Cognitive surroundings : observations from inside the classroom

Abstract

The way we experience our environment is largely based on our perception and memories. The physical and mental is in constant correspondence with local stimuli that are received through our senses and interpreted by our consciousness. In recent years, further understanding of this connection has made architects more aware of the environmental implications architecture does have on our mind, which in turn has a large effect on our mental wellbeing and cognitive development. Historically, architecture is a discipline that has been said to be a hybrid of other practices that contains and fuses ingredients from multiple understandings, relying largely on theories and findings of other areas of research and knowledge instead of possessing an independent theoretical foundation of its own. To fully understand the ramifications our spaces have on our mental wellbeing, we require an exploration into the field of human psychology to establish relations between the two practices, more importantly, to begin to comprehend environments that occupy a large portion of our lives and which are considered vital in our development. One particular environment that falls under this description would be that of the early year classroom. Such spaces have proven to be essential in the way children learn and develop with recent advancements in the field of neuroscience showing that until puberty, young children experience relatively high levels of neuroplasticity, which molds the way they think, feel, and express themselves - a process heavily influenced by external stimuli (Huttenlocher, 1990; Davidson & Rickman, 1999; Shallice, 2004, 2006). By understanding the way sensory interactions occur within classrooms, we can further assimilate how certain architectural elements affect our mental development early on; a maturing that is considered to be very impactful in our lives (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). In doing so, we can seek to further encourage positive mental growth in the architecture practice. The overarching theme of this exploratory study will look at how our built environment influences our wellbeing and cognitive development in an attempt to further bridge the gap between the field of psychology and architectural design. Early year classroom environments will be assessed specifically to eventually offer recommendations for the design of these spaces.