Transformation of Elementary Schools in Aging Societies: Case Study of Dutch Schools from the Perspectives of Students, Teachers, and Parents
Year : 2021 International Conference: 27th World Congress of Architects
Authors : Dolf Broekhuizen & Sun-Young Rieh
In the context of changes in urban planning considering aging in place, the school emerges as a potential place for the joint use of public facilities in mixed-use neighborhoods with safer, denser, more walkable streets. School integrating community facilities requires special attention, as conflicts in spatial use between seniors and young children could create unexpected impacts for schoolchildren. This paper explores the issue of a school design that integrates community facilities in terms of sharing seniors’ space to find a better direction that supports children as well as seniors in the context of global aging. Two schools in the Netherlands are compared to find a better way of integration through qualitative research with students, teachers, and parents. In-depth interviews and round table discussions are employed, and children’s school guide maps are compared to determine their spatial confidence and knowledge. This study clearly shows that the design is the issue. While one school showed how the inappropriately designed school environment blocked the opportunity for schoolchildren’s normal development, the other school showed no negative impact on students showing that a policy of restriction that discourages the children’s drive to explore the school environment could be avoided if the design were prudently made. Society keeps changing, and buildings also need to change to accommodate societal needs and lead the direction of change. This study clearly shows the role of the architect in the professional field who sincerely understands societal needs and leads the direction for a better society in the global aging context.
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