Architecture for Children

How can architectural form respond to the unique needs of children and support and reinforce the pedagogy of a children's centre? So much of the teaching in Early Learning revolves around the importance of a child's environment on their development. Over the last 100 years, many divergent philosophies have evolved with a wide breadth and depth of thinking and with an equally wide range of architectural responses. Children are a unique client with heightened sensory needs, special scale considerations and a totally different way of moving through and perceiving space to adults. The different educational programs and the consequent needs of the staff also impact on the architectural outcome and on how children's needs are managed.