate how humans can be reconnected to nature through architecture. A good relationship to nature is strongest when developed in early ages and a connection to nature during childhood is essential for physical and mental development. In this thesis, strategies for reconnecting children with nature are explored and a preschool located in an urban context is used as a basis for the investigation. We spend approximately 90% of our time indoors so a satisfying relation between people and the natural world in the built environment is crucial for human’s connection to nature. Architects are using biophilic design as a method to improve human health and to create an experience of nature in the built environment. In this thesis biophilic design is explored and interpreted into design strategies with the aim to create learning environments that strengthen children’s connection to nature. The use of the strategies also aims to improve children’s development and well-being and strengthen pro-environmental behaviours. The design strategies are translated into physical form in a design proposal; a transformation of the preschool Levgrensvägen 3 in Gothenburg, Sweden, which showcase an architecture that incorporates nature and nature experiences in the design. The outcome is a speculative transformation of the building and its outdoor spaces in the light of biophilic design, which can contribute to a raised discussion on the importance of a connection between human and nature and the awareness on the benefits and limitations of using biophilic design.