ASSOCIATION OF LEARNING SPACES WITH NATURE: THE EXAMPLE OF KIRKLARELİ ZÜBEYDE HANIM KINDERGARTEN

Abstract

Nature is a necessary need for everyone, so knowing, exploring and learning about nature are processes that must be acquired during childhood. Exterior and interior spaces need to be reorganized as spaces that children use and get benefit from so, they will want to learn, raise their sense of discovery, and provide them to be individuals who are self-confident. Innovative approaches are required for children to protect them, support a healthy life style, and strengthen their bond to the nature in their daily life. Therefore, access to nature through “biophilic design” is possible in terms of children’s daily lives. Supporting children’s development in the best way possible is an important start for a qualified education period. Thus, a qualified pre-school education environment is the most effective tool to provide children’s psychomotor, cognitive, and socio-emotional spaces. The aim of this study is to investigate how children can make a connection to nature during their pre-school education and determine how the interior and semi-open spaces they live in can be integrated to biophilic elements. In this context, developed a design proposal in Zübeyde Hanım Kindergarten, which is chosen as the pilot application area in Kırklareli city.