Growing Through Green: Re-Bridging the Gap Between Children and Nature

GROWING THROUGH GREEN RE-BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CHILDREN AND NATURE

NIRA PITTMAN

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

GROWING THROUGH GREEN

RE-BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CHILDREN AND NATURE

NIRA PITTMAN

ARCH 5100-5200 / 5110-5210 UNIVERSIT Y OF DETROIT MERCY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE FALL 2020 - WINTER 2021 ADVISOR: CHRISTOPH IBELE EXTERNAL ADVISORS: DAN KINKEAD, GREG MELLA, GEORGE ATHENS

ABSTRACT

Children in earlier periods spent the majority of their time in natural environments, which allowed them to reap the physiological health benefits of nature: stronger musculoskeletal system and improved function of the brain cortices.

Today, children are spending less time outdoors and, consequently, are suffering from “NatureDeficit Disorder," leading to many physiological issues. Several factors contribute to a child’s disconnection from nature, such as technology use or a lack of time for outdoor play.

However, the following documentation of work will focus on the biggest factor of NDD, which is the existing child facilities that sever this connection. In addition to presenting relevant qualitative/quantitative information on this topic, this thesis seeks to present how architectural design can aid in reconnecting children to nature to prevent Nature-Deficit Disorder and promote their physiological (muscle, bone and brain) health and development.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01: INTRODUCTION

1-4

02: PURPOSE + GOALS

5-8

03: NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER

9 - 14

04: WHAT IS NATURE?

15 - 18

05: CHILD PHYSIOLOGY + NATURAL PLAY

19 - 26

06: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN + NATURE

27 - 32

07: EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES

33 - 42

08: DESIGN POLICY + APPLICATIONS OF POLICY

43 - 94

09: FINAL THOUGHTS

95 - 96

10: REFERENCES + FIGURES

97 - 104

01: INTRODUCTION "Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart.

If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature."

- Richard Louv

2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 3 THESIS STATEMENT

Before I begin my documented work, I would like to, first, thank God, who is the head of my life. I would not be here without Him. Everything I have accomplished, everything I’ve been blessed with, and everything I’ve been through in life (the good and the bad), I owe it all to God. I would not have made it through my undergrad and graduate years it if wasn’t for Him. He has strengthen and pushed me when I couldn’t do it myself, and believed in me when I didn’t always believe in myself. For all these things, I thank Him.

Erica Lindsay Y Pham Ann Phillips Mick Kennedy Wladek Fuchs Dan Pitera Alicia Adams Anya Sirota Jennifer Hart

INTRODUCTION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my studio advisor, Christoph Ibele, for the constant feedback, advice and suggestions in making my thesis strong and thorough. I want to thank the Director of the Masters Program, Claudia Bernasconi, for helping me become a better thinker and a more disciplined researcher. I thank my external advisors, Greg Mella, George Athens, and Dan Kinkead, for not only their feedback and wisdom, but also teaching me how to have an open mind, how to think outside of the box and become open to new perspectives. I would like to thank my family who has been supportive and encouraging throughout this entire year. Lastly, I would also like to thank the following professors and external reviewers outside of the Masters program who has aided me throughout this Thesis year:

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Strong Bones

Improved Blood Vessels

Critical Thinking

Healthy Brain cortices

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Strong Muslces

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Musculoskeletal Health

Overall Strength Agility

Bone Health

Healthy Joints

Healthy Brain cortices

Healthy Stomach Muscles

Improved Senses

Healthy Joints

Improved Blood Vessels

Improved Frontal Lobe Vitality Heart Disease

Healthy Brain Matter Vitality

Healthy Stomach Muscles Strong Bones Intelligence

Improved Senses Strong Temporal Lobe

Brain Health Deficiency

Healthy Heart

Reduced Heart Disease

Stomach Ailments

Improved Frontal Lobe Increased Muscle Fibers Healthy Heart

Energy

Strong Muslces

Reduced Pain Reduced Headaches

Balance

Balance Weak Occipital Lobe

Reduced Pain

Reduced Pain Strong Lungs

Weakened Brain Cotices

Weakened Frontal Lobe

Motor Skills

Healthy Spine

Weakened Parietal Lobe

Reduced Headaches

Healthy Brain Matter

Concentration

Improved Parietal Lobe

Improved Occipital Lobe

Improved Occipital Lobe Brittle Bones Intelligence

Increased Alertness Improved Parietal Lobe

Strong Lungs

Motor Skills

Improved Temporal Lobe

1980s-1990s

Improved Memory

Listening Skills

Motor Skills

THESIS STATEMENT

Concentration

1990s-2000s

Figure 1.1: Symptoms of “Nature-Deficit Disorder” (NDD) increasing over time due to children’s disconnection to nature

Nature provides us with vast, peaceful landscapes and allows us to encounter other forms of biotic factors such as vegetation, insects, and animals.

Interestingly, nature provides tremendous amounts of physiological health benefits for growing toddlers and adolescents. Through physical activity and imaginative play, natural environments promote the growth and development of a child’s brain and musculoskeletal system. When children connect with nature and engage in natural play, they strengthen their bone structure, produce new muscle fibers 1 2 , and improve the functioning of the brain cortices 1 . In earlier periods, children have always reaped these physiological benefits of nature due to their regular interactions with forests, lakes, and nature trails 1 8 . However, can the same be said about children in today’s time? If not,

how has the relationship between children and nature changed? What are the consequences as a result of this change? In the early 1970s, children had more access to nature and spent most of their days outside in greenways, forests, and fields 1 8 .

However, the amount of time children spent in nature began to decrease in the early 1980s, as the number of hours spent in nature were reduced by 25% and continued to drop by 37% in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the present time, only 36% of U.S. children receive the recommended amount of exposure to nature 1 8 . Kids, today, only spend less than 7 minutes outdoors and more than 7 hours indoors. As a result, children suffer from “NatureDeficit Disorder” (NDD). This non-medical term was coined by author Richard Louv, who has studied this issue among children in his book, Last Child in

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Weak Stomach

Obesity

Poor Eyesight

Brain Health Deficiency

Heart Disease

Brain Health

Weak Brain Cortices

Creativity

Balance

Healthy Lungs

Improved Senses Improved Frontal Lobe

Muscle Health

Reduced Pain

Critical Thinking Skills

Poor Lung Health

Decreased Motor Skills

Critical Thinking Skills

Strong Muscle Fibers

Heart Disease

Vitality Strong Muslces

Weak Brain Cortices Concentration

Vitality Weak Joints

Balance

Stomach Ailments

Weakened Frontal Lobe

Diminished Senses

Brittle Bones

Reduced Pain

Decreased Motor Skills

Bone Health Agility Weakened Stomach Muscles

Poor Lung Health

Weak Muscles

Strength

Motor Skills Intelligence

Stomach Ailments

Weakened Heart Muscles

Brittle Bones

Weak Muscle Fibers Weak Occipital Lobe Weak Parietal Lobe

Weak Temporal Lobe

tomach Energy SAilments

Weak Brain Cortices

Strong Bones

Decreased Concentration Reduced Critical Thinking Skills

Weak Temporal Lobe

Vitality

Improved Parietal Lobe Improved Memory

Weak Joints

Weak Brain Cortices

Bone Health

Listening Skills

Weakened Heart Muscles

Stomach Ailments

Brittle Bones

Heart Disease

Weakened Occipital Lobe

Weak Muscles

Energy

Heart Disease Obesity

Weak Lungs

Weakened Frontal Lobe

Decreased Motor Skills

Obesity

Diminished Senses Nature-Deficit Disorder

2010s-2020s

the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Louv defines this term as the “human costs of alienation from nature”. NDD has a huge, negative impact on the physiological health in children. NDD weakens a child’s frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices of their brain, which, consequently, causes them to experience mental disorders, ADHD 1 , “Sensory Anesthesia” and “place blindness” 3 . NDD also weakens a child’s musculoskeletal system by deteriorating their bone density and muscle fibers, as well as causing heart disease 1 0 . There are many factors that play a role in children’s disconnection to nature and the onset of Nature-Deficit Disorder. An increased use of electronic, limited access to nature, and lack of time due to school, work and other responsibilities are all possible factors. However, the biggest factor is poorly designed facilities that

2020s-Present

are a part of children’s everyday life such as learning centers, child care centers, and residential buildings.

These buildings are often closed-in with little to no openings or adjacencies to natural environments.

Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to present how architectural design seeks to reconnect children to nature to prevent Nature-Deficit Disorder and promote their physiological (muscle, bone and brain) health and development. By using relevant information regarding nature, child physiology, NDD, biophilic design, as well as performing contextual analyses of relevant case studies, this thesis will, first, develop an overall “design policy” that will provide essential guiding principles for how building typologies for children, within any area in the US, ought to be designed into in order to help them connect to nature. Based on this “design

policy”, this thesis will, then, present architectural interventions, within different contexts, that will serve as the “physical manifestations” of this design policy.

Nature deficiency is a huge problem within children in the United States. When children disconnect from nature, they will be unable to physically and mentally navigate through life as healthy teens and adults. Through their engagement with nature, kids are able to develop into sharp-minded, strong, and fit young adults. As future architects and planners, it is our responsibility to respond to this problem by designing buildings that not only serve communities but also support the personal health and development of its younger users.

INTRODUCTION

2000s-2010s

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02: PURPOSE + GOALS “Encourage your child to have muddy, grassy or sandy feet by the end of each day, that’s the childhood they deserve.”

- Penny Whitehouse

6: FRAMING THE ISSUES 7: THESIS OBJECTIVES

DISCONNECTION BETWEEN CHILDREN AND NATURE

POORLY DESIGNED BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

“Nature-Deficit Disorder” is a common issue among children due to their lack of interaction with the natural environment. NDD causes children to experience a negative shift in their brain and musculoskeletal health.

FRAMING THE ISSUES

Children are spending less time in nature and more time indoors which, consequently, severs the relationship between them

The way in which building typologies are designed / constructed prevent children from connecting with nature and causes them to suffer from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

PURPOSE + GOALS

NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER (NDD) AND ITS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON CHILDREN’S PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH

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Educate people on the importance of children’s interaction with nature

Formulate and apply guiding principles for connecting children to nature, through architectural design, in an empathetic and integrated way

THESIS OBJECTIVES

Educating people on this topic helps them gain a greater sense of appreciation for the natural environment regarding its contribution to bodily health.

It is important for parents to be educated on the importance of nature, as it helps open their minds to ways in which they can use the natural environment to contribute to their child’s physical and mental growth.

Guiding principles for childcentered buildings should not be based, solely, on strict state regulations. Instead, they should be based on essential ideas regarding a child’s connection to nature.

Educate people on the main systems of children’s bodies

There are a small percentage of biophilic designs, in the United States, that are childbased. Increasing the amount of biophilic, nature-based facilities for children across the U.S. will aid in the decline of Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Educating those on the main bodily systems within children is essential in understanding how nature specifically impacts children’s physiological health in a positive manner.

PURPOSE + GOALS

Encourage a widespread of biophilic, sustainable, and nature-based building typologies for children across the United States

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03: NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER “Children have a natural affinity towards nature. Dirt, water, plants, and small animals attract and hold children’s attention for hours, days, even a lifetime.””

- Robin C. Moore and Herb H Wong

11 NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER: DEFINITION 12 SYMPTOMS OF NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER 14 NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER’S IMPACT ON CHILDREN’S PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH

OVERVIEW The following chapter further discusses the definition of Nature-Deficit disorder (NDD) and its symptoms. this chapter will also cover how Nature-Deficit Disorder negatively impacts the physiological health within children in today’s time.

NOTABLE KEY TERMS Nature-Deficit Disorder

A non-medical term that describes the human cost of alienation from nature 1 . It is the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral problems.

Sensory Anesthesia

Place Blindness (Topographical Agnosia)

The inability to process or orient oneself in one’s surroundings; a condition where a person experiences short-term memory about one’s surroundings 3

N AT U R E -D E F I C I T D I S O R D E R

Medical condition that prevents one from processing sensory information / feedback through the five senses 3 .

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NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER: DEFINITION

Figure 3.1: Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods, Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”

Nature-Deficit Disorder is a serious widespread issue among children in the United States.

Nature deficit disorder is defined as the human cost of alienation from nature 1 . This non-medical term was coined by author Richard Louv in his book: Last Child in the Woods, Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. NDD occurs when a child spends less time in nature and a majority of their time indoors.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCIES

SENSORY ANESTHESIA

SYMPTOMS OF NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER Children with Nature-Deficit Disorder experiences “Sensory Anesthesia”. This is a medical condition that separates a child from their five senses and, as a result, prevents the ability to process sensory information (such as taste, smell, touch) in a normal fashion .

By losing their sensory processing functions, children are less likely to notice changes in their immediate or larger environment, and thus less able to respond to what’s happening 3 . Another symptom of NDD is “place blindness”. Also known as “topographical agnosia”, place blindness occurs when a child has the inability to find their way around their surroundings . They lose the ability to rely on visual cues to guide them directionally 3 . A lack of vitamin D within children bodies is another symptom of Nature-Deficit Disorder. As a result of them staying indoors for a majority of their time, children have no access to direct sunlight, which is the main source of Vitamin D 2 .

PLACE BLINDNESS N AT U R E -D E F I C I T D I S O R D E R

As a result of their disconnection from nature, children in the present time experience certain physiological symptoms of Nature-Deficit Disorder.

These symptoms include: sensory anesthesia, place blindness 3 , and Vitamin D deficiencies 2 .

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OBESITY

HEART DISEASE

SYMPTOMS OF NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER Other common symptoms of Nature-Deficit Disorder include: obesity, cognitive deficiencies, and heart disease 1

COGNITIVE DEFICIENCIES

Nature-Deficit Disorder presents other symptoms within children.

Heart disease occurs in children when they lack the amount of terpenes within their bodies. Terpenes are enzymes found in forest air that acts as a “healing elixir” when humans inhale them.

Once inhaled, terpenes help strengthen the immune system and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease 2 . However, because children are removed from the natural environment on an everyday basis, they are not exposed to terpenes, therefore leaving their cardiovascular system vulnerable to diseases 2 . Obesity is another common symptoms of NDD. Children who spend less time outdoors leads to the physical inactivity within their bodies, thus leading to weight gain 4 . Nature-Deficit Disorder also leads to overall cognitive deficiencies such as: a dysfunction in information processing, attention disorder, poor motor coordination, loss of short-term or long-term memory, and impaired judgment. These cognitive deficiencies lead to depression, ADHD, and anxiety 1 .

BRAIN

Weakened function of the brain cortices ADHD Weakened structure/function of the frontal lobe Diminished use of the senses (Sensory Anesthesia) Weakened structure/function of the parietal lobe Place Blindness (topographical agnosia) Weakened structure/function of the right temporal lobe

MUSCULOSKELETAL

When a child suffers from the symptoms of Nature-Deficit Disorder, they experience physiological changes in their brain and musculoskeletal system. As a result of children experiencing vitamin D deficiencies, they will suffer from brittle, weak bone structure and bone disease 6 . They will also experience muscle weakness and bone pain 7 . A child suffering from obesity, as a result of NatureDeficit Disorder, will also suffer from a deterioration of bone density and muscle fibers 5

Figure 3.2: Diagram showing certain symptoms of “Nature-Deficit Disorder” (NDD) impacting the brain and musculosketal systems of children’s bodies

as well as heart disease and abdominal ailments 1 0 . A child suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder will also experience a weaker function of the brain cortices. Nature-Deficit Disorder causes ADHD within children, which means that they will suffer a weaker functioning of the frontal lobe 11 . “Sensory anesthesia” is another symptom of Nature-Deficit Disorder. This symptom prevents children from processing and interpreting sensory information, which weakens

the function and structure of their temporal and parietal lobes 8 .

When a child experiences “place blindness” (also known as “topographical agnosia”) as a result of NDD, they will experience a weaker functioning of the right temporal lobe 9 .

N AT U R E -D E F I C I T D I S O R D E R

NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER’S IMPACT ON CHILDREN’S PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH

Vitamin D deficiencies

Brittle, weaker bone

structure / bone

disease Obesity Deterioration of bone density and muscle fibers Heart disease Heart muscle pain

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04: WHAT IS NATURE? "We have to let children touch nature, because that which is untouched is unloved."

- Emma Marris

17: DEFINING "NATURE" AND ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS

The following chapter will present the definition and the essential characteristics of “nature” for the overall thesis. This chapter will also present the ideas of “wild vs “manicured” nature.

W H AT I S N AT U R E ?

OVERVIEW

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DEFINING “NATURE” AND ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS DIVERSE PATTERNS OF LIFE ARE SUPPORTED AND DWELL IN HARMONY

NATURE IS SOMETHING FROM ITSELF, RATHER THAN BY HUMANS

For this thesis, nature (or the natural environment) is defined as the physical world that consists of all biotic organisms 11 . These biotic organisms include: trees, grass, plants, animals, algae, bacteria, insects, zoo-plankton, phytoplankton, and underwater species. Nature also includes abiotic factors such as rocks and soil. Nature consists of various physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, valleys, and bodies of water (lakes, rivers, ponds and oceans). Nature also includes the atmosphere, the climate and weather, which can provide both

beneficial effects (such as exposure to fresh air, sunlight, and rain) and harmful effects (such as tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones) 11 . Nature is more than just a physical, external world; there are some essential characteristics that come along with nature. Nature is where diverse patterns of life are supported and dwell in harmony. For a child, they may experience this essence of nature when they encounter a lavender plant sprouting from the ground, or a caterpillar transitioning into a butterfly. Nature is, obviously, something that is not man-made. However, this does not suggest

NATURE PROVIDES A SENSE OF FREEDOM FROM SOCIETY AND FREEDOM FROM JUDGMENT

NATURE DEVELOPS CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION

NATURE IS WHERE ALL FORMS OF LIFE AND REDEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE

NATURE CAN NEVER BE UNTOUCHED / UNINFLUENCED BY HUMAN BEINGS

NATURE IS THE ORIGIN OF AESTHETICS AND BEAUTY

that it is never altered by human beings. This idea is shown when a child walk through grasslands or forests and leaves their footprints behind.

When a child gardens, they alter the landscape of that particular natural space by adding / removing vegetation and soil throughout the gardening process. Children who explore insects are removing these living beings from their habits, thus altering the natural environment. That fact that children can alter the natural environment in a healthy manner is considered a good thing.

Kids cannot physically and mentally grow if they could not do this. Nature present all forms of danger. These dangerous factors include: poisonous snakes, insects and plants, as well as

harmful animals. This is a good thing because it increases a person’s intuition by not only helping them identify danger when they encounter it but to also how to react to these dangers. Nature allows children to be true to themselves and to act freely without the fear of being judged. The natural environment is the source of creativity, imagination and a sense of awe. A child that views nature as this vast, incomprehensible world leads to the expansion of their thinking process.

As a result, they are able to construct much more innovative ideas and creative solutions that can be applied to their everyday lives. Nature is also the source of all aesthetics and beauty. The idea of symmetry, color, pattern, and geometry originates

within the natural environment. The colors and patterns that are found in today’s fashion, architecture and interior design are all taken from the same colors and patterns found in natural elements such as flower petals, bees nests, snail shells, and bird feathers.

W H AT I S N AT U R E ?

NATURE PRESENTS ALL FORMS OF DANGER

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05: CHILD PHYSIOLOGY + NATURAL PLAY "Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world, but themselves."

- Stephen Moss

21 MAIN PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 23 HOW DO CHILDREN ENGAGE WITH NATURE? 25 BENEFITS OF NATURE ON CHILDREN’S PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH

OVERVIEW Children engaging in nature experience health benefits, mainly, in the musculoskeletal system and the brain. The following chapter further discusses the musculoskeletal system and the brain. This chapter also explores how children engages in nature and how these engagements promote the health and development of their physiological systems

NOTABLE KEY TERMS Natural Play

Self-directed, imaginative play in outdoor spaces that mainly include elements of the natural world

Physiological Health

A state in which all bodily systems are operating normally

Brain

The central organ of the human nervous system that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger, and every process that regulates our body

C H I L D P H Y S I O LO G Y + N AT U R A L P L AY

Musculoskeletal System

The bodily system composed of the muscular system and the skeletal system

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MAIN PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS Physiological health is a state in which all bodily systems are operating normally.

Children connecting to nature results in major health and development benefits within two main physiological systems of their bodies:

THE BRAIN

Figure 5.1: Photocollage showing a child’s brain

A child’s brain requires 50% more energy from the body than an adult’s brain. The brain is composed of several parts: the “cerebrum”, the “cerebellum,” and the “brain stem”.

The “cerebrum” is made up of the right and left hemispheres, joined by the “corpus callosum”. The cerebrum is divided into four cortices, or “lobes”: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and the temporal lobes 1 2 . The frontal lobe is the largest lobe of the brain and is involved in planning, memory, and decision-making. The occipital lobe is located in the back of the cerebrum and it deals with vision. The parietal lobe is located behind the frontal lobe and it is responsible for interpreting / processing sensory information (taste, touch, etc.), as well as identifying objects and understand spatial relationships. The temporal lobes are on the sides of the cerebrum and is involved in memory, speech, and

sense of smell. There is a section of the cerebrum called the “motor strip”, which controls voluntary movements .

The “cerebellum” is located in the back of the brain; it helps coordinating voluntary muscle movements and maintaining posture, balance, and equilibrium 1 2 . The “brain stem” is located in the middle of the brain; it is responsible for the movement of the eyes and mouth, identifying sensory messages (hot, cold, and pain), involuntary muscle movements, swallowing, heart functioning and respirations 1 2 .

Also known as the “locomotor system”, the musculoskeletal system is composed of two subsystems: the muscular system and the skeletal system. The muscular system is composed of approximately 600 muscles 13 . Within this system, there are the “skeletal muscles”, which are voluntary muscles that are attached to the bone and grouped into pairs of biceps and triceps. The muscular system also consists of “smooth” and “cardiac” muscles that are involuntary and allow movement of the heart, digestive tract, uterus and blood vessels 13 .

The skeletal system is composed of 206 unique bones that allows us to run, walk and jump. Other major functions of the skeletal

system include: protecting the internal organs, supporting organs and tissue of the body, and supplying the body with red and white blood cells to help transport oxygen and fight infection 1 4 .

C H I L D P H Y S I O LO G Y + N AT U R A L P L AY

THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM

Figure 5.1: Photocollage showing a child’s musculoskeletal system

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HOW DO CHILDREN ENGAGE WITH NATURE?

RUNNING ACROSS GRASSY FIELDS AND MEADOWS

JUMPING AND BALANCING ON TREE LOGS

“SKIPPING” / CATCHING ROCKS

CLIMBING / SWINGING ON TREES AND OVER GRASSY HILLS

Natural play is defined as self-directed, imaginative play in outdoor spaces that mainly include elements of the natural world 1 5 . Natural play offers possibilities for control and mastery, construction of special spaces, manipulating loose parts, different ways of moving and risk-taking. Natural play brings about a sense of wonder, creativity, and imagination within

children. Natural play enables a child’s growth with the help of the natural world. Because the natural environment is infinite, it supports a wide range of dynamic, flexible play for children. There are many types of spaces where natural play can occur. “Off-trail” play areas, for example, are designated and defined sections of existing natural area parks where

Children engage with nature through natural play. The following presents common natural play activities children participate in.

EXPLORING INSECTS AND OTHER LIVING SPECIES

BUILDING STRUCTURES FROM NATURAL ELEMENTS

GARDENING AND PLANTING

children are allowed and encouraged to play off-trail. A natural playscape is another area that combines traditional play areas with natural areas, consisting of a designed and constructed site that incorporates natural materials and emulates natural principles and processes. Overall, natural play can be in any setting, just as long as it’s outdoors. This

natural engagement stresses the importance of physicality, movement and doing, which is why 100% of natural play activities, including those presented above, requires the physical engagement of all areas of the body.

C H I L D P H Y S I O LO G Y + N AT U R A L P L AY

FEEDING ANIMALS

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Figure 5.3: Diagram showing various natural play activities promoting the health / development of certain bodily systems

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Certain activities children engage in within nature promotes the health and growth of certain areas of the brain and the musculoskeletal system

N AREAS & FIELDS E P O

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BENEFITS OF NATURE ON CHILDREN’S PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH

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Figure 5.5: Graphic showing a child’s brain and skeletal system

Figure 5.6: Icon of a muscular arm and skeletal portion of a leg

When a child engages in gardening and imaginative play that involves “cooking” for animals and insects, they are promoting the growth and health of their parietal and frontal lobes. Gardening allows children to play in dirt, sticks and leaves, which train their brains to identify various types of sensory information.

The sensory information may be the way the textures of the soil, leaves, and sticks feel to the touch as well as the scents given off from these materials. “Cooking” for animals and insects helps strengthen the frontal lobe by increasing a child’s planning, creativity and imagination.

This activity allows children to “mix” and “blend” natural elements, in an interesting way,

in order to develop something new. Activities such as running across grass and fields, jumping, swinging and balancing on tree logs, and climbing trees and hills engages and promotes the health of the motor strip and the cerebellum, which helps children maintain more balance, equilibrium, and control of their voluntary muscles 1 2 . In addition, these activities promote the function of the brain stem, which helps children with more respiration control and heart functioning 1 2 . Natural play activities not only promote brain health, they improve the health and development of the musculoskeletal systems.

Running, jumping, swinging, balancing, and climbing helps thicken the

bones structure of the skeletal, while creating / strengthening skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle fibers 1 6 . These activities allow children to be exposed to sunlight, which provides Vitamin D to strengthen their bones 1 7 . By improving the physiological health within children, NatureDeficit Disorder will diminish over the years and become less of a health issue among the future generations of children. By improving their bodily health through nature, children become better connected to their bodies and better connected to the natural world from which they came.

C H I L D P H Y S I O LO G Y + N AT U R A L P L AY

Figure 5.4: Icon of a Brain

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06: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN + NATURE ‘We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.

- Unknown

31 32 33 34

CHILDREN IN EARLIER PERIODS A NEGATIVE SHIFT IN THE RELATIONSHIP CHILDREN TODAY INDIVIDUAL PERCENTAGES OF ELECTRONIC USAGE

Since the earlier periods, the relationship between children and nature has changed drastically.

This chapter further discus how this relationship has changed beginning in the early 1970s, all the way through the present time.

R E L AT I O N S H I P B E T W E E N C H I L D R E N + N AT U R E

OVERVIEW

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CHILDREN IN THE EARLIER PERIODS From the 1970 and earlier, children had tremendous amounts of access to nature and spent most of their recreation time, everyday, in the natural environment1 8 .

Children’s definition of “free time” or free play in the earlier periods was fleeing to the nearest outdoor area, whether I’d be a big tree, and bush, waterway and woodland areas 1 8 . They spent the bulk of their recreation time outdoors, using the sidewalks, streets, playgrounds, parks, greenways, green fields, forests, and rivers 1 8 . Within these natural spaces, children engaged in imaginative play, went fishing, planted flowers, and

explored living species such as insects, birds, and squirrels.

Children had the freedom to play, explore and interact with the natural world with little or no restriction or supervision1 8 .

THE 1990s AND 2000s

THE 2000s AND 2010s

THE 2010s AND PRESENT

Unfortunately, going into the early 1980s and the late 1990s, the amount of time children spent in nature, unfortunately, decreased by 25%, from 15 hours per week to 11 hours per week1 8 . Between the 1990s and early 2000s, US children, specifically between the ages of 6 and 12 years, connection to the natural environment has decreased by 37%1 8 . A 2004 study interviewed mothers about their time spent in nature, as a child, compared to their own children’s time spent in nature. It was found that 70% of mothers engaged

with the natural environment as children, compared to 31% of their children.

It was also found that 56% of mothers spent more than 3 hours outdoors, compared to 22% of their children1 8 . In today’s time, only 36% of American children receive the recommended amount of physical activity 1 9 . A majority of kids today, between the ages of 6-17, spend less than 7 minutes per day outside, while they spend more than 7 hours indoors 2 0 .

Things began to change within children after the late 1970s. Their general free time outdoors has decreased due to school, chores, and other responsibilities. Their overall interest in the natural environment has also began to decrease.

R E L AT I O N S H I P B E T W E E N C H I L D R E N + N AT U R E

A NEGATIVE SHIFT IN THE RELATIONSHIP

THE 1980s AND 1990s

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ELECTRONIC USE: 94%

CHILDREN TODAY The activities spent indoors by children varies. However, there are activities that are more popular to children than others. This graphic presents how children spend their time indoors.

READING AND WRITING: 6% Figure 6.1: Graphic showing how children, today spend their time indoors

9% OF ELECTRONIC TIME IS SPENT ON AN AUDIO / MUSIC DEVICE

INDIVIDUAL PERCENTAGES OF ELECTRONIC USAGE Children spend 94% of their indoor time in front of various types of electronics 2 1 . Within this percentage, there are specific electronics children spend their time with.

20% OF ELECTRONIC TIME IS SPENT ON A MOBILE DEVICE

25% OF ELECTRONIC TIME IS SPENT IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER

R E L AT I O N S H I P B E T W E E N C H I L D R E N + N AT U R E

40% OF ELECTRONIC TIME IS SPENT IN FRONT OF A TELEVISION

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07: EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES "If we provide enough space and possibilities for moving freely, then the children will move as well as animals: skillfully, simply, securely, naturally."

- Dr. Emmi Pikler

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CHILD FACILITIES IN THE PAST + EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES IN THE PRESENT TIME GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES PRECEDENTS ACROSS THE U.S.

This thesis will cover the factor that greatly contributes to Nature-Deficit Disorder within children in the present time, which is poorly designed, child-centered buildings. The following chapter will discuss not only the guiding principles that influence the way that child facilities are built, it will also present case studies of existing child facilities, within different contexts of the United States, that follow these guiding principles.

E X I ST I N G C H I L D FA C I L I T I E S

OVERVIEW

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Even though the design of childcentered facilities have been consistent over the years, its contribution to Nature-Deficit Disorder within kids has changed.

Children in the earlier periods have already spent little time indoors and more time in nature. Therefore, the design of child-centered facilities back then were not a relevant factor that contributed to any child’s disconnection to nature.

Figure 7.1: Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School (Washington, D.C.): Undated Photo

Figure 7.2: Lenox Terrace Apartments (Harlem, NYC): 1950s

EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES IN THE PRESENT TIME

Figure 7.3: Heritage Towers Of The Christian Church Apartments (Sheridan, WY)

Figure 7.4: Union Court Apartments (Cleveland, OH)

Figure 7.5: Little Rascal’s Learning Academy LLC (St. Louis, MO)

Figure 7.6: Just Us Children Daycare Center (Dunellen, NJ)

However, children, today, spend more time indoors and less time outdoors. In the present time, child facilities the design of child-centered facilities, in today’s time, do not help combat this disconnection to nature, but rather, encourages it, using certain design guidelines. Firstly, building typologies for children only wish to meet the minimum requirements presented by the state legislation. Interestingly, state legislation for child facilities

does not require green spaces and the minimum space requirements are way too small to accommodate for child activities. For example, Michigan’s Licensing rules for child care facilities only requires 50 square feet of indoor space for infants and toddlers, while requiring only 35 square feet of indoor space for preschoolers and school-aged children 2 2 . Most of the building typologies for children only

SAVING MONEY

ENCOURAGE INDOOR PLAY AND ACTIVITIES

STRICT SUPERVISION

GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES There are certain guiding principles that most child facilities follow that influences the way they are constructed / built. Unfortunately, none of these principles take into account the importance of children’s connection to the natural environment.

encourage indoor activities, such as playing with toys, using electronics, and engaging board games and DIY activities, but totally disregards the necessity for children to engage in natural play. For the sake of saving money, these facilities don’t invest in outdoor amenities / programs for kids or buildings that provide more open space for kids.

And lastly, Building typologies that cater to children have

rules and regulations that encourage heavy supervision of children, thus discouraging children to engage in free, unstructured connection to the natural environment.

E X I ST I N G C H I L D FA C I L I T I E S

STRICTLY MEETING THE CODE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE LEGISLATION

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POOR MATERIALITY / HIGH CARBON EMISSIONS

SMALL, CLOSED IN SPACES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF EXISTING CHILD FACILITIES As a result of these guiding principles, a majority of child facilities across the United States are very closed in, with little to no openings or adjacencies to the natural environment.

Consequently, this will lead to children experiencing NatureDeficit Disorder, which will then lead to physiological issues.

LACK OF OPENINGS / WINDOWS

Figure 7.7: Physical properties of existing child buildings contribute to Nature Deficit Disorder

INACCESSIBLE TO NATURE ENVIRONMENTS

BRAIN HEALTH ISSUES

MUSCULOSKELETAL ISSUES

E X I ST I N G C H I L D FA C I L I T I E S

THE ONSET OF NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER

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PRECEDENTS ACROSS THE U.S.

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The Toddlertime Child Care Center and the South Chicago Learning Center are childcare and learning centers in the cities of Detroit and Chicago, respectfully, that follow the existing guiding principles stated in the previous section of the chapter. Although they are easily accessible to the residential fabric within their neighborhoods, they consist of closed-in spaces with little to no accessibility to nature. The programs provided in these buildings are all indoors (includes: arts and crafts and block games, writing exercises, and other educational exercises) and do not encourage children to engage with the outdoor environment.

TODDLERTIME CHILD CARE CENTER Location: Detroit MI Building Type: Child Care Center Ages Targeted: 0-12 yrs.

Capacity: 52

Site Analysis: Pros Adjacencies to residential fabric Easy accessibility Site Analysis: Cons Lack of green spaces No openings / windows

Figure 7.8: Site analysis of ToddlerTime Childcare Center in Detroit, MI

SOUTH CHICAGO LEARNING CENTER

Figure 7.9: Site analysis of South Chicago Learning Center in Chicago, IL

Site Analysis: Pros Adjacencies to residential fabric Easy accessibility Site Analysis: Cons Lack of green spaces No openings / windows

E X I ST I N G C H I L D FA C I L I T I E S

Chicago, IL Building Type: Learning Center Ages Targeted: 0-12 yrs Capacity: N/A

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NJ KIDS DAYCARE North Bergen, NJ Building Type: Child Care Center Ages Targeted: 0-12 yrs Capacity: N/a These case studies in New Jersey and Cleveland share the same physical characteristics. Although both facilities provide easy accessibility from the main streets, they both have no adjacencies to the residential, which makes it difficult for children and parents to reach these facilities from a walking distance. Much like the previous precedents, they have closed-in spaces that block out the outdoors and they are not in proximity to any green spaces.

Site Analysis: Pros Adjacencies to residential fabric Easy accessibility Site Analysis: Cons Lack of green spaces No openings / windows

Figure 7.10: Site analysis / Photos of NJ Kids Daycare in North Bergen, NJ

ANGELS ON EARTH CHILDCARE

Figure 7.11: Interior / exterior photos of the Angels On Earth Childcare in Cleveland, OH

E X I ST I N G C H I L D FA C I L I T I E S

Cleveland, OH Building Type: Childcare Center Ages Targeted: 0-12 yrs Capacity: N/A

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08 DESIGN POLICY + APPLICATIONS OF POLICY "Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."

- Frank Lloyd Wright

45 55 67 85

DESIGN POLICY: PRINCIPLES SITE ANALYSIS / CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAMMING FINAL DESIGN ALTERNATIVE DESIGN

OVERVIEW Based on the research previously presented, the first section of the following chapter will present a “design policy”. This policy will introduce several principles that will guide how child-centered structures should be designed. Within each principle, there will be a precedent that will reflect the ideas of that particular principle. The second section of the chapter will present an architectural intervention, within a particular location, that will follow the principles stated in the design framework.

NOTABLE KEY TERMS Biodiversity

The variety of living species within a particular ecosystem or habitat 23 .

Seamlessness

A smooth, uninterrupted transition from one indoor / outdoor space to another

Nestedness

The experience of comfort, safety, security, and belonging.

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Sustainability

The use of natural resources and elements to maintain an ecological balance and connect more to the natural environment 24 .

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EXPOSURE TO BIODIVERSITY

INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH NATURE

SUSTAINABILITY AND BIOPHILIC ELEMENTS

ENVIRONMENTAL CARE

SEAMLESSNESS

DESIGN POLICY: PRINCIPLES

RESIDENTIAL

CHILDCARE / DAYCARE

BRA

IN H EALT

H

APPLICATIONS OF POLICY (ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTIONS)

Figure 8.1: Graphic representing the design policy consisting of seven guiding principles

TH EAL

The following design policy provides essential standards and guiding principles for designing successful, childbased buildings, with the goal of preventing Nature-Deficit Disorder (NDD) and promoting the physiological health and development within children.

These principles are based on the essential characteristics of nature stated in Chapter 4. This design framework can be applied to any child-centered building, including residential, childcare, and educational typologies.

There are seven guiding principles in this design policy: Implementing natural play and activities, exposure to biodiversity, an inclusive engagement with nature, sustainability and biophilic elements, environmental care, seamlessness, and nestedness.

H NE BO

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IMPLEMENTING NATURAL PLAY/ACTIVITIES

MUSCLE HEALTH

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ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN POLICY FOR CHILD-CENTERED FACILITIES

EDUCATIONAL

NESTEDNESS

Figure 8.3: Photos of the GRO1000 Initiative (Detroit, MI)

DESIGN PRINCIPLE #1: IMPLEMENTING NATURAL PLAY / ACTIVITIES Child-based facilities should allow children to be free, creative and imaginative within natural settings by providing children with the opportunity to engage in imaginative and creative play.

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Figure 8.2: Photos of the Sanchez Kids Nature Discovery Zone (Lafayette, CO)

Natural play and activities include manipulating and playing with natural objects / materials with the goal of improving certain areas of their brain. Child-centered facilities should encourage handson, exploratory discoveries to stimulate all areas of the brain cortices and the musculoskeletal systems. They should add programs that encourage kids to be hands-on and exploratory in order to help improve their musculoskeletal structure, stimulate their five senses and improve certain areas of their brain (specifically the parietal and temporal lobes). Buildings should provide children the opportunity to experience challenge and excitement as they engage in natural play.

Doing so will help test their capabilities while strengthening the frontal and temporal lobes in their brains and support their muscular and skeletal health. The Sanchez Kids Nature Discovery Zone in Lafayette, CO provides children access to natural areas where they can engage in tree climbing, rock climbing, and other outdoor, physical activities 25 . In the GRO1000 Initiative, 150 students from William C. Loving Elementary in Detroit joined ScottsMiracleGro and the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative to learn about and participate in gardening 26 .

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DESIGN PRINCIPLE #2: EXPOSURE TO BIODIVERSITY Child buildings should allow children to encounter / interact with various forms of living organisms (vegetation, microorganisms, animals, insects, etc.)

Biodiversity is defined as the variety of living species within a particular ecosystem or habitat 23 .

Child-centered facilities accross the U.S. should implement a sense of biodiversity. In addition to vegetation, it is crucial for child centers to allow kids to encounter other types of living organisms such as animals, insects, and lizards.

This encounter leads to a sense of curiosity and awe within children as they are learning to connect, further, with various parts of nature. This principle is shown in the Biodiversity Corridor Project proposal in Montreal, Canada. This project proposal is a corridor that allows multiple forms of living organisms, including humans, birds, insects, and lizards, to interact within the same habitat 2 7 .

Figure 8.3: Photos of the Biodiversity Corridor Proposal (Montreal, CA)

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DESIGN PRINCIPLE #3: INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH NATURE

Most child centers that exist today only cater to younger age groups while neglecting the older ones. The same can be said about kids without disabilities in comparison to kids with disabilities.

Therefore, it is important for child centers to have inclusive and appropriate programs and amenities for children of all ages/backgrounds. The Seattle Children’s PlayGarden is located in south-central Seattle that consists of natural play areas such as: filled with an orchard, vegetable garden, pollinator gardens, a mud pit, playground, tree fort, wild zone, and farm. The Playgarden increases access to nature-rich free play opportunities for kids with and without disabilities 2 8 .

Child buildings should provide nature-based programs desirable / accessible for children of all ages and sizes, with and without disabilities.

Figure 8.4: Photos of the Seattle Children’s PlayGarden (Seattle, WA)

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DESIGN PRINCIPLE #4: ENVIRONMENTAL CARE Child buildings should implement programs that encourage children to help maintain/care for other forms of living organism while, in turn, reaping physiological benefits from these programs

Most child centers that exist today only cater to younger age groups while neglecting the older ones. The same can be said about kids without disabilities in comparison to kids with disabilities.

Therefore, it is important for child centers to have inclusive and appropriate programs and amenities for children of all ages/backgrounds. The Seattle Children’s PlayGarden is located in south-central Seattle that consists of natural play areas such as: filled with an orchard, vegetable garden, pollinator gardens, a mud pit, playground, tree fort, wild zone, and farm. The Playgarden increases access to nature-rich free play opportunities for kids with and without disabilities.

The Mmofra Place is a Ghanabased nonprofit organization that transforms a two-acre plot of green space in Accra’s Dzorwulu neighborhood into a place centered on children’s enjoyment and play. The Mmofra Place includes a community garden, an edible garden, and vegetable plots to help take care of vegetation 2 9 .

Figure 8.5: Photos of the Mmofra Foundation (Accra, Ghana)

Figure 8.6: Photos of the Vandusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre by Perkins + Will (Vancouver, British Columbia)

DESIGN PRINCIPLE #5: SUSTAINABILITY AND BIOPHILIC ELEMENTS Child buildings should incorporate of biophilic and sustainable strategies and practices

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Sustainability is defined as the use of natural resources and elements to maintain an ecological balance and connect more to the natural environment 24 . Implementing sustainable practices within child facilities helps minimize negative environmental impacts through adaptive reuse and/or careful usage of materials, energy, and water.

Child facilities that implements sustainabile practices helps the building reflect the environmental characteristics of nature. In addition to sustainability, , incorporating biophilic elements within child centers helps expose children to essential features of the natural environment (light & air, patterns, organic shapes and textures, etc.) from not only the outside but from the inside.

The VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre in Vancouver incorporates organic forms, elements, and shapes that are found in nature, including a “flower petal” vegetated roof, and indigenous materials (wood and earthtone walls). The building is LEED Platinum certified as well as Living Building Challenge Petal certified 30 .

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Seamlessness is defined as a smooth, uninterrupted transition from one indoor / outdoor space to another. This is successfully represented in the Chrysalis Childcare Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, which includes sliding glass doors and exterior walls that move away to completely remove the barrier between the interior and exterior spaces, creating a seamless transition between these spaces 31 .

DESIGN PRINCIPLE #6: SEAMLESSNESS Child-centered facilities should blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces for easier accessibility to natural settings/elements.

Figure 8.7: Photos of the Chrysalis Childcare Centre (Auckland, New Zealand)

Figure 8.8: Eidetic image representing “nestedness”

DESIGN PRINCIPLE #7: NESTEDNESS Child facilities should provide children a sense of nestedness within natural spaces.

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Nestedness is the idea of experiencing a sense of belonging, comfortability, and security within a particular area.

For children in the earlier time periods, they have experienced “nestedness”, more, within the natural environment because they felt a sense of belonging, comfort and peace whenever they sat by a tree, ran across fields, and walked along streams. In the present time, it is the complete opposite.

Kids, today, experience their version of “nestedness” indoors rather than outdoors.

As a result, they suffer from the physiological effects of Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Therefore, it is important for designers to finds ways to help children re-experience “nestedness” outdoors. This eidetic, photographic image representing the essential characteristics of the idea of “nestedness”. This eidetic presents multiple forms of “nests” that can be found in both nature and within architectural spaces. From these nests, living organisms experience a sense of belonging,security, and comfortability.

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The following section of this chapter will present applications of the design policy. These applications will be architectural inventions, within particular sites, that will implement all seven design principles in a unique way.

$100,000 or More $70,000 - $100,000 $50,000 - $70,000 $30,000 - $50,000 Less than $30,000

Figure 8.9: U.S. map showing household income

> 75% 60% – 75% 40% – 60% 25% – 40% 10% – 25% ≤ 10 %

SITE ANALYSIS: AREA OF FOCUS + SELECTED SITES The context selection criteria has is based on three things: household income, the percentage of forest area, and the percentage of children under 18 years of age. Using these criteria has led to the selection of Detroit, which has 8-9% of total forest area, $30,000-$50,000 of average household income, and 25%-28% of the population under 18 years of age 32 . The site selection within Detroit was based on a few things: a high percentage of children under 18 years of age, proximity to public transportation, and adjacencies to residential areas and essential places, such as churches, schools, libraries, grocery stores and retail stores. Using this criteria has led to the selection of three sites within the Morningside, La Salle Gardens, and Martin Park neighborhoods. In the end, site #3 (Morningside) was selected as the final site for the first intervention.

Figure 8.10: U.S. map showing percentage of area covered by forests

Very High (> 28.6%) High (25.1% - 28.6%) Average (21.6% - 25%) Low (18.1% - 21.5%) Very Low (< 18.1%)

Figure 8.11: U.S. map showing population percentage of children under 18 years

Figure 8.12: Axon of Detroit

­

­ ­

­

Figure 8.13: Map of Detroit showing population percentage of children under 18 years with locations of commercial, civic, and educational places

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

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W EUCLID ST.

WINTER SUN

ROSA PARKS BLVD.

VIRGINIA PARKS ST.

VICKSBURG ST.

POE AVE.

NOISE

SEWARD ST.

MONTGOMERY AVE. 12TH ST.

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14TH ST.

COLUMBUS ST.

S LA SALLE GARDENS WHITNEY ST.

PALLISTER AVE.

HOGARTH ST.

BETHUNE AVE. W

MAJOR STREETS

SECONDARY STREETS

SITE OVERVIEW: LA SALLE GARDENS The first site I studied was located in the La Salle Gardens (2105 S La Salle Gardens, Detroit, MI 48206). Although the site is in close proximity to bus stops, residential homes and schools, there is an imbalance between the amount of nearby civic place vs. the amount of nearby mercantile and commercial places. There are more churches and libraries around the sites than there are grocery and retail stores.

DUNEDIN ST.

BUS STOPS

HANOVER AVE.

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SUMMER SUN

GRAND SRV RD. W GRAND BLVD.

Figure 8.14: Site analysis map of the La Salle Gardens neighborhood

MINOR STREETS

INSTITUTIONAL CIVIC RESIDENTIAL EDUCATIONAL COMMERCIAL

88.6 % BLACK

25.5% OF KIDS AGED 0 - 17 YEARS

BUSINESS Figure 8.15: Icons representing the La Salle Gardens neighborhood statistics

ANNUAL INCOME: $25,400

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Figure 8.16: Photos of the La Salle site

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PURITAN ST.

BUS STOPS MIDLAND ST.

MAJOR STREETS JOHN C LODGE SERVICE DR.

SECONDARY STREETS

SITE OVERVIEW: MARTIN PARK The Martin Park site (15721 Princeton St, Detroit, MI 48238) has the same characteristics as the site in the La Salle Gardens, where there appears to be more civic places than other essential places, such as mercantile and commercial places.

Figure 8.17: Site analysis map of the Martin Park neighborhood

MINOR STREETS

INSTITUTIONAL CIVIC RESIDENTIAL EDUCATIONAL COMMERCIAL

77.9 % BLACK

22.9 % OF KIDS AGED 0 - 17 YEARS

BUSINESS Figure 8.18: Icons representing the Martin Park neighborhood statistics

ANNUAL INCOME: $40,500

INVERNESS ST.

BAYLIS ST.

LASALLE BLVD.

PRINCETON ST.

LAWTON ST.

ALDEN ST.

PARKSIDE ST.

WILDEMERE ST.

NOISE

LINWOOD ST.

WINTER SUN

MUIRLAND ST.

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PURITAN AVE.

FAIRFIELD ST.

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SUMMER SUN

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Figure 8.19: Photos of the Martin Park site

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BUS STOPS

SOUTHAMPTON ST.

FRANKFORT ST.

E WARREN AVE.

BUCKINGHAM AVE.

SECONDARY STREETS

Figure 8.20: Site analysis map of Morningside neighborhood

MINOR STREETS

INSTITUTIONAL CIVIC RESIDENTIAL EDUCATIONAL COMMERCIAL

CHAND

3 MILE DR.

MAJOR STREETS

NOTTINGHAM RD.

The Morningside site (11530 Outer Dr. E Detroit, MI 48223) is off the corner of E Outer Dr. and Chatsworth St was selected out of the three sites for a few reasons.

The site is within 9 -15 walking minutes from bus stops, has good solar orientation, and is located within a quiet neighborhood. This site is also in close proximity to two schools, which will allow for the intervention to cater to kids of multiple ages and educational backgrounds. The Morningside neighborhood consists of 30.5% of people ages 0-17.

OUTER DR E DEVONSHIRE RD.

SELECTED SITE: MORNINGSIDE

CHATSWORTH ST.

BALFOU RD.

NOISE

LINVILLE AVE.

LAKEPOINTE ST.

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WINTER SUN

WAYBURN AVE

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SUMMER SUN

88.8 % BLACK

BUSINESS Figure 8.21: Icons representing Morningside neighborhood statistics

30.5 % OF KIDS AGED 0 - 17 YEARS

ANNUAL INCOME: $32,400

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Figure 8.22: Photos of the Morningside site

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Figure 8.23: Design SCHEME 3 scheme #1

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brain storm ways inGARDEN which the final ROOFTOP / GREEN ROOF building design can successfully reflect the design principles PRINCIPLE #6: previously stated. During the SEAMLESSNESS conceptual design phase, the following design principles not only determined the building form, they also#5: determined the types of PRINCIPLE SUSTAINABILITY programs within the building.. / BIOPHILIC ELEMENTS

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Figure 8.25: Design scheme #3

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PLANT LAB Similar to the previous conceptual EXPOSURE TO BIODIVERSIT Y designs, the final scheme started off with a one-story box. From OUTDOOR SPACES / ACTIVITIES there, certain areas of the box RAINGARDENING / OUTDOOR FISH FEEDING GARDENING were shifted, extruded, and ACTIVIT Y ROOM: ACTIVIT Y ROOM: removed to accommodate each NATURAL ARTS SENASORY PLAY AND CRAFTS PRINCIPLE #2: BIRD FEEDING design principle until a final form ACTIVIT Y ROOM: SPACE TO BIODIVERSIT EXPOSURE Y INDOOR GARDENING was created. Spaces within the PRINCIPLE #1: building were also planned to IMPLEMENTING NATURAL PLAY / ACTIVITIES Figure 8.26: Final design schemePRINCIPLE #4: PRINCIPLE #1: reflect certain principles.

ENVIRONMENTAL CARE IMPLEMENTING NATURAL PLAY / ACTIVITIES

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FINAL DESIGN LOCATION: 11423 OUTER DR. E, DETROIT, MI TARGET USERS: CHILDCARE GIVERS AND CHILDREN AGED 0-12 YEARS PROGRAM: CHILDCARE SIZE: ONE-STORY; APPROX. 6,500 SF Morningside Childcare Center is a one-story building, approximately 6,500 SF. This childcare center is composed of four separated building structures containing six indoor activity spaces, a baby nursery, several outdoor spaces, and conventional areas such as office spaces, conference rooms, and a shared cafeteria.

Figure 8.27: Axon and site plan of the Morningside Childcare Center

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Figure 8.28: Back view of the Morningside Childcare Center

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The natural arts and crafts space, physical activity areas, and the rain garden areas all reflect the idea of principle #1, which is implementing natural play and activities

Figure 8.29: Floor plan of the Morningside Childcare Center

Figure 8.31: Natural arts and crafts space

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Figure 8.30: Physical activity space + rain gardening area

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PRINCIPLE #2: EXPOSURE TO BIODIVERSITY 8.32

Principle #2 is reflected in both the butterfly lab and the bird feeding space, where children are exposed to other forms of living organisms such as birds, caterpillars, and butterflies.

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Figure 8.33: Bird Feeding Space

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Figure 8.32: Butterfly Lab

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PRINCIPLE #4: ENVIRONMENTAL CARE Principle #4 is shown within the fish feeding and the edible garden spaces, where children are trained to look after other living species.

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Figure 8.35: Edible Gardening Space

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Figure 8.34: Fish feeding + raingardening area

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PRINCIPLE #6: SEAMLESSNESS The indoor garden and outdoor reading niches allow for children to easily transition from the indoors to the outdoors and vice versa, which relates to the design principle #6, which is seamlessness.

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Figure 8.37: Outdoor reading space

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Figure 8.36: Indoor Garden

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PRINCIPLE #7: NESTEDNESS The principle of nestedness is shown in both the reading niches and the outdoor storytelling space that is tucked away within the building.

Figure 8.39: Outdoor reading space

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Figure 8.38: Storytelling space

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PRINCIPLE #5: SUSTAINABILITY / BIOPHILIC ELEMENTS

Figure 8.40: Front view of the Morningside Childcare Center

With regards to principle 5, which is sustainability and biophilia, the goal was to allow the building to reflect the characteristics of nature. That meant using natural materials such as a wood exterior, timber construction and vegetation to allow the building to reflect the characteristics of the natural environment. It also meant implementing efficient, environment-friendly strategies such as rainwater harvesting, solar energy usage, and geothermal heating and cooling.

Figure 8.42: Section perspective showing sustainable strategies of the Morningside Childcare Center

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Figure 8.41: East elevation of the Morningside Childcare Center

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NAME: DARIUS FLETCHER

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AGE: 10 YEARS

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RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD: MORNINGSIDE, DETROIT, MI OCCUPATION: STUDENT SCHOOL: RONALD BROWN ACADEMY GRADE LEVEL: UPPER ELEMENTARY (GRADE 5) AVERAGE TIME SPENT AT THE CHILDCARE: 1.5 - 2 HOURS PER WEEK DAY

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DARIUS FLETCHER As stated previously, the main users of this childcare center are children between the ages of 0-12 years and childcare givers.

The following presents the typical day-in-the-life scenario of a younger user. This user’s name is Darius Fletcher, he is a 10-year old fifth grader who visits the center everyday after school at 3:00pm. From 3:00-4:00pm, Darius participates in planting herbs in the edible garden space.

At 4:30pm after lunch, he engages with other kids in the butterfly lab to help look after caterpillars and the monarch butterflies.

Then finally, from 5:00-5:30pm, he ends his time at the center by playing in the physical activity space with the other children. As he participates in these types of activities everyday, he is not only growing physically stronger, his sensory perception and creative planning skills are growing stronger as well.

Figure 8.44: Darius (light green) at the butterfly lab

Figure 8.45: Darius (light green) at the physical activity space

Figure 8.43: Darius (light green) at the edible gardening space

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACE ACTIVITIES RUNNING JUMPING CLIMBING

ACTIVITIES PLANTING FLOWERS / HERBS PREPARING SOIL

BUTTERFLY LAB ACTIVITIES PLANTING / CARING FOR PLANTS RAISING CATTERPILLARS / BUTTERFLIES Figure 8.46: Icon of bodily system

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NAME: PATRICIA BANKS

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AGE: 42 YEARS

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RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD: MORNINGSIDE, DETROIT, MI OCCUPATION: PART-TIME CHILD CAREGIVER CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE: 15 YEARS AVERAGE TIME SPENT AT THE CHILDCARE: 4-5 HOURS PER WEEK DAY

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PATRICIA BANKS This user’s name is Patricia Banks.

Patricia has had some physical setbacks that have started when she was a child. She has always dealt with knee pain and respiratory issues. Although she has 15 years of child care experience under her belt, Ms. Patricia’s time at the Morningside Childcare Center has provided her with experiences she never had working at previous child care centers. She would start her day from 9:00am-10:00am outdoors, engaging in natural play activities with the children she looked after.

From 11:00am-12:00 noon, she spent her time on the roof garden helping children plant flowers. To end her day, she would spend her time reading books to children in the storytelling area. Similar to Darius, as Patricia engaged in these types of activities everyday, she began to feel less pain in the joints of her knees and her respiration has improved.

Figure 8.48: Patricia (light green) at the storytelling area

Figure 8.49: Patricia (light green) at the rooftop garden

Figure 8.47: Patricia (light green) at the physical activity space

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACE ACTIVITIES RUNNING JUMPING CLIMBING

ROOFTOP GARDEN

Figure 8.5: Icon of bodily system

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ACTIVITIES PLANTING FLOWERS / HERBS PREPARING SOIL

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ALTERNATIVE DESIGN: RETROFITTED INTERVENTION The last section of this chapter presents how the design policy can not only apply to new construction but also to existing, vacant structures through the use of retrofitting. I’ve started out with analyzing an existing building structure located near the University District in Detroit (16948 Baylis St.) and began pointing out notable features of the building’s site. The existing building is a 67’ wide, 100’ long, and 37’ foot high structure. The most notable features of the site include lack of adjacent greenspaces and proximity to educational and residential areas.

Figure 8.51: Site analysis of vacant structure

Site Analysis: Pros Adjacencies to residential fabric Structure no longer exists

Figure 8.52: Side view of vacant structure

Site Analysis: Cons Lack of green spaces Adjacency to school (Multi-Cultural Montessori)

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Figure 8.53: Front view of vacant structure

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RESIDENTIAL DESIGN: CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAMS Much like the previous design, this design proposal implements all seven design principles by allowing these principles to dictate the building’s final retrofitted form and its programs.

PRINCIPLE #1 & #2 IMPLEMENTING NATURAL PLAY + EXPOSURE TO BIODIVERSITY

PRINCIPLE #4: ENVIRONMENTAL CARE

Figure 8.54: Conceptual diagrams for retrofitted design

PRINCIPLE #7:

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RETROFITTED DESIGN: THE BAYLIS RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX The Baylis residential complex is a 14,000 SF coliving structure that provides affordable residential units for local Detroit residents, while encouraging children to better connect to the natural environment.

Figure 8.55: Aerial view of the Baylis Residential Complex

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Figure 8.56: Front view of the Baylis Residential Complex

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THE BAYLIS RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX: PROGRAMS AND FEATURES The complex is composed of 10 residential units (4 “2-bed” units and 6 “1-bed” units) accompanied with a common kitchen and dining room, laundry room, and reading / lounging spaces on each floor.

The programs and features of the Baylis residential complex reflect certain design principles.

For example the free play and fish feeding pond reflect the design principle of natural play / activities. The edible and indoor gardens represent the principle of environmental care. The community greenhouse reflects the principle of exposing children to biodiversity. Of course, these programs will apply to other design principles.

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Figure 8.57: First floor of the Baylis Residential Complex

Figure 8.59: Free play and fish feeding pond

Figure 8.60: Edible garden space

Figure 8.61: Community greenhouse

Figure 8.62: Indoor garden

D E S I G N P O L I C Y + A P P L I C AT I O N S O F P O L I C Y

Figure 8.58: Second floor of the Baylis Residential Complex

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THE BAYLIS RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX: SUSTAINABILITY + BIOPHILIC ELEMENTS Much like the Morningside Childcare Center, the Baylis Residential Complex implements principle #5, which is implementing sustainable and biophilic strategies to help the building reflect the characteristics of the natural environment. These strategies include: rainwater harvesting, solar energy harvesting / usage, and geothermal heating / cooling.

Figure 8.63: Section perspective showing sustainable strategies of the Baylis Residential Complex

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09: FINAL THOUGHTS "Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and when the grass of the meadows is wet with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet..."

- Maria Montessori

of my thesis process, I was set on studying children’s health as opposed to adult’s because children’s health sets the foundation for lifelong health. From there, I was deciding which avenue to take regarding children’s health--deciding whether to study the mental, social, or emotional health within children. In the end, I decided to study the physiological avenue of children’s health.

I took an architectural route for my thesis because I was trying to explore how the issues presented in my research could all be addressed in physical form. I felt successful in the design of my architectural inventions not because of the conventional reasons (proper building height, appropriate building materials, meeting code, etc.), but because I was able to let my design principles guide the form and programs of these designs.

This thesis was not intended to completely solve the overall issues of Nature-Deficit Disorder and children’s disengagement with nature through the use of one or two designs. The goal of this thesis was to present how architectural design could act as part of the solution to these issues. Children who spend a majority of their everyday lives indoors will not only suffer from NatureDeficit Disorder, they will also have difficulty with navigating through life, physically and mentally, as teens and adults. Therefore, from an architectural standpoint, it’s important for designers to think about ways in which their work can re-introducing children to nature and how their work can contribute to their growth and development.

Looking back on my work, there are some things that I could’ve improved on. For example, I wish I could’ve gathered more human data by conducting interviews and surveys for parents and children in order to get a deeper understanding about my thesis topic. I could’ve also done more interventions to better present how the policy can be applied to other child-based building typologies besides daycares and residential types.

When I first began my thesis process, instead of choosing one topic, I chose two areas that I had a general interest in and also related to one another: Health and nature.

As I dove deeper into both of these areas, I was able to make my thesis more focused. The topic of “nature” is very broad. Therefore, there were many avenues I could have taken with this topic. I could have studied nature as “extraterrestrial space (outer space)” or nature as “matter and energy”. For this thesis, I decided to study nature from an ecological standpoint--the physical space that consists of living organisms and habitat. The same could be said with “health”. Since the earlier phases

Throughout this thesis process, there have been some things I’ve learned and ideas that have arisen. Thinking about the design policy I’ve created for my thesis, I wonder if there will be a design policy, in the future, that will contain similar guiding principles stated in my thesis?

Throughout this entire thesis, I’ve learned that time children spend in nature should be held to just as much value as time they spend doing essential things such as schoolwork and chores. Children who take time out of their day to play and explore various areas of the natural environment are contributing to their own physical health and development, which is essential for longevity.

FINAL THOUGHTS

CONCLUSION + REFLECTION

Overall, this thesis has examined issues regarding children’s relationship with nature. The issues tackled in this thesis were: the disconnection between children and nature over the years, the onset of Nature-Deficit Disorder resulting from this disconnection, NatureDeficit Disorder ’s negative physiological impact on children, and the existing design guidelines of childcentered buildings. In order to address these issues, this thesis focused on how architectural design could be used to reconnect children back to the natural environment to reduce Nature-Deficit Disorder and promote their bodily health. The overall thesis research has led to the proposal of a design policy, consisting of several nature-based principles, and two architectural interventions that reflected this design policy.

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10: REFERENCES + FIGURES

98 REFERENCES 101 FIGURES

CHAPTER 3

1

Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from

10

Nature-Deficit Disorder. Atlantic Books, 2013.

2

Arvay, Clemens G. The Biophilia Effect: a Scientific and Spiritual

Obesity &amp; Heart Disease.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic. org/health/articles/17308-obesity--heart-disease.

11

Arnsten, Amy F T. “ The Emerging Neurobiology of Attention Deficit

Exploration of the Healing Bond between Humans and Nature.

Hyperactivity Disorder: The Key Role of the Prefrontal

Sounds True, 2018.

Association Cortex.” The Journal of Pediatrics, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 May 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/

3

Mortali, Micah. “Five Symptoms of Nature Deficit Disorder, and How

articles/PMC2894421/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20found%20

Mindfulness Can Help.” Kripalu, 21 Feb. 2020, kripalu.org/resources/

that%2n.d.HD,hemisphere%20specialized%20for%20behavioral%20

five-symptoms-nature-deficit-disorder-and-how-mindfulness-can-

inhibition.

help.

4

Williams, Sarah. “What Is Nature Deficit Disorder And How To Know If You Have It.” The Doctor Weighs In, The Doctor Weighs In, 22 Apr. 2020, thedoctorweighsin.com/nature-deficit-disorder/.

5

How Obesity Can Rob You of Bone Density and Muscle Mass. www.healthline.com/health-news/obesity-depletes-bonedensity-041814. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

6

“Vitamin D Deficiency.” MedlinePlus, medlineplus.gov/ vitaminddeficiency.html#:%7E:text=Rickets%20is%20a%20rare%20

REFERENCES

disease,bone%20 pain%2C%20and%20muscle%20weakness.

Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

7

“Pediatric Endocrinology.” Pediatric Endocrinology - Atrium Health Navicent, www.navicenthealth.org/service-center/pediatricendocrinology/bone-disorders-vitamin-d-deficiency-rickets-

8

“Chapter 131:&nbsp;Anatomy of the Brain and Cranial Nerves.”

AccessAnesthesiology, accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/ content.aspx?bookid=974sionid=61589758.

9

“Cognitive Vision, Its Disorders and Differential Diagnosis in Adults and Children: Knowing Where and What Things Are.” Nature, www. nature.com/ articles/6700344.pdf?origin=ppub.

REFERENCES + FIGURES

recurrent-fractures-osteogenesis-imprfecta-brittle-bone.

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99

CHAPTER 5

11

12

“Nature.” Nature - New World Encyclopedia, www.

20

Jenny. STATS: Nature Time vs Screen Time.” Nature Matters with Dr.

newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Nature#Atmosphere.2C_

Jenny, 4 July 2018, www.jennylloydstrovas.com/stats-on-nature-

climate.2C_and_weather.

time-and-screen-time/.

“Anatomy of a Child’s Brain.” Stanford Children’s Health - Lucile

21

Nusca, Andrew. “Study: American Kids Spend 7.5 Hours per Day

Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, www.stanfordchildrens.org/

Using Electronics.” ZDNet, ZDNet, 20 Jan. 2010, www.zdnet.com/

en/topic/default?id=anatomy-of-a-childs-brain-90-P02588.

article/study-american-kids-spend-7-5-hours-per-day-usingelectronics/.

13

“Muscles | Betterhealth.Vic.Gov.Au.” Better Health, www.betterhealth. vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/ muscles#:%7E:text=The%20three%20main%20types%20 of,known%20as%20the%20neuromuscular%20system. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

14

“ The Skeletal System — PT Direct.” PT Direct, www.ptdirect.com/ training-design/anatomy-and-physiology/the-skeletal-system.

Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

15

Mann, McNeill. “What Is Natural Play?” Mountain Sun Community School, 9 May 2019, mountainsunschool.org/what-is-natural-play.

16

“Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit through Outdoor Play.” The National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/~/media/ PDFs/Be%20Out%20There/BeOutThere_WholeChild_V2.ashx.

17

“Children and Bone Health.” Hormone Health Network, 1 July 2020, www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/childrenand-teen-health/children-and-bone-health.

CHAPTER 6

18

White, Randy. “Interaction with Nature During the Middle Years: Its Importance to Children’s Development & Nature’s Future.” White Hutchinson - Leisure & Learning Group, 2004, www. whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/nature.shtml.

19

“Best Practices for Physical Activity: A Guide to Help Children Grow Up Healthy.” Nemours, www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/ www/filebox/service/preventive/nhps/paguidelines.pdf.

CHAPTER 7

22

“LICENSING RULES FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS.” State

31

“Chrysalis Childcare Centre / Collingridge and Smith Architects.”

of Michigan, 2019, www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/BCAL_

ArchDaily, www.archdaily.com/616502/chrysalis-childcare-centre-

PUB_8_3_16_523999_7.pdf.

collingridge-and-smith-architects?ad_medium=gallery. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

23

“1. Biodiversity: What Is It, Where Is It, and Why Is It Important?”

GreenFacts, www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/l-3/1-definebiodiversity.htm. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

32

Udmsoa.maps.arcgis.com, udmsoa.maps.arcgis.com/home/ webmap/viewerhtml?webmap= 97fe6576c2804606b999c159bc460339.

24

“What Is Sustainability?” UCLA Sustainability, www.sustain.ucla.edu/ what-is-sustainability. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

25

“Kids Nature Play in Colorado.” Colorado Landscape Architecture Firm | Design Concepts, www.dcla.net/nature-kids-discovery-zone.

Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

26

Rtmphayes June 25, 2. (2019, May 10). Scotts Miracle-Gro Awards $40,000 Grant to Michigan Urban FARMING INITIATIVE. Retrieved April 21, 2021, from https://michiganchronicle.com/2015/06/25/ scotts-miracle-gro-awards-40000-gro1000-grant-to-the-michiganurban-farming-initiative-to-create-a-childrens-sensory-garden-indetroit/#/?playlistId=0&amp;videoId=0

27

Harrouk, Christele. “A Multidisciplinary Landscape Architecture Competition Generates a Biodiversity Corridor for Montréal.”

ArchDaily, 27 July 2020, www.archdaily.com/939801/amultidisciplinary-landscape-architecture-competition-generates-abiodiversity-corridor-for-montreal.

28

“Open Play at the PlayGarden | Seattle Children’s PlayGarden.” The Seattle Children’s PlayGarden, 29 Mar. 2021, childrensplaygarden. org/about-open-play.

29

Mmofra Foundation. mmofraghana.org/our-work/bell-photoarchive/gallery. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

30

Perkins & Will. perkinswill.com/project/vandusen-botanical-gardenvisitor-centre. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

REFERENCES + FIGURES

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Figure 1.1

Nira Pittman. Symptoms of “Nature-Deficit Disorder ”

Figure 7.3

Photo of Heritage Towers Of The Christian Church

(NDD) increasing over time due to children’s

Apartments in Sheridan, WY. Retrieved from Low Income

disconnection to nature. Pages 3-4.

Housing. https://www.lowincomehousing.us/det/wy_ sheridan_heritage-towers-of-the-christian-church-apts.

CHAPTER 3

Figure 3.1

Page 35.

Photo of Richard Louv. Retrieved from Outside Online. https://www.outsideonline.com/1741056/richard-louv.

Page 11.

Figure 7.4

Photo of Union Court Apartments (Cleveland, OH).

Retrieved from Apartments.com. apartments.com/union-

Figure 3.2

court-apt-cleveland-oh/pve7sbs/. Page 35.

Nira Pittman. Diagram showing certain symptoms of “Nature-Deficit Disorder ” (NDD) impacting the brain and musculosketal systems of children’s bodies. Page 14.

Figure 7.5

Photo of Little Rascal’s Learning Academy LLC in St. Louis, MO. Retrieved from Neighborhood Commercial

CHAPTER 5

Figure 5.1

Figure 5.2

Nira Pittman. Photocollage showing a child’s brain. Page

District Improvement Program. https://sldcfacade.

21.

org/2019/04/26/little-rascals-learning-center/. Page 35.

Nira Pittman. Photocollage showing a child’s

Figure 7.6

musculoskeletal system. Page 22.

Photo of Just Us Children Daycare Center (Dunellen, NJ) Richard Louv. Retrieved from BusinessYab. https://www. businessyab.com/explore/united_states/new_jersey/

Figure 5.3

Nira Pittman. Diagram showing various natural play

middlesex_county/dunellen/north_avenue/419/just_us_

activities promoting the health / development of certain

children_daycare_center_66213. Page 35.

bodily systems. Page 25.

Figure 7.7 Figure 5.4

FIGURES

Figure 5.5

Nira Pittman. Graphic showing a child’s brain and

Nira Pittman. Physical properties of existing child buildings contribute to Nature Deficit Disorder. Page 37-38

Nira Pittman. Icon of a Brain. Page 26.

Figure 7.8

skeletal system. Page 26.

Site analysis by Nira Pittman. Photos of ToddlerTime Childcare Center in Detroit, MI. Retrieved from ToddlerTime Childcare Center. http://www.toddlertimechildcare.org/.

Figure 5.6

Page 39.

Nira Pittman. Icon of a muscular arm and skeletal portion of a leg. Page 26.

Figure 7.9

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

Figure 6.1

Figure 7.1

Site analysis by Nira Pittman. Photos of South Chicago

Nira Pittman. Graphic showing how children, today

Learning Center in Chicago, IL . Retrieved from Google

spend their time indoors. Page 31.

Maps. https://www.google.com/maps. Page 40.

Photo of Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School

Figure 7. 10 Site analysis by Nira Pittman. Photos of NJ Kids Daycare

in Washington, D.C. (Undated Photo). Retrieved from wtop

in North Bergen, NJ. Retrieved from . Google Maps. https://

News. https://wtop.com/dc/2017/08/flashback-1970s-

www.google.com/maps. Page 41.

amy-carter-dc-public-schools/. Page 35.

Figure 7. 11 Interior / exterior photos of the Angels On Figure 7.2

Photo of Lenox Terrace Apartments. Retrieved from Lenox Terrace. https://lenoxapts.com/history. Page 35.

Earth Childcare in Cleveland, OH. Retrieved from. Page 42.

Figure 8.1

Nira Pittman. Graphic representing the design policy

Figure 8.10 Nira Pittman. Information retrieved from ArcGIS.

consisting of seven guiding principles. Page 45.

https://udmsoa.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer. html?webmap=97fe6576c2804606b999c159bc460339.

Figure 8.2 Photos of the Sanchez Kids Nature Discovery Zone

Page 55.

(Lafayette, CO). Retrieved from DCLA. https://www.dcla. net/nature-kids-discovery-zone. Page 46.

Figure 8.11

Nira Pittman. Information retrieved from ArcGIS. https://udmsoa.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.

Figure 8.3 Photos of the Biodiversity Corridor Proposal (Montreal,

html?webmap=97fe6576c2804606b999c159bc460339.

Page 55.

CA). Retrieved from ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily. com/939801/a-multidisciplinary-landscape-architecturecompetition-generates-a-biodiversity-corridor-for-

Figure 8.12 Nira Pittman. Axon of Detroit. Page 55.

montreal. Page 47-48.

Figure 8.13 Nira Pittman. Map of Detroit showing population Figure 8.4 Photos of the Seattle Children’s PlayGarden (Seattle, WA).

percentage of children under 18 years with locations

Retrieved from Seattle Children’s Playgarden. https://

of commercial, civic, and educational places. Information

childrensplaygarden.org/about-open-play/. Page 49-50.

retrieved from ArcGIS. https:// udmsoa.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.

Figure 8.5 Photos of the Mmofra Foundation (Accra, Ghana).

html?webmap=fc50aa336c8c4ccc8e5e3fc4afcc4774.

Page 56.

Retrieved from Mmofra Foundation. https://mmofraghana. org/our-work/bell-photo-archive/gallery/. Page 51.

Figure 8.14 Figure 8.6 Photos of the Vandusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre by

Nira Pittman. Site analysis map of the La Salle Gardens neighborhood. Page 57.

Perkins + Will (Vancouver, British Columbia). Retrieved from Perkins + Will. https://perkinswill.com/project/

Figure 8.15

vandusen-botanical-garden-visitor-centre/. Page 52.

Figure 8.7 Photos of the Chrysalis Childcare Centre (Auckland, New

Nira Pittman. Icons representing the La Salle Gardens statistics. Page 57.

Figure 8.16

Nira Pittman. Photos of the La Salle site. Page 58.

Zealand). Retrieved from ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily. com/616502/chrysalis-childcare-centre-collingridge-and-

Figure 8.17

smith-architects?ad_medium=gallery. Page 53.

Figure 8.8 Nira Pittman. Eidetic image representing “nestedness”. Page

Figure 8.18

54.

Figure 8.9 Nira Pittman. Information retrieved from ArcGIS. https://udmsoa.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer. html?webmap=97fe6576c2804606b999c159bc460339.

Page 55.

Nira Pittman. Site analysis map of the Martin Park neighborhood. Page 59.

Nira Pittman. Icons representing the Martin Park neighborhood statistics. Page 59.

Figure 8.19

Nira Pittman. Photos of the Martin Park site. Page 60.

REFERENCES + FIGURES

CHAPTER 8

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Figure 8.20

103

Nira Pittman. Site analysis map of Morningside

Figure 8.37 Nira Pittman. Outdoor reading space. Page 76

neighborhood. Page 61.

Figure 8.38 Nira Pittman. Storytelling space. Page 78 Figure 8.21

Figure 8.22

Nira Pittman. Icons representing Morningside neighborhood statistics. Page 61.

Figure 8.39 Nira Pittman. Outdoor reading space. Page 78

Nira Pittman. Photos of the Morningside site. Page 62.

Figure 8.40 Nira Pittman. Front view of the Morningside Childcare Center. Page 79.

Figure 8.23

Nira Pittman. Design scheme #1. Page 63.

Figure 8.24

Nira Pittman. Design scheme #2. Page 63.

Figure 8.25

Nira Pittman. Design scheme #3. Page 64.

Figure 8.41

Nira Pittman. East elevation of the Morningside Childcare Center. Page 80.

Figure 8.42

Nira Pittman. Section perspective showing sustainable strategies of the Morningside Childcare Center. Page

Figure 8.26

Nira Pittman. Final design scheme. Page 65-66.

Figure 8.27

Nira Pittman. Axon and site plan of the Morningside

79-80.

Figure 8.43

Childcare Center. Page 67.

Figure 8.28

Nira Pittman. Back view of the Morningside

space. Page 81.

Figure 8.44

Childcare Center. Page 68.

Figure 8.29

Nira Pittman. Floor plan of the Morningside Childcare

Nira Pittman. Darius (light green) at the butterfly lab.

Page 81.

Figure 8.45

Center. Page 69.

Figure 8.30 Nira Pittman. Physical activity space + rain gardening

Nira Pittman. Darius (light green) at the edible gardening

Nira Pittman. Darius (light green) at the physical activity space. Page 81.

Figure 8.46

Nira Pittman. Icon of bodily system. Page 82.

area. Page 70.

Figure 8.47 Figure 8.31

Figure 8.32 Nira Pittman. Butterfly lab. Page 72.

Nira Pittman. Patricia (light green) at the physical activity space. Page 83.

Nira Pittman. Natural arts and crafts space. Page 70.

Figure 8.48

Nira Pittman. Patricia (light green) at the storytelling area.

Page 83.

Figure 8.33 Nira Pittman. Bird feeding space. Page 72.

Figure 8.49 Figure 8.34 Nira Pittman. Fish feeding + raingardening area. Page 74.

Nira Pittman. Patricia (light green) at the rooftop garden.

Page 83.

Figure 8.35 Nira Pittman. Edible gardening space. Page 74.

Figure 8.50

Nira Pittman.. Icon of bodily system. Page 84.

Figure 8.36 Nira Pittman. Indoor garden. Page 76.

Figure 8.51

Nira Pittman. Site analysis of vacant structure. Page 85.

Figure 8.52

Photo of side view of vacant structure. Retrieved from Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps. Page 85

Figure 8.53

Photo of front view of vacant structure. Retrieved from Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps. Page 86

Figure 8.54

Nira Pittman. Conceptual diagrams for retrofitted design.

Page 87-88.

Figure 8.55

Nira Pittman. Aerial view of the Baylis Residential Complex. Page 89.

Figure 8.56

Nira Pittman. Front view of the Baylis Residential Complex. Page 90.

Figure 8.57

Nira Pittman. First floor of the Baylis Residential Complex.

Page 91.

Figure 8.58

Nira Pittman. Second floor of the Baylis Residential Complex. Page 92.

Figure 8.59

Nira Pittman. Free play and fish feeding pond. Page 91.

Figure 8.60

Nira Pittman. Edible garden space. Page 91.

Figure 8.61

Nira Pittman. Community greenhouse. Page 92.

Figure 8.62

Nira Pittman. Indoor garden. Page 92.

Nira Pittman. Section perspective showing sustainable strategies of the Baylis Residential Complex. Page 93-94.

REFERENCES + FIGURES

Figure 8.63

104

THANK YOU