Introduction
This term paper proves that environmental transformation through design not only adds to its aesthetic value, but also influences individual well-being and growth. The paper was inspired by our summer project, which involved the repainting and redesigning a local preschool center using a budget of USD 1000. The suitability of this location was because of its significant impact on a wide number of individuals, like parents, teachers, as well as preschool children. It is worth noting that, old, problematic and insufficiently designed environments tend to drain the energy that could have been used on productivity, growth and development. Contrarily, proper lighting, space, color, and landscaping set the atmosphere needed for wellbeing, performance, and positivity among others. Therefore, the following is a summary and discussion of the positive impacts of well-designed environments and their specific effects on children’s growth.
The Positive Impacts of Well-Designed Environments
When individuals hire interior and exterior designers for a designing project, they always overlook the overall value of the outcome. Well-designed environments have significant effects on the users of the intended location, be it a school, community center, office, or home. As suggested in Ted Boscia’s Doing Good by Design, studies reveal that well-designed environments have the following positive impacts on individuals (Boscia 8).
First, well-designed properties are worth more than their ill-designed counterparts on the estate market. Buildings and land with superior interior and exterior design will cost more and result to quick returns. Similarly, well-designed environments are not only attractive, but also offer relaxation opportunities to users. Residing in appropriately landscaped and redesigned spaces also stimulates an individual’s self-worth (Boscia 10-11).
Second, the author also finds that well-designed office environments results in increased workplace productivity. He shows that centers that invest in professional landscaping and repainting for their environments witness increased functional success along trend. This is solely because individuals always enjoy working in attractive and homely surroundings. Thus, well-designed offices provide room for improved communication, functionality, and organization (Boscia 12).
Third, participating in community design not only offers students the practical dimension of the discipline, but also enlightens the public on the importance of renovation and development. Well designed and landscaped environments also enhance increased outdoor activity. This impact is specifically important in areas with shared public spaces like community centers, schools, and recreational parks. Including attractive sceneries in such areas also improve the sense of safety, thus reducing accidents and crime rates (Boscia 11).
The Effects of Well-Designed Environments on Children’s Growth
Preschoolers always enjoy exploring their physical surroundings. While the society recognizes the importance of physical environments for children, they should always participate in designing and landscaping it in ways that contribute to their appropriate growth and development. However, most educational centers are not appropriately designed to take care of the needs of children in preschool. Additionally, they overlook the role of caregivers as important agents of children’s play and learning. Contrarily, well-designed environments have numerous positive effects growing children.
Many practitioners and researchers always recognize the importance of natural physical space in early learning centers. For instance, Marilyn Read (2007, 387-392) studies the function of the environment in child care centers and the effects of interior design and landscaping. The author finds that physical environments are important for a child’s growth and development. He also recommends that care centers should be abundant in stimuli that offer endless opportunities for childhood testing and exploration. This implies that both interior and exterior designs of care centers should have the capability to exploit a preschooler’s competence. Furthermore, care centers offer an environment for children to optimally explore their little worlds with complete independence (Read 387).
The researcher further discusses three environmental design dimensions that are most important in child care centers. They include space quality, the integration of interior and exterior environments, and space enhancing independence, exploration and development. First, a well-designed environment marries interior and exterior designs for continual learning and development. It features simple elements such as proper lighting and ventilation, offering a link between the two environments. Excellent learning centers should have healthy, natural, and green aspects. The author finds that well-designed natural environments offer preschoolers better chances for physical and cognitive development than their built-up, ill-designed counterparts. This implies that preschoolers who play in well-designed environments engage in better physically challenging activities. Similarly, those who learn in well painted care centers display increased attentiveness and motor skills (Read 389).
Second, well-designed environments offer adequate space for independence, exploration, and development. The author shows that well-designed spaces enhance childhood development, thus emphasizing on the importance of redesigning educational centers with a vision for growth. Indeed, child care centers are essential in stimulating the sense of gainful imagination in children. Through appropriate and thoughtful designs, physical spaces can provide the optimal capacity children need for learning and exploration. They will also foster social interaction and further development of skills needed for social and personal confidence. Well-designed environments should have flexible spaces with moveable equipment that provide additional places for both active and quiet activities. In such environments, children always find a sense of belonging, comfort and security (Read 391).
Lastly, well-designed environments bring out the importance of light, space, sound, toys, and color in child growth and development, all which are elements of spatial quality. The researcher determines that appropriate design and landscaping guidelines for child care centers concentrate on the impacts of spatial quality on children. For instance, plain colored ceilings are likely to have negative effects on a preschooler’s social behavior. Contrarily, multicolored ceilings have numerous desirable effects, among them creating an environment for social exchange. Furthermore, designers should provide appropriate lighting equipment to suit space and activity. This includes offering space for both artificial and natural lighting to suit the need for different moods and tasks. Lastly, the exposure to harmful noises would have a negative effect on children’s growth and development, thus reduced language, memory, and reading capabilities. Accordingly, the best design for child care centers entails modifying facilities to lock out unnecessary noise (Read 391).
Summary and Conclusion
This discussion leads to the following summary and conclusion. First, it complies with the idea that well-designed environments enhance individual social and personal development. Second, well-designed environments encourage cooperation, exploration, and gainful play for preschoolers. Third, they also provide an array of platforms for children to develop their speech, memory, and reading capabilities. Furthermore, appropriately designed environments also foster teacher-preschooler relationship. This further gives teachers adequate time to observe, interact with, and facilitate child growth. Indeed, we can adequately conclude that transforming the environment through design not only adds to its aesthetic value, but also influences individual well-being and growth.
Works Cited
Boscia, Ted. "Doing Good By Design." Human Ecology, Vol 40, No 1 (n.d.): 8-12. Pdf Document.
