1. BACHELOR DISSERTATION THESIS ON HEALTHY, ECOLOGICAL
SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN OF THE FUTURE
VIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, HORSENS, DENMARK
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
AUTHOR: ANNA ZABEZSINSZKIJ
CONSULTANT: HEIDI MERRILD

2. HEALTHY, ECOLOGICAL SCHOOL AND
KINDERGARTEN OF THE FUTURE
© Anna Zabezsinszkij
2013
VIA University College, Horsens, Denmark
Student Identity number: 124944
Special Consultant: Heidi Merrild Co-consultant: Dr Antal László
Number of pages: 36 (inc. list of references)
Text:
Font – Verdana
Text size – 12
Heading 1 size – 18
Heading 2 size – 14
References:
Direct quote – “body of text” (author, year)
Direct quote from informal source {interviews, blogs} – “body of text” {source}
Idea from a reference – [author, year]
Figures, images – fig 1, 2...
All rights reserved – no part of this publication may be reproduced without the
prior permission of the author.
NOTE: This dissertation was completed as part of a Bachelor of Architectural
Technology and Construction Management degree course – no responsibility is
taken for any advice, instruction or conclusion given within!
Hereby confirmed that I have carried out this specialization report without any
un-rightful help:
…..…………………………
Anna Zabezsinszkij

3. ABSTRACT
The aim of this Bachelor Thesis is to find a Design Approach for
Architects and Design Professionals which emphasizes the
academic, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the “whole
child” in an Educational Environment.
• What should be the Concept of the Design?
• What are the Today’s needs?
• What is good, healthy educational-environment for children?
• How architecture/ design can help and effect children development?
• Do we need a philosophy to create the right, fruitful environment for
children development?
• Could C2C’s ecological vision, alternative philosophy and architecture
find their ways to engage?
I would like to show you how School Architecture, Cradle to Cradle,
Neuroscience, Spiritualism, Feng Shui, Modular and Consensus Design
are connect.
LIST OF KEY WORDS
• Children Development
• Child-Centred Philosophies
• Consensus Design
• Spiritual Design
• Ecological Design
• Cradle to Cradle
• Healthy Educational Environment
• Waldorf/Steiner Education
• Feng Shui
• Modularity

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to deeply thank for the greatest consultants I could have for
the final thesis work: Heidi Merrild and Dr Antal László.
I also would like to thank for the Rudolf Steiner School and Kindergartens
in Arhus and Vejle for the Interviews, help, support, insight they gave
and the privilege to visit their institutions.
I also would like to thank to my University for their amazing amount of
help, support and for the ‘doors are always open’ attitude.
Last but not least I would like to thank for the countless comments and
advices have been given by Linked In professionals. It helped me to
understand the objective professional, the subjective parental, the
visionary and scientist perspectives and point of views.
Thank you.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
• Professional literatures and books
• Scientific studies and researches
• Case studies (Arhus, Vejle, Edinburgh, Lakota Waldorf Schools)
• School websites, blogs, DIY forums
• LinkedIn groups and forums
• Topic related presentations, publications
• Topic related master theses
• Material and certificate specifications
• Open ended interviews and consultation provided practical and
theoretical information which was not available in published literature
LIMITATIONS
While seeking a critical framework to evaluate trends in new learning
environments discovered there is little published scientific research study
and experiment have been performed in combination of education,
architecture and interior design literature that interrogates the interior
design of schools connection with children development and the role of
the designer in assisting a school community to identify its needs.

5. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction___________________________________________ 1
1.1 What is Healthy Environment for Children? _________________2
2.0 Children Development, Educational Environment ______________ 5
2.1 Different thinking, different needs ________________________7
2.2 Children Architecture __________________________________8
3.0 Philosophy or No Philosophy _____________________________ 10
4.0 Children behaviour Studies ______________________________ 11
5.0 Children centred Philosophies ____________________________ 16
5.1 Childhood Journey by Rudolf Steiner _____________________16
5.2 Montessori Schools ___________________________________18
5.3 Reggio Schools ______________________________________20
6.0 Architectural and Design Concepts ________________________ 21
6.1 What ‘Ecological’ means? Do we need our schools to be and
Children to think ecological? _______________________________21
6.2 Concensus Design____________________________________22
6.3 Modularity - in Children space __________________________23
6.4 What Cradle to Cradle is? ______________________________23
6.5 Modularity of Cradle to Cradle- ‘Modularity’ of chinldren needs _24
6.6 Connection of Feng Shui and Sutainability _________________25
Case Studies ____________________________________________ 26
Vejle Steiner School _____________________________________26
Aarhus Steiner School ___________________________________28
Conclusion ______________________________________________ 30
List of Reference _________________________________________ 31

6. TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1 - Proportional scales ________________________________6
Figure 2 - Children spaces in a room. Sufficient and uncluttered space for
active play (5) with an additional cosy (1, 4), intimate space (2, 3)
set aside for individual and quite play (Christopher Day 2007) ___7
Figure 3 - Simple rep. of a Bobo doll __________________________12
Figure 4 - Faux technique __________________________________15
Figure 5 - Christopher Day, Consensus Design p.14 ______________22
Figure 6 - Cradle to Cradle concepts of circular economy __________23
Figure 7 - Noosa Pengari Steiner School (AU) Performance hall _____26
Figure 8 - Chrysalis Waldorf School (AU)_______________________26
Figure 9 - Lakota Steiner School (USA) Design Plans _____________26
Figure 10 - Vejle Waldorf School and Kindergarten _______________26
Figure 11 - Fairy tale ceiling motive, Vejle _____________________27
Figure 12 - Round, soft shaped ‘Steiner’ chair___________________27
Figure 13 -'Hideout' corner, Vejle Kindergarten__________________27
Figure 14 -Cooking snug, Vejle Kindergarten ___________________27
Figure 15 - Aarhus Steiner School 2009 _______________________28
Figure 16 - Aarhus Steiner School site ________________________28
Figure 17 - Interior Aarhus Steiner building ’09 _________________29
Figure 18 - Interior Aarhus Steiner building '09 _________________29
Figure 19 - Climbing tree, Aarhus, Steiner School _____________29
Figure 20 - Hilly outdoor, Arhus, Steiner Sch. ___________________29

7. 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The roots of the thesis leads back to the initial interest of mine in
ecological, green architecture, cradle-to-cradle system and spirituality.
These interests have met with studies and books of Neurobiologists,
Biophilia, Children Psychiatrists, ‘Living Architecture’, Feng Shui as well
as with Rudolf Steiner’s Spiritual Science Philosophy (Waldorf),
Montessori and Reggio Emilia Education.
Today’s regulations and directives focus on the physical wellbeing of
the child and environmental issues. The question follows, is that enough?
In the chapters below I will investigate researches and studies have
experimented the other factors of Children development than physical.
Has Architecture as a Physical Environment got any responsibility and
duty in mental, emotional, academic, physical and spiritual effects on
Children and Adults?
Some see ecological or spiritual design as a limitation to creation,
but design, environmentalism and philosophy can go together very well.
To achieve that, we must design entirely from an ‘ecological harmony’ a
‘circle of life’ point of view, get inspired by nature and by the complexity
of how human mind and soul is ‘working’, how it is re-acting on the
surrounding. That is exactly where Steiner’s Philosophy and Cradle-to-
cradle system can engage. By introducing the conscious integration of
‘circular economy’ (the basic principle of Cradle to Cradle) in the design
process for an environment which is already preparing children to became
responsible and creative members of the society could bring alive the
‘Healthy, Economical Education and School Architecture 2.0’.

8. 2
1.1 WHAT IS HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN?
It’s a very complex question and as the first approach I invite you
to take a look what the Danish Building Regulation requirements, the
European Union’s, WHO’s, CDC’s and EPA’s opinions on the subject.
Sections from the Danish Building Regulation 2010 regarding
schools, nurseries and education centres requirements:
“Occupiable rooms in childcare institutions must have a clear floor area
of no less than 3 m² per nursery-age child and 2m² per pre-school child…
(DS BR p.75) Normal classrooms in schools etc. must, subject to the
provision of effective ventilation, have a volume of no less than 6 m3 per
person… (DS BR p.75) day centres and similar rooms occupied by no
more than 50 people. Each room is a fire-resisting unit… (DS BR p.92)
installations comprising both forced air supply and exhaust and heat
recovery. The ventilation must ensure a good, healthy indoor climate…
(DS BR p.111) Building materials with the lowest possible emissions of
pollutants to the indoor climate should always be used… (DS BR p. 113)
limit noise nuisance from adjoining rooms, from the services of the
building and from nearby roads and railways… (DS BR p.119) Between
teaching rooms and between teaching rooms and common space,
horizontally ≥ 48 dB Between teaching rooms and between teaching
rooms and common space, vertically ≥ 51 dB… (DS BR p.119) For offices,
schools, institutions etc., the total demand of the building for energy
supply for heating, ventilation, cooling and domestic hot water and
lighting per m² of heated floor area must not exceed 71.3 kWh/m²/year
plus 1650 kWh/year divided by the heated floor area... (DS BR p.131)
temperature of no less than 20°C in all months of the year… (DS BR
p.211)”
What requirements has been introduced by the DK BR 2010?
From the sections above we can see how important for the BR to
regulate the physical environment of an education centre as well as
establish the energy standards of the institutions. There are no doubt
that the Danish regulations are strict and gives small room for alternative

9. 3
or natural solutions. Many of these demand can only met by using certain
materials and services.
Impact of regulations
According to Sarah Scott the more detailed and exacting the
regulation, the more it seemed to interfere with a natural response to
site and community. In Japan, for instance, only flat area is included in
the play area calculations. This has forced the construction of flat playing
areas, which are not necessarily an improvement on the natural
topography. In many countries, a playroom is required for each age
group. This forces an age regiment on a centre and can put emphasis on
segregation. Using detailed guidelines combined with minimal code
requirements can enable greater flexibility and creativity in design.
Health Effects of School Environment (HESE) Final Scientific Report on
behalf of the European Union. The excerpt below lists up the most
important environmental factors which has to be regulated to fulfil the
standards of a healthy school environment in the EU:
“The following environmental measures were planned to seek:
a) Building inspection b) Temperature c) Relative humidity
d) Carbon dioxide (CO2) e) PM10 f) Ultrafine particles
g) Ozone (O3) h) Nitrous oxide (NO2) i) Formaldehyde
j) Allergens in dust k) Allergen in the air
l) VOCM (Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds) for molds and bacteria
m) Cultures of viavle molds and bacteria” (EU- HESE 2006)
CDC
“Healthy schools provide plenty of light and fresh air, and use building
materials that do not pose hazards to children.”- says in the CDC
directives. The Institution also emphasize the importance of parks and
green spaces as another example of the built environment that
contributes to the health of children. CDC adds: “Research increasingly
suggests that children benefit from the opportunity to play outdoors,
where they can explore and enjoy natural environments.” (CDC, Central
for Disease Control and Prevention 2012)

10. 4
EPA
“Indoor air quality is a critically important aspect of creating and
maintaining school facilities… it is also intended to encourage school
districts to embrace the concept of designing High Performance Schools,
an integrated, "whole building" approach to addressing a myriad of
important — and sometimes competing — priorities, such as energy
efficiency, indoor air quality, day-lighting, materials efficiency, and
safety, and doing so in the context of tight budgets and limited staff.”
(EPA 2012)
WHO defines “…a health-promoting school is one that constantly
strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and
working…healthful school environment is one that protects students and
staff against immediate injury or disease and promotes prevention
activities and attitudes against known risk factors that might lead to
future disease or disability.” (WHO 2012)
What is in common in the approaches above?
The common ground and focus of the selected quotes of regulations
and directives is to set codes regarding the physical wellbeing of the
Child. These regulations do not specify or set standards to go beyond the
physical requirements of Children Environment (macro and micro).
What else ‘children development strategies’ should include?
Intellectual development is ‘easy’ to accelerate, but emotional
development doesn’t keep up, leaving children with more to process
emotionally than they’re capable of [Amons, Christie 2005]. Moreover,
as Elke-Maria Riscke writes, “civilization … upbringing and education
‘tear’ … children out of their dreaming consciousness much too early and
abruptly, pulling them into physicality and thus robbing them of the
peace and strength which they need to build up their body in a healthy
way as a physical basis for their soul spiritual development” (Riscke, Elke-
Maria 1985).
The next chapter will investigate further what other needs may have
to fulfil of a Children in an Educational Environment.

11. 5
2.0 CHILDREN DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT
Does environment effect children development?
“We shape our buildings and our buildings shape us.” - Sir Winston
Churchill
I would like to share a quote from Anita Rui: “As well as the social
environment, physical environment effects children’s brain/nerve
development and well-being. From environmental experiences, children
brain’s learns how it ‘needs’ to develop” (Anita Rui Olds 2001).
This is a serious state. If this is true - and let assume for now that it
is - this places great responsibilities on everyone who is involved in the
design, construction and maintenance of children’s physical environment.
Christopher Day believes that children develop in different stages.
Their journey is starting from an instinctive energy directed to a (more
or less) thought driven. Paralleling this he says “…buildings needs evolve
from form-mobility to structural-clarity. Light needs similarly progress
with age.” He raises the awareness that babies can’t handle strong lights
and colours and that infants can feel insecurely exposed in bright light;
but dreamy, enchanted, light encourages their imaginative fantasy. He
also adds that teenagers need every aid to wakefulness and clear
thinking. Likewise, colour-needs progress with age. Space-needs and
social-supportive aspects of design are also age-related. (Cristopher Day
2007)
This question is the most complex from all have been and will be
introduced in this paper. The answer to it goes very deep and has many
angles. In further of the paper many philosophies and researches will be
presented in detail regarding this question.
Can childhood experience inculcate environmental responsibility?
Does it influence what children learn, the values they acquire?
According to Christopher Day the key motivating issue of our time is
the challenge of sustainability and ecological awareness. By the time

12. 6
today’s children are adults, climate change will have made this central to
every sphere of economic, social, technical life and international
relations.
What does this mean for design? How do built places meet children
needs as well as global environmental needs?
Mark Dudek, researching school architecture, concludes that
“aesthetic quality is fundamental in establishing an appreciation of their
environment and raising self-esteem” (Mark Dudek 2000).
Cristopher Day answer is a bit firmer. He is partly referring to Anita
Rui Olds work, Steiner’s lectures of ‘The Foundations of Human
Experience’ and Maria Nordtsröm’s work from 1990: “…Although people
are more important for children, it is places that they tend to remember
better… children ‘absorb’ from values imprinted into buildings and places
are almost irresistible… ‘Quality architecture’ is at the heart of education
for child development… means architecture for children’s needs, not for
adult criteria… children’s needs may often require unconventional
buildings… architecture should be design-reticent, child-development
responsive. Children need buildings designed, not for magazines, but for
children.” He also adds “inspiring environment… an important foundation
for environmental responsibility in later life.” (Cristopher Day 2007)
Design by ‘children-perspective’?
Figure 1 - Proportional scales
Children and Adults see the world completely different. And our
buildings are designed by adults. Even those which are used by children.
Paula Lillard distinguishes these approaches: “Children use the
environment to improve themselves; adults use themselves to

13. 7
improve the environment… Children work for the sake of process;
adults work to achieve an end result.” (Paula Lillard 1972).
What does it mean for designers and architects? Does it mean as
adults we may find hard or even unachievable to see and create the
environment which would be the best of use for children?
When adults design a school, kindergarten any space for children
they look at functionality, purpose of the space, practicality, energy
conservation, aesthetic, design, building regulation, beauty and last but
not least economy. Which are those would be on the list of a children
needs?
Us adults we want to shape our buildings to serve us. We want to
use them and very importantly improve the space best possible. Children
on the other hand they use the environment to improve themselves.
Children work and explore the space, shapes for the sake of the
experience, adults work for the result… It is such a difference approach.
As child psychologist Anita Olds observes: “Children ‘live
continuously in the here and now, feasting upon nuances of colour,
light, sound, odor, touch, texture, volume, movement, form and rhythm
around them” (Anita Rui Olds 2001).
I think the main question is if Children ‘use’ their environment to
improve, develop their personality, brain and wellbeing should we not all
and always create space specifically for the people (children) will use it
and not (or at least not only) the purpose of the space?
On the other side there are some well-known similar shared
responses to the physical world among adults and children. We are all
are being effected by our environment, only Children are more exposed
and unshielded.
2.1 DIFFERENT THINKING, DIFFERENT NEEDS
Figure 2- Children spaces in a room. Sufficient and
uncluttered space for active play (5) with an
additional cosy (1, 4), intimate space (2, 3) set aside
for individual and quite play. (Christopher Day 2007)
“Architecture can both feed sense-of-
self and help build society. Form- and
space-language, harmony, melody,
tempo and rhythm are its means.”
(Christopher Day 2007)

14. 8
Architecture is an ART form, and as such only can be created by
humans and only can be appreciated by humans. And even though our
mind is not always in a state to enjoy it, when it’s overloaded by problems
of life. Children are naturally artistic. They don’t consciously evaluate
aesthetics. They may say: ‘Ahhhh!’ or ‘Wow!’ but never: ‘This is a nicely
decorated or designed room’. So do aesthetics matter for children? Or
only for their parents? Swedish architecture Bobo Hjort believes, early
childhood experiences affect how Children will look at form, understand
space and appreciate places as adults. [Bobo Hjort 1995].
2.2 CHILDREN ARCHITECTURE
According to Sarah Scott, Christopher Day, Steiner and Montessori
attention to detail and cultural relevance in the following areas provides
for playfulness, invention and enrichment of the ‘Inner Child’:
Colour: can delineate areas and activities, and attract children, whether
the aim is to create calming environments or bright focal areas.
Lighting: should aim to emulate the variability and flexibility of nature,
from soft, subdued and shadowy to bright task areas. Lights are also eye-
catching elements: children love them as a sparkly feature.
Texture and pattern: can help to provide spatial differentiation (such
as variety of floor finishes), tactile entertainment, as well as acting as a
learning tool.
Smell: such as the beautiful smell of cooking, garden flowers on the
breeze, wood joinery. Avoid chemical paints and plastics.
Sound: Providing sound absorption materials and sound insulation to
delineate quiet areas can make a significant improvement to the ambient
quality of a centre. Musical features, if used judiciously, can provide hours
of amusement such as the musical ‘soft metal’ stairs at the Maramotti
Centre in Reggio Emilia (Sarah Scott 2010 p. 65).

15. 9
Furniture: where the furniture has been thoughtfully considered to
complement the space or the space has been designed with the furniture
in mind, in terms of use and style.
Bathrooms: children learn not just toilet training, but that their bodily
functions are normal and that cleanliness is important.
A dynamic and interesting ceiling plane: Because of their small
stature and many ways of moving other than just walking, children are
constantly looking up, so the features of the voids above take on
particular significance.
Scale: Providing small microcosms within the whole gives children a
sense of safety, control and belonging.
Indoor Space: Children’s centres require space to sleep, to eat, to work
and to move. Multipurpose space is important, movable parts required.
Transparency and nature: Spatial extension, views out and beyond,
and a visual sense of the collective, create a sense of inclusiveness.
Outdoor Exploration: paths, bridges, woods, small slopes to roll on,
wild and ‘secret’ places.
Outdoor Challenging play: involving physical and mental challenges,
complex climbing, paths through hedges and tunnels through hills.

16. 10
3.0 PHILOSOPHY OR NO PHILOSOPHY
Fiona Grey, Australian architect questions the concept of blending
any philosophy with material art such as Architecture. She beilves the
material, gravity, spatial requirements present specific and huge
challenges for architects who try to employ any philosophy in their work.
She raises her main questions: “How can theoretical concepts be
embodied in material form without loss of their ideological purity?
Likewise, how does philosophy, as a matter essentially extraneous to the
practical concerns of architecture, find its place meaningfully in built
form?”
“In order for the marriage of philosophy and architecture to really
work”, she says “the level of integration between them must be such that
neither is harmed by the union, and at best, both are enhanced by their
alliance to produce an eloquent statement both architecturally and
philosophically.” (Fiona Gray 2011, p.54)
On the other side there were and are many architects, philosophers,
children psychiatrists, teachers, anthropologists, physicians, biologists,
preschool education experts who does believe there is a great need for
integrated philosophy to create the right physical environment for
children’s physical (and beyond) development:
Friedrich Froebel, Rudolf Steiner, Maria Montessori, Loris Malaguzzi,
Reggio Emilia, Christian Day, Mark Dudek, Susan Wright and many more.
The philosophy does shape the physical environment in the Waldorf,
Montessori or Reggio schools. In the last 100 years there has been a
surge of interest in scientific researching how children perceive and
respond to their environment.
There are many relevant researches has been done and will be
presented in the next chapter (see all researches found at List of
References).
Researches which intend to explore and prove there are more
aspects and much more needs to be met regarding the physical
environment in addition what we already know and regulate.

17. 11
4.0 CHILDREN BEHAVIOUR STUDIES
1. A major quantitative and qualitative study of senior secondary
students in the three largest Steiner schools in Australia was
undertaken by Jennifer Gidley in the mid-nineties. It investigated the
Steiner-educated students’ views and visions of the future, replicating
a major study with a large cross-section of mainstream and other
private school students undertaken a few years prior.[J Gidley 1998]
The findings as summarised below contrasted markedly in some areas
with the research from mainstream students at the time:
Steiner-educated students were able to develop richer, more detailed
images of their ‘preferred futures’ than mainstream students:
• About three-quarters were able to envision positive changes in both
the environment and human development; almost two-thirds were
able to imagine positive changes in the socio-economic area;
• They tended to focus on ‘social’ rather than ‘technological’ ways of
solving problems;
• In envisioning futures without war, their visions primarily related to
improvements in human relationships and communication through
dialogue and conflict resolution rather than a ‘passive peace’ image;
• 75% had many ideas on what aspects of human development
(including their own) needed to be changed to enable the fulfilment of
their aspirations. These included more activism, value changes,
spirituality, future care and better education;
• There were no gender differences found in the students’ preferred
futures visions or in the richness and fluidity of their creative images.
2. A 2012 study of Waldorf pupils in Germany concluded in comparison
to state school pupils [Fanny Jiminez 2012]:
• Waldorf students are significantly more enthusiastic about learning,
report having more fun and being less bored in school, more often
feel individually met, and learn more from school about their personal
academic strengths.

18. 12
• 85% of the Waldorf students reported that their School Environment
and climate was pleasant and supportive, compared to 60% of the
state school
• Waldorf pupils also have significantly less physical ailments such as
headaches, stomach aches, or disrupted sleep.
• There was no statistically significant difference between the state and
Waldorf pupils’ achievement on state examinations;
3. Research by Hjort, Bobo cited in Lundahl, Gunilla
(1995) Houses and Rooms for Young Children
(original title: Hus och Rum för Små Barn)
• Bobo’s Doll- experiment was to determine how
children learn aggression through observation
and imitation. 36 boys and 36 girls have
participated in the experiment where they’ve
been exposed to aggressive and non-aggressive
behaviour towards a doll (Stanford University
Nursery School). Children ranged in age between 3 and almost 6
years.
• As a result they found that adult's violent behaviour toward the doll
led children to believe that such actions were acceptable, as well as
children may be more inclined to respond to frustration with
aggression in the future
• The experimenters found in the same-sex ‘aggressive groups’, boys
were more likely to imitate physical acts of violence while girls were
more likely to imitate verbal aggression.
Paralleling the above studies with the subject, the lack of introducing
certain actions, experiences, standards and behaviour (ex.: recycling,
active participation in shaping their own environment, direct connection
to nature and animals, natural materials and light, quality materials)
through their physical environment, through physical interaction
can lead to disconnection with nature and let children to believe that
nature and global environment can be treated and used with no
consequences. By involving them and showing good role models as well
as good physical and concrete examples helps them to engage and
understand the world around them.
Figure 3 - Simple rep.
of a Bobo doll

19. 13
4. Research by Prescott, Jones, & Kritchevsky (1967) cited in Dudek,
Mark (1996) Kindergarten Architecture
• Prescott identified four empirical concerns: the division of space, the
provision for privacy, the softness of the environment, and facilities
for storage.
• Clear division of space has been reported to be more difficult to
achieve in square rooms and square outdoor areas than in irregular
or oblong shaped play areas due to the standard practice of organizing
interest areas along the perimeter of the room or play area boundary.
• Prescott suggested that group size may make a difference to the
physical setting, he observed that in centres with more than sixty
children, children rarely participated within the same spatial area in
wide age-range groups.
Designing play or study areas maybe strongly challenging, but many
of the experiments and experiences can help us to identify how children
move around in their space how and where they feel safe, where they
can enjoy secret plays and how actively participating shapes the
engagement with their environment.
5. Research by Reggio Emilia preschool teachers. Ceppi, Guilio and Zini,
Michele (1998) Children, Spaces, Relations; Metaproject for an
Environment for Young Children.
Cultural differences effect the amount and characteristic need of light.
“Light can bring another level of mood-richness to places”.
• The research reported what quality, brightness, window-design is
appropriate depends on age.
• Minimally furnished rooms, softly shaped gentle plane-meetings and
light textures (such as hand-finished plaster) calms. Such faded, pale,
un-strong as white, green, blue and life-filled pale greys also do.
• Children and colours: 0-6 children favour clear, warm colours (reds,
yellows, oranges). Older children prefer blue surrounding calm their
mindless bodily activity, ‘waking-up’ their thinking concentration, etc.

20. 14
6. Karl Luscher (of Luscher Test fame)
• Found children had a colour preference scale, from red, yellow, orange
to purple-grey and dark colours.
• The validity of this test is questionable as it’s based on isolated
samples, also on de-contextualized ‘preference’. Other research, such
as that in Reggio Emilia preschools, shows broader and more variable
preferences. Ceppi, Guilio and Zini, Michele (1998) ibid.
7. Waldorf school’s in-house experience with no measurable data
regarding colours [Waldorf School Van James]
• In the nursery, kindergarten, and early grades, a soft, warm, pink
tone is usually selected for walls and curtains because of its gently
active and supportive quality.
• The Waldorf classroom colours evolve from these warm, reddish tones
in the early grades, through energetic orange/yellow around third
grade,
• Into the middle spectrum greens around fourth and fifth grade. It is
here at the half-way-point of childhood that a kind of balance is
achieved just before the onset of puberty. Green is the balanced
colour between light and darkness, and meets this age group in a
harmonious way.
• From sixth grade on into the high school, various shades of blue
dominate, and even lavender, lilac, and violet tones are indicated for
the more inwardly active, thoughtful work of the upper school
adolescent.
• Craft rooms are often appropriately painted with warm colours, and
spaces for eating are aided by appetite sympathetic golden-orange
colours.
• Using transparent colours: The reason for this is that with a lazured
room, one does not experience the boundary of the wall as abruptly
as with the flat painted surface. It is as though one can “breathe”
beyond the surface of the wall and not feel as contained or bound by
the room’s walls.

21. 15
The studies above can help us to identify what colours, shades,
shapes, design principles to choose to classrooms/ centres depends on
the different age groups.
According to Waldorf Teacher and Colourist Liane
Anistas to move one step further the walls best painted
with faux technique, which makes the walls ‘three
dimensional’ and it gives the illusion as it ‘breaths’ and
‘moves’. She also tells the positive impacts of colours and
the technique has on children: helps in ‘healthy
breathing’, relaxing, eliminates the feeling of being inside.
Hanne Warming gives us more insight, how actively children can
participate in shaping their own environment. She claims that the new
sociological - or rather interdisciplinary childhood research - is
characterized by a move away from seeing children as passive recipients
of adult socialization. On the contrary, she says: “children are recognized
as social actors in their own lives as well as in other people’s lives, and
in the societies in which they live.” (Hanne Warming 2003, p. 815)
What conclusion we can make?
We can see there are many studies has been done how Physical
Environment effects and shapes Children’s (and nor less Adults) well-
being, mental health, creativity, emotions, character and academic
performance. And not the last the other way around. Children does learn
through shaping their own environment, by learning how its working and
what it is made of. The quality and presentation of the environment is
strongly connected with their emotional, mental and physical
characteristic.
In the next section I would like to go deeper in philosophies which
takes one more step further… Ones are built their environment to
enhance and empower one more ‘need’ left of a children development:
the spiritual side.
Figure 4 - Faux
technique

22. 16
5.0 CHILDREN CENTRED PHILOSOPHIES
5.1 CHILDHOOD JOURNEY BY RUDOLF STEINER
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was a highly trained scientist and
respected philosopher. Long before many of his contemporaries, Steiner
came to the conclusion that western civilization would increasingly bring
destruction to itself and the earth if it did not begin to incorporate an
objective understanding of the spiritual world and its interrelationship
with the physical world. Steiner's spiritual scientific methods and insights
have given birth to practical holistic innovations in many fields including
Waldorf/ Steiner education, banking, medicine, psychology, the arts and,
and biodynamic agriculture.
Rudolf Steiner says there are 4 aspects of us humans:
• The ‘Physical-self’,
• The ‘Etheric self’
• The ‘Emotional- or Ego-self’
• The ‘Higher-self’
Steiner states in children development scheme we cannot just pick
one- or two from the list to focus on. We have to create an education
system which would help children to develop in all these levels.
Steiner specifies what actions develop and enhance which ‘-self’ and
describes the following examples: creative work empowers the ‘Idea-
self’, the intellectual studies enhance the ‘Emotional-self’.
He also states this ‘-selves’ BORN in different stages. The most
important aspect of these births are the protection and perfect timing.
His analogy comes from the protective environment of the un-born baby
by the Mother’s physical body. We all know that no baby should be
exposed to the physical world too soon.
The same analogy goes to Children physical, emotional and
intellectual development which should be protected by the Physical
Environment.
Anthropometrical: relates to the proportional measurements of the
human form, and applying or uncovering these qualities in the man-made
environment.

23. 17
Colour theory: Goethe’s experiential colour theory (*) inspired Steiner
to explore the spiritual nature of colour. “The darkness can weaken the
light in its working power. Conversely, the light can limit the energy of
the darkness. In both cases colour arises.”- Rudolf Steiner, 1897
“When the eye sees a colour it is immediately excited and it is its nature,
spontaneously and of necessity, at once to produce another, which with
the original colour, comprehends the whole chromatic scale.”- Goethe,
Theory of Colours (Wikipedia 2013)
(*)- It is difficult to explain Goethe’s theory as Goethe himself refrains from
setting up a straight forward theory. He characterized, experimented and
studied light-and-darkness, colours, effects of turbid media and most of all the
psychology of colours
1.YEAR 0
Most active period: Year 0-7
Birth of the physical body, the ‘Physical-self’
Key words: Imitation and Physical Role-model
In this stage of life children seeking for their physical role model and
senses towards the physical world. They touch and ‘consume’ the
physical world and by imitating it their physical being/ body develops.
Design ‘2 cents’: Colours, shapes, materials, elements should not be
passively presented with no room for development (ready-made toys,
ready-made design and layout). We must leave the space un-finished to
create opportunity to improvement.
As a very simplified example shows: If the environment has the right
proportion of ratios, colours, light, tools for development of active
imagination children eyes, mind and body adjust to the normal or even
above normal operation on the other hand if they would be kept in a dark,
short distant, unventilated, empty space their eyes, mind and body
function may suffer serious irreversible malfunction.
As Prof Gerald Hüther (German Neuroscientist) says: “…First of all,
we all learn from the experience through our own bodies… by
scientific studies it’s been demonstrate it happens through active
involvement not passive presence… Those brain regions where structural
changes brought about by the experience and are activated during the
evaluation process as a basis, the neuroscientists are able to locate very

24. 18
well: they are the youngest and most complex region of the brain, the
prefrontal cortex (frontal lobe) can be found”.
2.≈YEAR 7 – start with tooting
Most active period: Year 7- 14
Birth of the ‘Idea or Life-self’
Key words: Following and Respect, Tales and Inner values
The period when children develop their habits, conscience, character,
memory, temper and they seeking and ready to look for an ‘inner’, moral
role model.
Design ‘2 cents’: Use specific symbols, characters, shapes, colours to
give a room for imagination but this time add meaningful, expressive and
illustrative value to it. Not by presenting or pushing abstract concepts
but clear and familiar understandable concepts (connected to the physical
experiences in their first 7 years).
3.≈YEAR 12(14) – start with sexual maturation
Period of 14 onwards
Birth of ‘Emotional-self’
“The intellect is a spiritual power born at the time of sexual maturation”-
Rudolf Steiner
Design ‘2 cents’: We can start to present more abstract forms and
concepts, we can shift to more strong and cool colours (blues, violin).
Regarding the colours Steiner himself recommended differ for
different schools. He emphasized that colouring shouldn’t be by dogmatic
formula but should respond to the particular situation: light quality and
direction, geographical and cultural location, as well as children’s ages.
5.2 MONTESSORI SCHOOLS
Dr Maria Montessori, the first woman to graduate as a doctor in Italy,
focused on how children learn. An anthropologist and physician, she
observed that children have different developmental stages that can be
defined by age. She was not alone with this theory—Steiner had a similar
series of developmental stages and so did the biologist Jean Piaget (*).

25. 19
(*)- Piaget Theory and Experiment- Piaget (1896–1980) describes four
development stages of children. 1. The sensorimotor (0-2): experiences
through movement and the 5 senses. Extremely egocentric stage, meaning they
perceive the worlds from only their own view. 2. Preoperational (2-7): magical
thinking and motor skills, egocentrism weakens towards the end of this stage.
No logical thinking yet. 3. Concrete operational (7-11): start of a very concrete
based logical thinking, no longer ego centric. 4. Formal operational (11-16 and
onwards): development of abstract thoughts, easy logical thinking. Piaget also
observed children not only assimilating objects to fit their needs, but also
modifying some of their mental structures to meet the demands of the
environment
The Montessori approach posits that there are four developmental
stages:
• Ages 0-6 the absorbent mind; absorbing from the environment,
culture and language
• Ages 6-12 the reasoning mind; abstract thought and imagination
• Ages 12-18 the humanist mind; enquiring about society and the whole
• Ages 18-24 the specialist mind; concerned with their role within the
whole
Montessori education is designed to help children with the task of
‘inner construction’, and is based on the belief that the child is self-
directing, and knows their own needs best. In keeping with the
developmental stages, the environment is carefully controlled. Some of
the principles that are adhered to are:
• Working at the child’s level. As this is generally on the floor, there are
often few chairs and the ground plane becomes quite important.
• Breaking down the school’s scale to provide small, child-sized
environments (microcosms) in which each child feels fully competent.
• Designing built environments with simplicity in mind. A natural order
is desired, and the aim is a space that is uncluttered and peaceful
• Allowing visible and physical access to the natural environment.
• Valuing art more for its process than for the product. Art can be taken
home or stored away but for the most part it is not displayed, as this
distracts and inhibits further development.

26. 20
5.3 REGGIO SCHOOLS
Reggio Education is child-centred and, in particular, held the belief
that children have a voice to be heard. Children are seen as active
participants in their own education. Every year they have 16–20 study
groups with anything between 80 and 400 delegates, from all over the
world to examine and study their education environment.
Reggio is values-based education. To listen gives meaning to the
other person and children are particularly sensitive to this: ‘I cannot exist
without your listening’.
Architecturally, the environment is an important part of the whole
Reggio pedagogy. While acknowledging the influence of Froebel and
Steiner (a child’s environment should be beautiful and the child should
be autonomous and open to lots of enriching experiences), Reggio
Children have developed the theme.
The resultant architecture is clearly defined by these concepts:
• A child should be free to think for themselves (and move freely
around) The centre should operate as a cohesive community with open
dialogue
• The interpretation of play as a form of work - a science that needs a
laboratory, an art that needs a workroom - the playroom should fulfil
these criteria
Based on Sarah Scott’s experience while visiting many Reggio centres in
Italy (writer of Architecture for Children):
Within one playroom is found: a single- and double-storey space with
loft; a designated art area; a music area; a science area; eating and
sleeping areas; a winter garden or bay window; stairs and perhaps a
ramp with play area underneath; a series of amphitheatre steps; and
recently, technology has been incorporated with a projection screen and
computer area.

27. 21
6.0 ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN CONCEPTS
As a sub-conclusion from the four approaches in the previous
Chapter I would like to introduce Architectural, Design Concepts (in
relation to the main title) which would all harmonize with the
philosophies, strategies and researches were explicate so far.
• Sustainability, Ecological Design
• Consensus Design
• Modularity
• Modularity of Cradle to Cradle
• Feng Shui and Sustainability
6.1 WHAT ‘ECOLOGICAL’ MEANS? DO WE NEED OUR
SCHOOLS TO BE AND CHILDREN TO THINK ECOLOGICAL?
First and foremost we’ve to specify what ‘Ecological’ means:
‘Ecological’ is the scientific study of interactions among organisms
and their environment, such as the interactions organisms have with
each other and with their abiotic environment. It is include topics as
diversity, distribution, amount (biomass), number (population) of
organisms, as well as competition between them within and among
ecosystems. Ecosystems are composed of dynamically interacting parts
including organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living
components of their environment. [Wikipedia, 2013]
In the previous chapters we learned Mark Dudek’s and Cristopher
Day’s approach towards the need of conscious representation and
integration of ‘Environmental’ design and thinking into the education
sector. According to them introducing an ecological concept in early age
can enhance an active and healthy relationship between the future adult
and the greater environment.

28. 22
6.2 CONCENSUS DESIGN
Consensus Design has a great potential to create a possible ‘bridge
solution’ to the fundamental differences between Children and Adults
approach described in the ‘Different thinking, different needs’ section.
What Consensus Design is?
Figure 5 - Christopher Day, Consensus Design p.14
Why Consensus Design?
Consensus technique depends upon listening to everybody’s
contribution who is involved in the project (architect, owner, user,
developer, consultants, engineers, specialists, etc.). With Christopher
Day’s words: “When we are fully heard, we are accorded value. Many,
who formerly felt they had nothing important to say, no right to speak,
discover through the consensus process that they have knowledge and
insights of value. I’ve seen this happen time and time again. This is a
process for all those concerned, which transforms the spirit.” (Cristopher
Day, 2003)
Consensus with Children
The important factor when considering consensus design approach
is a collaborative design process between designers and educators
involving a shared vision of child development and creative inquiry that
drives the identification and production of appropriate learning spaces.

29. 23
It maybe unconventional to invite children psychologist, children
development specialists, children or parents into the design process right
at the beginning but to properly integrate the philosophy, science,
ideology to create the right and most meaningful environment possible
for Children it seems the best approach possible.
6.3 MODULARITY - IN CHILDREN SPACE
A child's development is directly linked to their ability to interact with
their environment. Children develop and understand themselves through
their interactions with events and materials outside themselves.
The motivation to interact with the environment is in all children as
an intrinsic property of life, but the quality of the interactions is
dependent upon the possibilities for engagement that the environment
provides. [Olds 1979 and Piaget 1951]
According to Feng Shui, the Chinese technique for design and
arrangement, rooms that have good energy, or “chi”, create happier,
well-adjusted children.
Natural light conditions and activity requirements may vary in a
room over the year. The design of space has to be flexible enough
to adjust the layout, arrangement of the space over the year.
Modular design would not just favour economical needs but give
Children the opportunity to interact, learn their environment by actively
observe how it can be shaped, well taken care of, recycled.
6.4 WHAT CRADLE TO CRADLE IS?
Figure 6 - Cradle to Cradle concepts of circular economy

30. 24
Cradle to Cradle is a concept of ‘circular economy’ which can truly
understand the perspective of “people, planet and profit".
The Cradle to Cradle framework moves beyond the traditional goal
of reducing the negative impacts of commerce (‘eco-efficiency’), to a new
paradigm of increasing its positive impacts (‘eco-effectiveness’).
At its core, Cradle to Cradle design perceives the safe and productive
processes of nature’s ‘biological metabolism’ as a model for developing a
‘technical metabolism’ flow of industrial materials. Product components
can be designed for continuous recovery and reutilization as biological
and technical nutrients within these metabolisms.
UPCYCLING
The practice of recycling a material in such a way that it retains its
original high-quality in a closed-loop industrial cycle. This requires that
materials can be fully separated and recovered at a product’s end of
life. According to the Modular Building Institute, Cradle to Cradle is
derived from nature’s principles - eliminate the concept of waste, rely on
renewable energy, and celebrate diversity.
The Cradle to Cradle concept can perfectly fit to the design approach
of Healthy and Ecological Educational Environment with its modularity,
respect for nature, carefully regulated material choice and the philosophy
of positive impact rather than reducing negative impact.
6.5 MODULARITY OF CRADLE TO CRADLE- ‘MODULARITY’
OF CHINLDREN NEEDS
If a school/kindergarten building can be built using modular parts
(such as walls, frames, doors, ceilings, and windows) the school interior
can then be partitioned (or divided). If the school needs to be expanded
or re-divided to accommodate new needs, modular components such as
wall panels can be added or relocated to make the necessary changes
without altering the whole building and in a much more economical way.
Later on, this same (class)room can be disassembled and rearranged.
"Design products in a way so that biological and technical nutrients
can be easily disassembled and separated for recycling or composting...
carpet tiles that are separable into component materials for carpet to
carpet recycling…" (William McDonough and Michael Braungart 2012)

31. 25
Paralleling this, Children could be invited to participate in such a
“disassemble” as they’d be able to learn environmentalism through a
concrete physical experience rather than abstract reasoning. They’d gain
their own, hands on experience of shaping their environment as well as
recycling.
6.6 CONNECTION OF FENG SHUI AND SUTAINABILITY
Bring the five elements into the space: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and
Metal.
Classical Feng Shui teaches that heaven, earth and humanity
energies need to be balanced to attain health and prosperity. These
energies are called the three gifts of prosperity. By bringing in each of
the above elements can help balance the living space, says Duneier.
(Debra Duneier 2011, EcoChi)
Examples of this include:
Fire: The colours of fire are red and orange. To bring this energy in place
candles or a fireplace.
Earth: Yellow represents earth. The earth is what grounds, supports and
nourishes us all. “Bring the outside in by having terracotta pots,” Duneier
advises. “Grow some herbs in organic soil in the window.”
Wood: The wood energy is represented by the colour green. Wood
energy symbolizes rebirth and growth. We can achieve this by having
photos or artwork with trees, or better yet, a live great size plant.
Metal: The colour of the metal energy is white and all metallic shades
(gold, silver, brass, chrome, and bronze). The metal energy symbolizes
wealth and protection. This can be brought into the space with silver
candlesticks, or an area painted white, or a soft oval-shaped sculpture,
rather than something with sharp edges.
Water: The colour of water energy is black. It is the element most closely
tied to prosperity, comfort, welfare. Place a water feature, such as a
fountain or a miniature waterfall, in the southwest corner of the property,
and watch greater water energy enter the space.
“Utilizing the five elements is the first step to mental well-being. Using
sustainable products can bring your space to an even higher level.”
[Debra Duneier 2011, EcoChi, Designing the Human Experience]

32. 26
CASE STUDIES
Steiner School Design is not a Franchise, where we can choose from
a catalogue or a book and build the same look interior and construction
over and over again. When I visited the two Steiner schools and
investigated many Waldorf centres all over the world (Germany, UK,
Edinburgh, Australia, Netherlands etc.) I found very different
visualizations and solutions to the same philosophical approach. How is
it possible? Steiner schools have many different dynamic principles to
fulfil, very few of them are carved in stone:
• Reflect to the spirit of the place and time they have been built
• Apply materials, shapes, colours and concepts to help Children to
develop best way possible based on Anthroposophical principles
• Design in cooperation with Children and the Community
• Clear, constructive and well applied outdoor spaces
Figure 7 - Noosa Pengari
Steiner School (AU)
Performance hall
Figure 8 - Chrysalis Waldorf
School (AU)
Figure 9 - Lakota Steiner School
(USA) Design Plans
VEJLE STEINER SCHOOL
Background Data: Sukkertoppen 4, 7100
Vejle. 1st
house’s been built in 1977 (wooden
house), 6 other buildings have been built
year-by-year from ’78- till ’83. They’ve been
partly renovated since (roof, interior
decoration, windows).
Interviewed: Clara Ussing (director of the
school) and Christian Milwertz (Chief
Caretaker)
Figure 10 - Vejle Waldorf School and
Kindergarten

33. 27
The concept of the buildings were based on Anthroposophical
philosophy. The invited architect firm was familiar with Anthroposophical
Design Principles. The school received the design and they built by
themselves along with the community.
Outdoors: The people who designed the school really wanted to
connect it to the nature, forest around. There are also trees (climbable)
and designed playground embraced by the 6 buildings.
Development Stages: The school follows Steiner’s stages, and
prepared all classroom and the kindergarten according to the appropriate
faded colours, themes (ex.: fairy-tale theme on the ceiling for the 1st
class), amount of natural and artificial light, view of nature, soft shape
windows and furniture.
Figure 11 – Fairy tale ceiling motive, Vejle Figure 12 – Round, soft shaped ‘Steiner’ chair
Indoor: There are plants in all classroom and even a fire place in
the Kindergarten. Most of the classrooms (except the oldest students’
classroom) are not square shape. The Kindergarten specifically focuses
on creating ‘hidden’ areas where children can play more intimate.
Modular Design: In the Kindergarten there is a main focus on make
furniture movable, and the layout of the room flexible. At the moment
they solve it with furniture but there was a huge interest in changing the
layout in a bigger scale (walls). They keep experimenting and changing
the interior layout and position of furniture to keep in interesting.
Figure 13 -'Hideout' corner, Vejle Kindergarten Figure 14 -Cooking snug, Vejle Kindergarten

34. 28
Limitations: “Even if you follow the building regulation you can still build
wrong. The materials and limitation has to work with the room! For
example we had to lower the room and building heights because of the
regulation of the distance from the site boundary.” - Chief Caretaker
“Our aim is to awake the consciousness of the Child. Quality materials,
beauty and colours slowly build up a moral in the child, and most
important slowly build up the feeling what quality is, which is so close to
moral quality. If you’re surrounded by beauty your inner world is
responding to it…” - {School Director Clara Ussing}
“We don’t want to drag children out from the society, but we want strong
children with strong soul prepared to the outside world. So they can go
out and change things! If we show too early the bad side of the world,
and they cannot do anything about it yet, their soul will cry…” - {School
Director Clara Ussing}
AARHUS STEINER SCHOOL
Figure 15 - Aarhus Steiner School 2009 Figure 16 - Aarhus Steiner School site
Background Data: Strandvejen 102, Århus. Classes are spreads from preschool
to 12 classes. In addition, the school affiliated with a nursery, kindergarten,
after-school, club and special school. Most recent building was designed by
Schmidt/ Hammer/ Lassen Architects (2009). The building was semi-
manufactured in Germany and assembled on site in 5 month. The School
includes variety of building from variety of times (Villas from the 1850’s, 1950’s,
70’s, 90’s and the most recent one 2009).
Interviewed: Jeppe Flummer (member of the Danish Free School Association)
The main focus of my investigation was the newest building from
2009.

35. 29
Interior: The ten new class rooms (2009) are all different from each
other hence manifold colours, sizes and forms vary. The variety of angles
provides views of the sea, woods and schoolyard through the windows.
The interior design of the building is polygonal thus the classrooms are
pentagonal or hexagonal, creating spaces without square or sharp inward
corners. Instead, the angles are open and embracing in order to provide
a warm atmosphere and a sense of belonging.
Figure 17 - Interior Aarhus Steiner building ’09 Figure 18 - Interior Aarhus Steiner building '09
Exterior of the building: The exterior expression of the building
appears dynamically angled and covered with black wood and luminous
windows. The open and sharp angles of the facade facing the playground
accommodate social activities and playing. In this way, the facade
creates natural cosy nooks, and the gently sloping roof and rough wooden
beams reinforce the impression of privacy. (fig 15)
The Great Outdoor: The landscape of the site follows and imitates
natural topography (fig 20) and offers variety of challenges (fig 19).
Figure 19 - Climbing tree, Aarhus, Steiner School Figure 20 - Hilly outdoor, Arhus, Steiner Sch.

36. 30
CONCLUSION
“If you are not prepared to be wrong you never come up anything
original!” - Sir Ken Robinson
Children has a natural ability to go out try themselves, be creative
and make mistakes. Children are not frightened to be wrong. And by the
time they became adults most children lost this ability… Children who
enrols to school this year will retire by 2065. No one knows what future
they will have and what exact ecological and environmental challenges
they may face. But we mean to educate and create educational
environment for it.
Today’s mainstream education believes in emphasising literacy and
academic knowledge and backing up this ideology with an environment
dominantly reinforcing these skills and abilities. The education system is
based on marking system and punishment of bad grades. Children being
stigmatized by making mistakes. What is the outcome?? People with fear
making mistakes and pushed out from their creative capacity.
BUT ‘creative capacities’, dynamic intelligence and engagement with
the natural environment are the main abilities they MUST have in their
tool-kit to face the challenges and problems of humanity and the global
environment.
Designers and Architectures have a HUGE responsibility of
balancing, improving and ameliorate Children ‘physically’ healthy
environment and they MUST take it to the next level: Give them an
environment where their emotional, mental, spiritual soul becomes
strong enough to face and solve problems creatively when they grow up.
Children imagination and passion is a gift to humanity. We must see
and save the creative capacity in the richness they are and see our
children for the hope that they are and give them a SPACE where their
WHOLE BEING develop and ready to face the Future.
I would like to finish with a quote by Jonas Salk, who said, “If all the
insects were to disappear from earth, within 50 years all life on Earth
would end. If all human beings disappeared from earth, within 50 years
all forms of life would flourish.”- what is says to me that we must rethink
and reconstruct our mission and function on earth and the way to create
Education Environment to ‘produce’ responsible, solution-oriented,
ecological thinking, creative, balanced Whole Beings.

37. 31
LIST OF REFERENCE
Books, Articles, Theses
Adams, David Organic Functionalism: An Important Principle of the Visual
Arts in Waldorf School Crafts and Architecture
(http://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/pdf/BACraftsArchtRev.pdf)
Althouse, Rosemary, Margaret H. and Sharon T. Mitchell (2003) The
Colors of Learning- INTEGRATING THE VISUAL ARTS INTO THE EARLY
CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM (Foreword by Carol Seefeldt)
Anderson, E.N. (1996) Ecologies of the Heart- Emotions, Belief, and the
Environment
Amons, Christie (2005) at The Integrity of the Child conference.
Anthroposophy Worldwide, No. 3. (‘Lecture by a child psychologist’)
Bramble, Cate (2003) Architect’s guide to Feng Shui
Ceppi, Guilio and Zini, Michele (1998) Children, Spaces, Relations
Danish Building Regulation 2010
Day, Christopher (2007) Environment and Children
Day, Christopher with Rosie Parnell (2003) Consensus Design – socially
inclusive process
Dudek, Mark (2000) Architecture of Schools
Dudek, Mark (2005) Children’s spaces
Down, Reg (2012) Eurythmy room design principles and criteria (Article)
http://www.waldorflibrary.org/images/stories/articles/eroom.pdf
Fenoughty, Susan (1997) The Garden Classroom; Course booklet for
Coordinators of Environmental Education Course, Alkmaar College of
Education, The Netherlands

38. 32
Gidley, J. (1998). "Prospective Youth Visions through Imaginative
Education." Futures: The journal of policy, planning and futures studies
30(5): 395–408.
Gray, Fiona (2011) Between theory and practice: Rudolf Steiner as a
Philosopher and Architect, Association of Architecture Schools of
Australasia (AASA) Deakin University
Hjort, Bobo Research, cited in Lundahl, Gunilla, ed. (1995)
Jolley, Christopher (2010) Master Thesis on Waldorf Architecture: A
Pedagogy’s Relation to Design, Architecture, University of Cincinnati
Lillard, Paula Polk (1972) Montessori – a Modern Approach. Schocken
Books, quoted in Olds, Anita Rui (2001) ibid.
McDonough, William and Braungart, Michael (2012) DESIGN FOR A
CRADLE TO CRADLE FUTURE
Olds, A.R. (1979) Designing Developmentally Optimal Classrooms for
Children
Olds, Anita Rui (2001) Child Care Design Guide. McGraw Hill
Piaget (1951) Play, Dreams and Imagination in Childhood
Riscke, Elke-Maria (1985) Pedagogical aspects of kindergarten
architecture. In Flinspach, Jürgen (1985) Waldorfkindergärten Bauen.
Unpublished translation by Luborsky, Peter (1988)
Said, Ismail Mohd Sarofil and Abu Bakar - Phenomenological Approach in
Determining Responses of Hospitalised Children Experiencing a Garden,
Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment
Scott, Sarah (2010) Architecture for Children
Skantze, Ann, Doctoral thesis, Stockholm University. Cited in Lundahl,
Gunilla, ed. (1995)
Staley, Betty (2013) What are the Physiological, Soul, and Spiritual
Changes in Youth Today? (Article)
Steiner, Rudolf (1916) The sense organs and aesthetic experience. In
Davy and Bittleston, eds, (1975) The Golden Blade. Rudolf Steiner Press.

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Steiner, Rudolf (1921) A gyermek nevelése szellemtudományos
szempontból (Child Education from Spiritual Science point of view)
Uijlings-Schuurmans, M. Environmental Education in Primary Schools.
Alkmaar College of Education, The Netherlands, quoted in Fenoughty,
Susan (1997) ibid.
Warming, H 2003, ‘The quality of life from a child’s perspective’,
International Journal of Public Administration, vol. 26, no. 7, pp. 815–
829.
Wright, Susan (2010) Understanding Creativity in Early Childhood
Website info, Interviews, Studies
Case studies- Waldorf Education
• http://www.lakotawaldorfschool.org/assets/en/docs/Master%20Plan/
Master%20Planning%20Doc.pdf 25.09.13
• http://www.waldorftoday.com/2010/12/color-in-the-waldorf-school-
van-james/ 15.09.2013
• http://inhabitat.com/marecollege-beautiful-waldorf-school-built-
with-natural-materials-rises-in-leiden/marecollege-by-24h-
architecture-06/ 01.10.2013
• http://www.waldorflibrary.org/images/stories/articles/eroom.pdf
13.10.13
• http://www.waldorflibrary.org/articles/911-light-filled-color-
translucent-colors-and-their-use-in-the-waldorf-school 01.10.2013
EPA and CDC
• http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign/ 15.10.2013
• http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/children.htm05.10.1
3 13.10.2013
LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGES-A Visionary Path to a Restorative Future
• http://living-
future.org/sites/default/files/LBC/LBC_Documents/LBC%202_1%201
2-0501.pdf 29.09.2013
WHO The Physical School Environment

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• http://www.who.int/school_youth_health/media/en/physical_sch_en
vironment.pdf 15.10.2013
Health Effects of School Environment (HESE) Final Scientific Report
Siena, January 2006
• http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_projects/2002/pollution/fp_pollution_
2002_frep_04.pdf 17.10.2013
Cradle to Cradle Framework and Concept
• http://www.c2cproducts.com/detail.aspx?linkid=1&sublink=26
02.10.13
Wikipedia
• http://en.Wikipediapedia.org/Wikipedia/Modular_design 10.10.2013
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget 01.10.2013
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_stage_theories
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studies_of_Waldorf_education
18.10.2013
Youtube
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwI4aLTzkXc 19.10.2013
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKGpcLs4ys 03.10.2013
TED Talks
• http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
.html 21.10.2013
Interviews
• Interview with Prof. Gerald Huether and Herbert Renz (German
neurobiologists): As children grow today as a natural development
space. A new look at the child's learning, thinking and feeling.
GEOkompakt Nr. 17 "Kinder", November 2008
http://www.gerald-huether.de/populaer/veroeffentlichungen-von-
gerald-huether/zeitschriften/geo-kompakt-interview-gerald-huether/
• ‘Lederer + Ragnarsdóttir + Oei kick-starts kids imaginations at a
Steiner-Waldorf school in Freiburg, Germany’ Interview by: Mairi
Beautyman, Interior Design, 03/01/2010

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http://www.interiordesign.net/article/485916-
School_of_Thought.php 01.10.2013
Researches
Research by Hjort, Bobo, cited in Lundahl, Gunilla (1995) Houses and
Rooms for Young Children (original title: Hus och Rum för Små Barn)
Research by Prescott and Jones (1967) cited in Dudek, Mark (1996)
Kindergarten Architecture
Research by Reggio Emilia preschool teachers. Ceppi, Guilio and Zini,
Michele (1998) Children, Spaces, Relations; Metaproject for an
Environment for Young Children. Reggio Children, Italy
Karl Luscher (of Luscher Test fame) Description of the Test procedure
and explanation: http://www.dandebat.dk/eng-person7.htm
Research by Tulley, Mark (2006) Something Understood. BBC Radio 4,
11 June 2006 Research in Austria, cited in Today Programme, BBC Radio
4, 29 May 2002
Research by Fanny Jiminez (2012) "Namen tanzen, fit in Mathe - Waldorf
im Vorteil"
http://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/article109484661/Namen-tanzen-fit-
in-Mathe-Waldorf-im-Vorteil.html
Gardner, Howard (1983) Frames of Mind – The Theory of Multiple
Intelligences
Research by Jennifer Gidley (1998). Investigated the Steiner-educated
students’ views and visions of the future, replicating a major study with
a large cross-section of mainstream and other private school students
undertaken a few years prior. (in the 3 largest Steiner schools in AU)
Research by Prescott, Jones, & Kritchevsky (1967) cited in Dudek, Mark
(1996) Kindergarten Architecture
Colour Research: http://www.waldorftoday.com/2010/12/color-in-the-
waldorf-school-van-james/

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