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Design Interventions For Orphan Children To Accomodate Their Psychological Needs
Design Interventions For Orphan Children To Accomodate Their Psychological Needs
DEVVRAT CHOWDHARY
2010 BARC 009
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE,
BHOPAL.
9TH SEMESTER
YEAR: 2014
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DESIGN INTERVENTIONS FOR ORPHAN CHILDREN TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR
PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS
Devvrat Chowdhary
2010 BARC 009
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE,
BHOPAL.
Dissertation Committee
……………………………….……………
Prof. Savita S. Raje Advisor/Guide
………………………………………….…
…………………………………………….
Ar. Parama Mitra Teacher-in charge
…………………………………………….
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Abstract
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LIST OF FIGURES
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Figure 12 Table design with moveable, cool colour tiles help in
cognative development..........................................................................18
Figure 13 Furniture systems.................................................................18
Figure 15 Classroom with multiple centers.........................................21
Figure 16 Typical classroom with one acitvity center........................21
Figure 17 Rectangular rooms with nooks, ancillary spaces, bays
etc.: Source- Author..............................................................................22
Figure 18 Boundaries blured between classroom and corridoor.......22
Figure 19 Learning landscape invoking curiosity and freedom.........23
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CONTENTS
Abstract.......................................................................................................3
LIST OF FIGURES..........................................................................................4
CONTENTS...................................................................................................5
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................7
1.1 Definition of an Orphan:...................................................................8
1.2 Homeless in India:............................................................................8
1.3 Objectives:.......................................................................................8
1.4 Scope:..............................................................................................8
METHODOLOGY............................................................................................9
2.1 Research construt..............................................................................9
2.2 Case studies.....................................................................................10
2.2.1 SOS Children’s Village – Jordan..................................................10
2.2.2 Amsterdam Orphanage- .Netherlands.......................................12
2.3 Findings............................................................................................13
LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................................14
3.1 Orphan Psychology...........................................................................14
3.2 Methods to counteract psychological issues....................................15
3.2.1 Healing gardens for children.....................................................15
3.2.2 Colour therapy...........................................................................16
3.2.2 Architecture Interventions.........................................................17
3.2.3 Psychological effect of shapes...................................................20
RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS........................................................................21
4.2 Spatial character suggestions..........................................................22
4.2.1 Articulated classroom................................................................22
4.2.2 Space as a Home Base..............................................................22
4.2.3 Threshold space between classroom and corridor.....................23
4.2.4 Learning Landscape...................................................................24
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK.............................................................25
REFERENCES..............................................................................................26
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INTRODUCTION
Orphans exist in every age and in all civilizations. According to the joint
report of UNICEF, HIV/AIDS and Development (2002), about 1.7 billion
children are orphans worldwide. Out of this number, Asia contributes 6.5%
orphans and Africa leads with 11.9% orphans. China have about 573,000
orphans below 28 years old (Orphan report), and an estimated 650,000
children are in Russian children’s homes.
The purpose of this study is to study the effect of the built environment on
the vulnerable children, the orphanage should not be limited providing
basic housing and sustenance needs but should acknowledge that the
homeless children have special mental needs due to the various traumas
they have suffered in such a delicate age these needs must catered
actively by the caretakers as well as passively through design by
architects.
What is Childhood?
Childhood is the time for children to be in school and at play, to grow
strong and confident with the love and encouragement of their family and
an extended community of caring adults. It is a precious time in which
children should live free from fear, safe from violence and protected from
abuse and exploitation. Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to
adolescence. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development,
childhood consists of two stages: preoperational stage and concrete
operational stage. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up
into the developmental stages of toddlerhood (learning to walk), early
childhood (play age), middle childhood (school age), and adolescence
(puberty through post-puberty). Various childhood factors could affect a
person's attitude formation.
1.3 Objectives:
To assess the psychological impact on the children who have lost
their parents or those who are growing without biological parents.
List the various psychological issues.
To understand the relationship between the spatial character and
psychology of children with special reference to those who have
gone through trauma of separation from biological parents.
To make and attempt to mitigate the negative impacts of orphan
hood in children through design.
1.4 Scope:
The age group of 0-12 years is considered for the purpose of this
dissertation.
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The study will aim to arrive with schemes to guide the design of
children’s homes but will not provide rigid details of design
interventions.
Only literature case studies will be referred for the scope of this
dissertation.
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METHODOLOGY
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2.2 Case studies
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Figure 1 SOS children’s village Jordan - PLAN (*Source – Aga Khan award for Architecture
Figure 2 SOS children’s village Jordan- View (*Source – Aga Khan award for Architecture
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The main entrance into the complex; the scale of the complex is related
with the scale of the children themselves in a contained urban setting.
(*Source – Aga Khan award for Architecture)
Figure 3 SOS children’s village Jordan- Views (*Source – Aga Khan award for Architecture)
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Figure 4 Orthogonal grid with diagonal pathways creating equal spaces (Archdaily)
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Figure 5 Threshold of spaces (Archdaily)
2.3 Findings
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LITERATURE REVIEW
a. Problems of self-esteem
b. Problems on Recognition and approval
c. Problems on Love and Affection
d. Problems on Security
e. Problems on Independence
f. Problems on Creative expression
g. Problems on New Experience
h. Problems in dealing with others
i. Problems on Achievement
j. Problems in Isolation
k. Financial problems
l. Problems in dealing with the opposite sex
m. Problems in dealing with Authorities
n. Problems in relation with Anxiety
o. Problems in relation with Emotional Maturity
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3.2 Methods to counteract psychological issues
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3.2.2 Colour therapy
Colours that work for one person need not necessarily be as effective for
another person. In addition, it is believed that overexposure to certain
colours can lead to side effects.
VIOLET-Violet is a very powerful colour and has strong links with creativity.
It is said that Leonardo da Vinci meditated upon it and that Beethoven had
violet curtains. Those drawn to this colour are often shy. It is useful in
treating people who are excessively emotionally agitated.
The most important needs of a child within the space are the following:
• The need to feel safe, secure and superior in the space.
• The need to be active-mentally and physically, and to be surrounded by
various devices which will provoke creativity.
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• The need to achieve an emotional relationship with the space-to be close
to it and to identify itself with it, as well as to find its own place for being
When talking about the concept of identification with some place in space,
it is considered that kind of identification represents a "factor in the
substructure of personal identity, which in a larger context consists also
from the knowledge of physical world in which the person lives. Such
knowledge consists of memories, ideas, attitudes, values, preferences,
meanings and concepts of behaviours and experiences which refer to the
wide complex of physical environment and defines, day in day out,
existence of every human being".. (Danica 2008) In that way, the past of
the person becomes the part of some place, and architectural space with
what constitutes it and what is set inside of it and makes it an
architectural unit, becomes an instrument that fulfills biological, social and
cultural needs of the person using it.
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Figure 11 Vetical realms (Danica 2008)3
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Figure 14 Closet cum stools with vibrant colours (Queen Silvia Children's hospita)
These closets with characters are child-welcome. Children could see the
material’s blur colour and shape through the matt plastic boards. It
triggered children to observe and explore, which was the start point of
creativity. Moreover, different ways of opening offered children challenges
accomplished easily and got the sense of self-confidence. These closets
were built in different forms and be hanged on the wall as a displaying
area. They could be closet, stool and shelf in different forms.
Circle
Connection, community, wholeness, endurance, movement, safety,
perfection
Refers to the feminine: warmth, comfort, sensuality, and love.
Rectangle / Square
Order, logic, containment, security.
Rectangles provide a fourth point, which is mathematically the
foundation for 3D objects, suggesting mass, volume, and solids.
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Triangle
Energy, power, balance, law, science, religion.
Refers to the Masculine: strength, aggression, and dynamic
movement.
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RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Result
After reviewing the literature the next step in this dissertation is to design
a scheme for the 4 major activities happening in an children’s home;
namely, Eating, Study, Creative and resting. Now basic shape and colour
scheme for such spaces is analyzed referring to the literature mentioned
earlier. Each shape has its own psychological attributes and so does each
colour mentioned earlier. Now the combination of the two elements in
sensible permutations can give us nurturing spaces. It is important to note
that the result achieved may not necessarily be the profile of the of the
space but it can take form of various other architectural elements
mentioned in this study, the idea is to use these combinations of shapes
and colours as visual stimuli to accentuate the space in a nurturing
manner.
The table mentioned below would not constitute as the only method to
tackle the psychological issues but the scope of this study has been
limited to a more broad approach.
ACTIVI SPATIAL COLOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL
TY CHARACTER ISSUE ADDRESSED
1 Eating Rectangle Yellow Independence,
Dealing with others
2 Study Rectangle, Blue, green Self esteem, New
Triangle experience,
Independence,
Achievement
3 Creativ Circle Red, Green, Isolation, Creative
e Violet expression,
Security, Dealing
with others, self
esteem
4 Restin Circle Orange, Blue Anxiety, Security,
g dealing with others
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Table 1 Relationship between shapes, colours and the psychological issues addressed
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4.2 Spatial character suggestions
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Figure 17
Rectangular rooms
with nooks, ancillary
We can distinguish successive stages of spatial development:
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Figure 18 Boundaries blured between
classroom and corridoor
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When the threshold zone is shaped correctly and with the appropriate
means it can give a smooth transition between corridor areas and
classroom that is more an articulation than an enclosure. This will leave
the whole larger instead of smaller, even though this zone is at the cost of
the area of the classroom. With the classroom opened up and the pupils
spilling out, the space for education, or rather the learning space as a
whole has become bigger.
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CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
There are eight million children living in children’s homes and other
institutions, children who have lost their parents, or even, worse have
been abused by them. There is no doubt that there are good and bad
children’s homes in the world and no matter what people believe,
children’s homes cannot vanish given that there are a lot of children out in
the world left all alone and unprotected. Such children are vulnerable to
develop psychological as well as social disorders. So, what people need to
do rather than fighting is to re-evaluate children’s homes so from a cold
accommodation becomes a home. Different case studies such as the SOS
Children’s Village or the Amsterdam Children’s home have shown that it is
possible for orphans to live happy in an children’s home so what should be
done is positive and even the negative outcomes from these cases should
be taken into consideration in order for other children’s homes to improve
the living conditions of orphans.
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REFERENCES
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