1 CHAPTER 1: 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Early childhood education regards education in early childhood, one of the most
vulnerable stages in life. According to the NAEYC (National Association for the
Education of Young Children), it spans the human life from birth to age eight. In
Zimbabwe, the design of early learning institutions have for years had the ability or
disability of the user as one of its main design decisive factors. This is evident through a
number of ‘special’ schools for those with ‘special’ needs (persons with disability), for
example King George Primary School in Bulawayo and St Giles School in Harare, to
name a few. This has resulted in segregation of the able bodied children and those with
disabilities in the learning set up.

The proposed Stream Valley Early Learning Center will be a learning platform for
children, without regard of their physical ability. This emphasis on early learning is for
the simple, but very sophisticated reason that, the ultimate personality an individual
becomes, is predominantly shaped during their few (but impactful) childhood years.
Early childhood programmes result in more agile minds, better school attendance, lower
repetition and drop-out rates, and stronger academic skills. For purposes of
disambiguation, it is necessary that several issues be clearly delineated.

1.2 What is disability?

Firstly, the concept ‘disability’ has been a vehicle for a plethora of meanings.  The
Colliers’ Standard English Dictionary simply defines disability as ‘the lack of ability’.

Whereas the lack of ability transcends social, economic, cultural and many other
concerns, an insolvent banker is not normally deemed a disabled individual. The word
has broadly been painted for Intellectual, Physical, Physiological and some aspects of
Social ineptitude.
The World Health Organization defines Disability as the reduction or loss of function or
ability consequent upon impairment (the absence or defect of a limb, arm or bodily
mechanism) and handicap (the disadvantage or constraint which follow from disability).  

Selwyn Goldsmith(1963) takes the word disabled to mean those who are architecturally
disabled, that is, those who when using or attempting to use buildings find themselves
confronted by impediments which prevent them from doing so or allow them to do so
only with difficulty and inconvenience.

1.3 Learning

According to UNESCO, learning is a process that begins at birth, and the home is the first
learning institution for any person. Nonetheless, with the professionalisation of most of
man’s activities, the teaching and learning arena has also to quite a great extent, been
professionalized and institutionalized. This has seen the evolution of the school system
from Nursery schools, Primary school, Secondary school, vocational school and tertiary
school. In Zimbabwe, (not too lost from global best-practice), these schools represent
specially developed institutions for the respective ages from 4months to 5years for
Nursery schools.

1.4 Early learning

The terms preschool education, nursery and kindergarten emphasise education around
the ages of 3-6 years. The terms "early childhood learning," "early care," and "early
education" are comparable with early childhood education. The terms Day care and
Childcare do not embrace the educational aspects. Many childcare centers are now using
more educational approaches. They are creating curricula and incorporating it into their
daily routines to foster greater educational learning.

1.5 Background of study

Inclusive education is a principle which has been put forward by UNESCO as a

developmental approach to the learning needs of all children, youth and adults, especially
those who are vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion. The principle of inclusive
education was adopted at the World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and
Quality (Salamanca, Spain, 1994) restated at the World Education Forum (Dakar,
Senegal, 2000) and supported by the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

According to the UN, there are an estimated 650 million persons living with disabilities
in the world today. If one includes the members of their families, there are approximately
2 billion persons who are directly affected by disability, representing almost a third of the
world’s population. An estimated 80 per cent of these persons live in developing
countries, many in conditions of poverty. In both developed and developing countries,
evidence suggests that persons with disabilities are disproportionately represented among
the world’s poor and tend to be poorer than their counterparts without disabilities. It is
estimated that of the world’s poorest people, who lack access to basic necessities such as
food, clean water, clothing and shelter, 1 in 5 is a person with disabilities. Thus, persons
with disabilities represent a significant overlooked development challenge. Ensuring
access for these persons will have an enormous impact on the social and economic
situation in countries around the world. Education and life-long learning opportunities
can and must erase these gaps in economic and social development that effectively
marginalize individuals with disabilities.

About three million children (90 percent of the total school-age population) attend school
in Zimbabwe (Education Management Information Systems, 2004). Of these, 14,115
students with mental retardation, 50,000 children with learning disabilities, 1,634
children with hearing impairment, and 2,635 students with blindness or visual
impairment attended school in Zimbabwe in 2004 (Education Management Information
Systems, 2004; Mpofu, Mutepfa, Chireshe & Kasayira, in press). If one applies the World
Health Organization's (WHO) estimate of 10 percent of children worldwide who have a
disability (WHO, 2004), Zimbabwe is likely to have about 300,000 school-age children
who have a disability.

1.6 Project justification

The author has been motivated to come up with a design for early learning which will
provide for inclusive education in Zimbabwe, Bulawayo. No such design has ever been
designed and built in Zimbabwe. The author hopes that this will mark the beginning of a
new era in early learning design, where inclusion will be practiced.

1.7 Problem statement 

In Zimbabwe, the design of learning institutions have for years had the ability or
disability of the user as one of its main design decisive factors. This is evident through a
number of ‘special’ schools for those with ‘special’ needs (persons with disability), for
example King George School in Bulawayo and St Giles School in Harare, to name a few.
This has resulted in segregation of the able bodied children and those with disabilities in
the learning set up. The author posits that through the design of the proposed Early
Learning Centre, both able bodied children and those with disabilities can learn together
and the design will be in line with the latest trends and policies in the world.

1.8 Design scope

The Early Learning Centre will consist of a Nursery school and Kindergarten school (not
too lost from global best-practice). The facilities in the centre should be accessible to
both able bodied and disabled children.

1.9 Accommodation list

Infants
 Playrooms
 Toy library
 Sleeping rooms
 Sand play
 Ablutions
Toddlers
 Music rooms
  Class rooms
 Playrooms
 Ablutions

Preschoolers
 Classrooms
 Playroom
 Sleeping rooms
Administration
Outdoor play
Water play
Kitchen
Dinning

1.10 User population

Approximately 90 pupils

1.11 Total building area

Approximately 2000 square meters .

2 CHAPTER 2:  NOTIONAL CLIENT 

2.1 Introduction

Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association (ZPHCA) is a mutual support

and advocacy association for parents of children and young adults presenting all forms of
disabilities. It is a watchdog for the preservation and promotion of the rights of children
and young adults with disabilities, in the interest of equality and justice. ZPHCA does not
have any political attachments / affiliations.

The association seeks to present opportunities for parents whose lives have been in
despair, social isolation, stigma, helplessness, and trauma. The opportunities that the
association presents include, parents coming together to share ideas, experiences and
information on the rights and general welfare of children with disabilities. The
association creates support networks that harness community based initiatives identified
by parents that do not seek to force children with disabilities to change, but influence
social change towards positive attitudes that promote creation of a society for all
Universal design.

Figure 1: ZPHCA logo

2.2 History of ZPHCA

ZPHCA was established in 1987 after parents attending therapy at Harare General
Hospital Children’s Rehabilitation Unit were advised by staff to organise themselves into
groups. It was registered as a welfare oganisation in 1990. To date, it has spread to more
parts of the country with branches in both urban and rural areas.

2.3 Mission statement

Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association is an Association for parents of

children with all forms of disabilities. Members of the association value the importance
uplifting the welfare of handicapped children through giving children their rights as
enshrined in the UN Declaration of the Children’s’ rights irrespective of the degree of
disability .The association hopes that the rights of children to Education, Health, and
Social Welfare and Freedom of Association will be promoted in families, communities
and protected in wider society.

2.4 Vision

The vision of the association is to give parents opportunity to share ideas on looking after
handicapped children and generate issues that help in:

 Improving the life of disabled children through protecting their rights as stated in
the UN Declaration on children’s rights and representing them in areas where
their rights are violated.
 Finding relevant assistance that is needed by disabled children and representing
them because some will not be able to represent themselves throughout their
entire life.
2.5 Organisation structure

Figure 2: ZPHCA organisation structure

3 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 Introduction

UNESCO and other organizations have come up with policies that state that education
should extend to all individuals and of late the focus is on inclusive education, which will
be discussed further in this chapter. The Zimbabwean government has not been left out in
this age. Policies on education all children in Zimbabwe is in place, however these
policies do not seem to be very effective maybe due to the fact that Zimbabwe’s economy
is in a bad state, or maybe because the infrastructure which can be accessed by those with
disabilities is not available. In this chapter, the transition of policies and statistics of
children with disabilities will made, making reference to recognized organizations like
the United Nations will be made.

3.2 Historical Background

The right to education is universal and must extend to all children, youth, and adults with
disabilities. This right is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
and addressed in several significant, internationally approved declarations, including the
World Declaration for Education for All (1990), the Standard Rules on the Equalization
of Opportunities for Persons with Disability (1993), the UNESCO Salamanca Statement
and Framework for Action (1994), and the Dakar Framework for Action (2000). 

The goal of the Dakar Framework for Action is to achieve "education for all" by 2015.
The goal of Dakar will only be achieved when all nations recognize that the universal
right to education extends to individuals with disabilities, and when all nations act upon
their obligation to establish or reform public education systems that are accessible to, and
meet the needs of, individuals with disabilities.

This obligation on the state extends to the governments of developing and industrialized
nations, and must engage all government bodies charged with setting and carrying out
public education and international development assistance programs and priorities.
According to best estimates of international agencies, we know the following: 

- 98% children with disabilities in developing countries do NOT attend schools'

- 500,000 children every year lose some part of their vision due to vitamin A deficiency.

- 41 million babies are born each year at risk of mental impairment due to insufficient
iodine in their mothers' diets.

- For every child killed in armed conflict, three are injured and permanently disabled.
40% out of 26,000 persons killed and injured by landmines every year are children. Over
10 million children are psychologically traumatized by armed conflicts.

- Child labour and maltreatment such as corporal punishment, amputation, blinding of

detainees, are responsible for children becoming disabled, and can lead to mental illness,
physical and psychological disabilities, difficulties in schools or at work, etc. (UNICEF,
2002) 

3.3 Child development

According to UNICEF what happens – or doesn’t happen – to children in the earliest

years of their lives is of critical importance, both to their immediate well-being and to
their future.
If you received the best start in your earliest years of life, you are more likely to have
grown healthily, developed language and learning capacities, gone to school and led a
productive, rewarding life. Yet millions of children around the world are still being
denied the right to reach their full potential.
Every child must be ensured the best start in life – their future, and indeed the future of
their communities, nations and the whole world depends on it.
Every year, tens of millions of infants around the world begin an extraordinary sprint –
from defenceless newborns to becoming proactive young children ready for school. And
every year, countless numbers of them are stopped in their tracks – deprived, in one way
or another, of the love, care, nurturing, health, nutrition and protection that they need to
survive, grow and develop. Nearly 10 million children die before their fifth birthday each
year and over 200 million children are not developing to their full potential – solely
because they and their caregivers lack the basic conditions needed for young children to
survive and thrive.1

3.4 Developmental domains

There are five different developmental domains of children which all relate to each other.
They are easily referred to as the SPICE of life:

 Social - Refers mostly to the ability to form attachments, play with others, co-
operation and sharing, and being able to create lasting relationships with others.
 Physical - Development of Fine (small) and Gross (large) Motor Skills.
 Intellectual - The process of making sense of the world around them.
 Creative - The development of special abilities creating talents. Music, Art,
Writing, Reading, and Singing are all ways for creative development to take
place.
 Emotional - Development of self-awareness, self-confidence, and coping with
feelings as well as understanding them.

Psychosocial According to Jean Piaget, there are four major stages of cognitive
development:

1. Sensorimotor Stage. This stage occurs between the ages of birth and two years of
age.Sensorimotor (infancy): During this stage, which includes six distinct
substages, intelligence is demonstrated through motor activity with limited use of
symbols, including language; the infant’s knowledge of the world is primarily
based on physical interactions and experiences.
2. Preoperational Stage. The second stage occurs between the ages of two to seven
years of age.During this stage,intelligence is increasingly demonstrated through
the use of symbols; memory and imagination are developed as language use
matures; thinking is nonlogical, nonreversible, and egocentric.

1
www.wikipea.com
 3. Concrete Operations Stage. Occurring between ages 7 and about 12 years. During
this stage—characterized by conservation of number, length, liquid,mass, weight,
area, volume—intelligence is increasingly demonstrated through logical and
systematic manipulation of symbols relating to concrete objects; thinking is
operational, reversible, and less egocentric.
4. Formal Operations Stage. The final stage of cognitive development (from age 12
and beyond)During this final stage, intelligence is demonstrated through the
logical use of symbols related to abstract concepts; thinking is abstract,
hypothetical, and early on, quite egocentric; it is commonly held that the majority
of people never complete this stage.

 Emotional Development - Concerning children's increasing awareness and

control of their feelings and how they react to these feelings in a given situation.
 Social Development - Concerning the children's identity, their relationships with
others, and understanding their place within a social environment

3.5 Early learning

Early childhood education regards education in early childhood, one of the most
vulnerable stages in life. According to the NAEYC (National Association for the
Education of Young Children), it spans the human life from birth to age eight.

Early childhood education often focuses on children learning through play.

The terms preschool education and kindergarten emphasise education around the ages
of 3-6 years. The terms "early childhood learning," "early care," and "early education" are
comparable with early childhood education. The terms Day care and Childcare do not
embrace the educational aspects. Many childcare centers are now using more educational
approaches. They are creating curricula and incorporating it into their daily rountines to
foster greater educational learning.
Researchers in the field and early childhood educators both view the parents as an
integral part of the early childhood education process. Early childhood education takes
many forms depending on the beliefs of the educator or parent.2

Much of the first two years of life are spent in the creation of a child's first "sense of self"
or the building of a first identity. This is a crucial part of children's makeup—how they
first see themselves, how they think they should function, how they expect others to
function in relation to them. For this reason, early care must ensure that in addition to
employing carefully selected and trained caretakers, program policy must emphasize
links with family, home culture, and home language, meaning caregivers must uniquely
care for each child using Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Individually Appropriate
Practice and Culturally Appropriate Practice. Care should support families rather than be
a substitute for them.

If a young child doesn't receive sufficient nurturing, nutrition, parental/caregiver

interaction, and stimulus during this crucial period, the child may be left with a
developmental deficit that hampers his or her success in preschool, kindergarten, and
beyond.

Worst-case scenarios such as those found in Russian and Romanian orphanages

demonstrate how the lack of proper social interaction and development of attachment
affect the developing child. Children must receive attention and affection to develop in a
healthy manner.

3.6 Grouping children in the learning the set up

Pre-school and younger children spend an average of nine hours per day at the center. For
most of their care, children remain at the facility. There are occasions when the children
leave the center on field trips with teachers and center volunteers. The center must
promote a child’s optimal development by providing safe, interesting, health-promoting,
and appropriate environments which allow the children to engage in developmentally
appropriate activities. Children’s needs, in many respects, correspond to their age.

2
www.wikipedia.com
Although each child develops according to his or her unique schedule, children can be
characterized as belonging to general age categories of development, with each age group
having a different set of needs. To meet these needs, the space for each age group will be
inherently different. The following third broad age groupings will be referred to
throughout the Guide. In any individual center, actual age ranges between groups may
overlap. In some centers, children may be grouped in mixed-age classrooms. Age ranges
are as follows:

Infants-Age 6weeks-12 months

Toddlers-Age 12 months-2 years

Pre-schoolers-Age 3-5 years

Most infants have not begun toilet training, so frequent diaper changes are needed. When
teachers are with an infant at the diaper changing table, they also need to supervise other
infants and maintain visibility to other infants. Visible connection between teacher and
infant should be maintained to the maximum extent feasible. The design and location of
changing tables should reflect this requirement. Teachers’ view into the activity area
should be unobstructed while at the diaper changing area. When infants are in the activity
area, they must be able to see teachers as well. During the first year, the infant’s diet
progresses from nursing and bottle feeding to soft foods and finger foods. For young
infants, eating is a nurturingtime, with the infant either nursed by the mother or held by a
teacher or parent during bottle feedings. Teachers may start to feed infants soft foods at
around 5-6 months. At around 9 months, infants, seated in low high chairs, begin to feed
themselves and drink from cups. This process can be and linens. Facilities need to be
provided for this. At around 12 months, infants eat at low, round tables. The dining
atmosphere changes from a quiet, intimate environment to an active, social event.
Developmentally appropriate activities for this group include interaction with teachers,
children, and other infants; experiencing the environment through all the senses; and
physical movement through the space. Infants need a safe, stimulating environment
where they can explore, absorb, and organize information about their world. They
exercise muscles by crawling and climbing on soft surfaces and over slight level changes.
They can pull to standing and practice walking by using low grab bars. Manipulative,
stimulating toys and other learning materials help infants learn about objects and enable
them to develop motor coordination. Toys should be placed on low, open shelving where
the infant can see and grasp them. In rooms with high ceilings, mobiles may be hung
from the ceiling at least 2035 mm above the floor. The classroom should offer a series of
intriguing attractions for crawling and standing infants, particularly at eye level (300 mm
- 450 mm above the floor). The environment, including toys, aids in the infants’ language
development. The design and scale of furnishings and equipment in the infant room
should support the infant’s activities, while assisting the caregiving adults. The design
must allow teachers to see and hear all the infants at any given time, and quickly reach
any one of them if the need arises. Infants also must be able to readily see the teacher as
they need the psychological security of a teacher’s presence. Infants spend time in their
outdoor play yard under the supervision of their teachers safely apart from, but usually in
view of, the older children. Infants, particularly those that are crawling and starting to
walk, require outdoor opportunities to explore and move about the safe world of the
infant play yard. Teachers may assist infants in their exploration of the world by taking
them on “strolls” through the building and outdoors. Infants, riding in groups in multi-
passenger strollers, benefit from both social interaction and sensory stimulation from
these excursions. Some conditions that will greatly enhance the quality of care which
teachers can provide include the following:

 Gross motor area (away from the main circulation flow) that is soft and easily
cleaned, with a provision of continuous soft mat. Typically, the area should be
defined by a low (300-450 mm) padded bumper which may or may not be built-in
to contain the crawl area and to provide for adult seating near infant’s level.
 Low padded risers for level change.

 Visual contact with the exterior at infants’ eye-level.

 Cribs directly observable by teachers.

  Cribs located under soft, preferably dimmer-controlled lighting.

 Toys easily accessible to the infants from open shelving.

 Provision of continuous impervious flooring in the feeding area.

 Provision of space for infants to eat in a social environment (as opposed to an

isolated, lined up high chair arrangement).

3.7 Benefits of early childhood education

Chicago’s publicly-funded Child-Parent Centers have served almost 100,000 3- and 4-

year-olds since 1967. Researchers tracked 989 of those children and 550 similar children
not in the program for 14 years. The children who did not participate were 70 percent
more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18. This program also cut child
abuse and neglect. In Ypsilanti, Michigan, 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families
who were randomly assigned to a group that did not receive preschool who were five
times more likely to have become chronic lawbreakers by age 27 than those who were
assigned to the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation’s Perry Preschool
program.3
Over 40 years of the children's lives, participants showed greater literacy, higher grades,
greater likelihood to graduate high school, higher post-high school employment rates,
higher earnings, less need for welfare, committed less crime, and had lower rates of teen
pregnancy. The rate of returns to the children was estimated to be 16 percent (about 3/4
of this is calculated from the decreased social cost due to lower crime and less prison
spending).4

3
http://www.highscope.org
4
www.wikipedia.com
4 CHAPTER 4: THE SITE

4.1 Site selection

4.1.1 Location maps

Figure 3: location maps

4.1.2 Site 1

Figure 4: Site 1
Advantages
Wide catchment area
Stream going through site
Services available
Good access into site
Disadvantages
Sandwiched by roads thus it is noisy which is not conducive for learning
Stand is small

4.1.3 Site 2

Figure 5: Site 2

Advantages
Wide catchment area
Stream going through site
Services available
Good access into site

Disadvantages
Stand is small
4.1.4 Selected site and site survey

Figure 6: site survey

UTILITIES
 electricity- from the ZESA substation 1000m from the site
 water- city council water (portable water) is available on the site.
 telephone cables-go along the site.
 sanitary sewer-underground connect to the city council sewer system
 storm water drainage-there is a 2m storm water drain on the edge of site which
drains into the river
GOETECHNICAL
 surface soil type-good clear soils which allow for growth of vegetation but
generally weak along the banks of the river.
 rock- some parts of the site are rocky, overall the soil has good bearing capacity.
SURROUNDINGS
 structures-to the north is Emakhandeni surbub, on the west is Njube and
Lobengula surburbs, on the south is Caltex Filling Station, Entumbane Shopping
Center and Entumbane Bus Terminus.
 noise- it is likely to come from the traffic along Luveve Road.
 odor- likely to come from the industrial areas in the south west of the city.
PUBLIC SERVICES
 police - the Emakhandeni Police station is located approximately 5km from the
site.
 Transportation -there is a bus stop 150m away from the site and there is the
Entumbane Bus Station in close proximity.
 refuse collection- the Bulawayo city Council collects refuse on a regular basis.
PAST AND PRESENT USE
 farming-the site currently being used to farm by the locals who live close by.
 foot paths-the site is used by locals as a short cut to connect the surrounding
suburbs.
 dumping-the site is also being used as a dumping site by the locals.
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS SYSTEM
 Accessibility-the site is accessible from Luveve Road, which is a highway which
services most of the western suburbs in Bulawayo.
 Traffic-it is generally highest in the morning and evening hours because of public
transport taking people to and from work in the industries and the C.B.D.
TYPE OF OWNERSHIP
 the land is NO MAN's land
ECONOMIC VALUE OF LAND
  the land is not very valuable.
AVALABILITY OF SERVICES
within a radius of 100000m there are
 schools-12 Primary Schools,5 Secondary Schools.
 shopping centers-12.
 churches-33.
 clinics-4.
 hospitals-1.
 police station-2.
ZONING
 zone-5B(local plan 1).
 allowable uses-residencies and ancillary services
 minimum site area-as required by the local authorities.
 maximum height-as required by the local authorities
 maximum buildable-as required by the local authorities
 parking-as required by the local authorities

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
 pollution-the center is unlikely to produce any pollution to the environment.
 protected areas-site is not protected
 fish and wildlife-the river does not support any but frequently birds are found
 regulated disposal of water-good drainage of water from the road via open storm
water drains into the river.
BUILDING CODE
 requirements for disables-accessible
 emergence vehicle access-should be made available.
 LOCAL REQUIREMENTS
 local regulation-ancillary use is subject to an application for a special consent.
 DRAINAGE CANALS
 natural canals-river on the lower part of the site
  built canals-open storm water drains.
 rivers-gradient is approximately 1:15, the river flows in the northern direction, it
is seasonal; generally running during the rainy season only.
 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
 River-filtration will be done to clear the water so that it can be safe for children to
enjoy.
 Vegetation- construction will be done in such a way that little vegetation is
cleared. Some parts of the site will be left untouched so the children will learn
about environmental issues and natural habitants can continue in habitants.

4.2 Site analysis

5 CHAPTER 5: CASE STUDIES

5.1 CASE STUDY 1: Hazelwood School, USA for the Multiple Sensory Impaired.

Footage: 28695 and Acreage: 2.47

Figure 7: floor plan

Figure 8: elevation showing relationship of the built and the natural environment

Figure 9: aerial view of the school showing relationship of built verse the natural environment
 Figure 10: courtyard create from the spaces created from the meandering of the building

• The school is set with a landscape green adjacent to a large public park.
• The building snakes through the site curving around the existing trees creating a
series of small, safe and stimulating gardens.

• Gardens creates intimate external teaching environment.

• The architect developed a palette of highly textured natural materials that would
be stimulating to touch and smell.

• Navigation and orientation-the concept of a trail rail was developed which

doubled as a storage wall, it allows for children to move around the school with a
level of freedom

• Classes lie on the most quiet side of the site

• The location, type, size and fittings of the sanitary facilities have been carefully
selected to help educated the students in the variety of toilet types they are likely
to come into contact with.
5.2 CASE STUDY 1: ADHARSHILA VATIKA, INDIA

The kindergarten school sets itself apart by use of basic forms & colors composed
together to achieve a building form, a contemporary building block serves as an
educational tool for children, further extends to interior spaces.
 Figure 11: entrance into school

Principal room & reception

An environment has been created for children and parents, geometric forms colors
predominates the design. Elements on wall & ceiling are used to display soft toys. Art
work in form of cartoon character painting has been used extensively adding to
environments.
 Figure 12: ceiling plan- ground floor

Figure 13: typical view of a classroom showing interesting ceilings

Media room & music / dance room

The media room has flexible layout of chairs where in they can be placed in rows as well
as placed along the wall & children can use the space for dancing, music & dance Room
is also used for Morning Prayer in summers.

Interactive transitional corridor ground floor

The classroom has big windows facing corridor which acts as a visual link between
children.

Figure 14: views showing scaling down of elements to the scale of children
 Figure 15: elliptical pebble windows forms an interesting element on the corridor for children

Lessons learnt

 Children’s entry is kept from the side road entrance where the road traffic is less
 The building is set apart by the use of basic forms and colours

 Use of different material creates transition between different spaces

 Creation of secured space for children to play through the form of the building

 Colour plays an important role in children’s development as they stimulate their

thought process. An attempt was made to use pastel shades with contrasting
schemes. bright colours have avoided as they tend to overshadow surroundings

 Doors to children’s scale next to main door

 An attempt has been done of use of different treatment, helping children identify
space
5.2.1 CASE STUDY 3: The King George VI School, Bulawayo

KGVI Nursery School works in conjunction with the Centre and is a small part of the
school.  It is the only secondary education facility in Zimbabwe for disabled children and
the only primary school in the southern part of the country, thus the children come from
all over the country. 

Inclusion
At present the school has a policy of inward inclusion, which means that they are
bringing non-disabled students into KGVI. They like to bring children in at the nursery
and primary level so that they can grow through the school and get to understand the
needs of their fellow pupils.  Meanwhile the disabled students have access to the special
facilities on offer at KGVI.  So far the inclusion process is showing great benefits
especially by providing greater competition and incentive in academic performance.
 
 The design accommodates a wide range of pupils regardless of their ability. This
is evident through the diverse range of pupils who attend the school, that is, those
who are physically challenged and those with visual and hearing impairments and
able bodied children.
 Children who are bodied easily learn at this facility and do so without facing any
challenges caused by the specialized infrastructure (ramps). In fact children easily
enjoy the ramp.
Figure 16: typical class layout. Source: Author

 The simple form and planning of the school makes it easy to understand,
and for any child to find their way around. Access into the various primary
school classes is off corridors around courtyards. The sanitary facilities are
indented from the same corridors creating lobbies; this sets them out from
circular flow of traffic in the school.
 The access of the nursery classes is also easy to understand. According to
one of the teachers, most of the visually impaired children can find their
way around the school without guidance.
 The simple class layouts also make it easy for children to maneuver
without assistance.
Figure 17: typical circulation in a class. Source: Author

The horse shoe arrangement also helps with making circulation easy to understand for the
children with various physical challenges. It also means the teachers can keep a close on
all the children at any given point in time.
Figure 18: horse shoe sitting arrangement. Source: Author

 
6 CHAPTER 6: DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES AND THEORIES

6.1 Form and colour

 Colour plays an important role in children’s development as they stimulate their

thought process.

 It forms basis for likes and dislikes in terms of perceiving coloured things

 For interiors pastel shades are the best as bright colours tend to overshadow

surroundings which can be in the form of art work

 Children can easily understand basic shape and basic colours easier than complex

ones

 Primary colours-red, yellow and blue

 Basic shapes-triangle, circle and square

6.2 Hydro therapy

 Water is one of the joys of childhood; its endless possibilities for play can be fully
exploited.
 A reasonable way of doing this is to have tanks at varying heights connected by
falls or channels with a circulation completed by a simple pump.
  The pools could otherwise be static, but would need to be cleaned out regularly.
As the water would never be more than 200mm deep, this would be a simple
operation.
 The highest tank must be at the child’s eye level - for sailing their boats, a small
tank below for paddling; and at ground level a splash only 25mm deep.5

Figure 19: a concrete fountain in the Plaza of New Town, Virginia.( source Planning for play,
Lady Allen of Hurtwood)

5
Planning for play, Lady Allen of Hurtwood
Figure 20: view of children at Anapa, a child resort( source Planning for play, Lady Allen of
Hurtwood)

Figure 21: a spray pool in Philadelphia USA( source Planning for play, Lady Allen of Hurtwood)
 Figure 22: view showing water play in Bornholm Park( source Planning for play, Lady Allen of
Hurtwood)

• According to a child specialist in New York who spent time observing children in
The Estee and Joseph Launder playground, the most interesting thing for children
between the ages of 2 and 5 years was the water channel. Here they run, splash,
sail sticks and boats, fetch water to mix with sand. The infants just sit in the sand
and dig, apparently unconcerned with the by the maelstrom of the activities
around them.6
• Hydrotherapy is the use of water in the treatment of disease. Hydrothermal
therapy additionally uses its temperature effects, as in hot baths, saunas, wraps,
etc. Hydro- and hydrothermal therapy are traditional methods of treatment that
have been used for the treatment of disease and injury by many cultures, including
those of ancient Rome, China, and Japan. Water therapy has been around for
centuries. The ancient Greeks took therapeutic baths. Water is an important
ingredient in the traditional Chinese and Native American healing systems.

6
Planning for play, Lady Allen of Hurtwood
• A Bavarian monk, Father Sebastian Kneipp helped re-popularize the therapeutic
use of water in the 19th century. There are now many dozens of methods of
applying hydrotherapy, including baths, saunas, douches, wraps, and packs.
• The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are based on its
mechanical and/or thermal effects. It exploits the body's reaction to hot and cold
stimuli, to the protracted application of heat, to pressure exerted by the water and
to the sensation it gives. The nerves carry impulses felt at the skin deeper into the
body, where they are instrumental in stimulating the immune system, influencing
the production of stress hormones, invigorating the circulation and digestion,
encouraging blood flow, and lessening pain sensitivity.
• Generally, heat quiets and soothes the body, slowing down the activity of internal
organs. Cold, in contrast, stimulates and invigorates, increasing internal activity.
If you are experiencing tense muscles and anxiety from your stress, a hot shower
or bath is in order. If you are feeling tired and stressed out, you might want to try
taking a warm shower or bath followed by a short, invigorating cold shower to
help stimulate your body and mind.
• When you submerge yourself in a bath, a pool, or a whirlpool, you experience a
kind of weightlessness. Your body is relieved from the constant pull of gravity.
Water also has a hydrostatic effect. It has a massage-like feeling as the water
gently kneads your body. Water, in motion, stimulates touch receptors on the skin,
boosting blood circulation and releasing tight muscles.
• Hydrotherapy and hydrothermal therapy are chiefly used to tone up the body, to
stimulate digestion, the circulation, and the immune system, and to bring relief
from pain. Descriptions of indications are given under individual method used.
• Water seems to have special powers in getting rid of stress and rejuvenating our
body. It affects the skin and muscles. It calms the lungs, heart, stomach, and
endocrine system by stimulating nerve reflexes on the spinal cord.
• Various case reports, observational studies, and a number of controlled studies
provide some evidence of success in the use of hydrotherapy.
• In a study of 40 persons at University of Minnesota, 85% of the participants
preferred a whirlpool bath to a still bath. Only whirlpool was effective in reducing
 the participants' reactivity to stress although both still and whirlpool baths were
effective in reducing anxiety.
• Cold foot bath. The feet are placed into a foot bath filled to calf depth with cold
water. Stop when a cold stimulus is felt or when the water is no longer perceived
as being particularly cold. Stroke off excess water, dress, and walk or run until
dry. A special form of this treatment is "walking in water," which involves
walking stork-like on a non-slip mat placed under the water.
• Rising temperature foot bath, warm foot bath. The feet are immersed in a foot
bath filled with water at body temperature. Hot water is gradually added to give a
final temperature of 103-104'F. In warm foot baths water of this temperature is
added straight away. Keep warm afterwards. The procedure should last 10-15
minutes and can be done daily.
6.3 Design considerations

Outdoor play area

 6square meters for each child
 Fenced and surfaced with shade
 Swimming pool, water tanks and ponds must be adequately protected
Indoors
 Restroom-beds should be 1m apart
 Babies- need a separate room
 Eating minimum of 2.8 square meters per child
 Isolation room with first aid kit
 Staff child ratio is 1:15
 Chamber pots for children below the age of 3
 A sluice should be provided closets- 25cm from the ground and separated by a 1m
wall
 1:15 wash basin to child ratio
 W.b should be 50cm from the ground
 Bath and sluice required
Indoor equipment
 Storage for each child’s clothing
 Firefighting equipment required
Ventilation
 All rooms must have a glazed window area of at least 1/10 of the floor area and at
least half of each must be open able and must be adequately cross ventilated
Staff
 Staff :child is 1:20 aged between 1-10
 1 additional supervisor for each additional 30 children there after
Infants
 Children under the 12 months a registered nurse is required
 Staff: child is 1:5
  Minimum of 2.8 square meters for each child
Health matters
 1 hour sleep time
Nursery schools
 are the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture and
the requirements for these establishments are laid down in the Education (Nursery
Schools) Regulation 1973 R.G.N 1973.
Crèches
 are the responsibility of the Department of Social Services under the Ministry of
Labour and Social Services for which the minimum standards are laid down in
Children’s Protection and Adoption Regulations R.G.N 1052 of 1972 and to
whom application is to be made in the first instance.
Procedure for registering crèches with the department of Social Welfare

Stimulating environments enable children to thrive safely

 Good use of space, time and resources promotes children’s safe and eager
participation.
 Adults work effectively together to encourage children.
 Outdoor play is managed well.
 Barriers are addressed and overcome.
6.4 Bibliography

 Lady Allen of Hurtwood, Planning for play, Jarrod and Son 1968.

 Inclusion of Disabled Students into Higher Educational Institutions in Zimbabwe

by Chataika, Tsitsi. Source: Web

 Inclusive Education in Zimbabwe, Childhood Education, 2007 by Mutepfa,

Magen M, Mpofu, Elias, Chataika, Tsitsi. Source: Web
 Clearinghouse, Eric, Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Popular
Topics, Reggio Emilia.
 Selwyn, Goldsmisth. Designing for the Disabled: A new Paradigm, 2nd Edition,

Architectural Press, 1999

 Stones, E, An Introduction to Educational Psychology, Metyven and Co. LTD,

1966

 Ugwuegbu, Gerda C E, Educational Psychology in a Changing World, Elbs,

1980

 West, J. America's Kindergartner, K. Denton, & E. Germino-Hausken, 2000.

 Mason, C, R. In Universal Design For Learning: A Guide For Teachers And

Education Professionals, Orkwis, & R. Scott, 2005

 Bulawayo City Council, Designs standards , 1960

Internet

 www.wikipedia.com

 www.unesco.education/org/inclusive

 ww.ericeece.org/reggio.html

 www.cast.org/research/udl/
 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Faculty of the Built Environment

 
 
 
  UNIVERSAL DESIGN OF EARLY LEARNING
INSTITUTIONS IN ZIMBABWE
 
 
 

By 

CHARMAINE MTSHENA.

N005 894D

SUPERVISOR

MR C KANYANTA

A Dissertation submitted to

The Department of Architecture

In Partial fulfillment

For the Degree of

Bachelor of Architectural Studies (Honours) 

 

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

April, 2010
 

 
Declaration

The candidate hereby declares that the work presented in this dissertation, “Universal
Design for early learning institutions in Zimbabwe” for the award of the Bachelor of
Architectural Studies (Honours) submitted in the Department of Architecture, Faculty of
the Built Environment, National University of Science and Technology, is that of the
candidate alone and has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, in respect of
any other academic award and has not been published in any form by the person except
where due reference is given.  
 

Student

Signature……………………………

Date………………………………… 
 

Supervisor

Signature…………………………..

Date……………………………….. 
 

Chairman

Signature………………………….

Date………………………………. 
 
Abstract 
 

Design of learning institutions in Zimbabwe has for years been based on the ability or
disability of the user as one of its decisive factors. It is the aim of this research to shift
this notion towards an approach which seeks to include both the able-bodied and those
living with disability in the learning set up. 

To achieve this author will study early learning institutions in Zimbabwe; those designed
for able bodied children and compare them with those designed for children with
disabilities. The short comings and merits will be made clear. The author believes that
children, both able bodied and those with disabilities can benefit tremendously when
learning in one environment. A comparison of international and local building standards
will also be carried out. Suggestions on how to improve the existing facilities will be put
forward. 
List of Illustrations
Figure 1: ZPHCA logo.........................................................................................................6
Figure 2: ZPHCA organisation structure.............................................................................8
Figure 3: floor plan............................................................................................................20
Figure 4: elevation showing relationship of the built and the natural environment..........20
Figure 5: aerial view of the school showing relationship of built verse the natural
environment.......................................................................................................................21
Figure 8: courtyard create from the spaces created from the meandering of the building 21
Figure 9: entrance into school............................................................................................23
Figure 10: ceiling plan- ground floor.................................................................................24
Figure 11: typical view of a classroom showing interesting ceilings................................24
Figure 12: views showing scaling down of elements to the scale of children...................25
Figure 13: elliptical pebble windows forms an interesting element on the corridor for
children..............................................................................................................................26
Figure 14: typical class layout. Source: Author.................................................................28
Figure 17: typical circulation in a class. Source: Author...................................................29
Figure 18: horse shoe sitting arrangement. Source: Author..............................................30
Figure 4: a concrete fountain in the Plaza of New Town, Virginia.( source Planning for
play, Lady Allen of Hurtwood)..........................................................................................32
Figure 5: view of children at Anapa, a child resort( source Planning for play, Lady Allen
of Hurtwood)......................................................................................................................33
Figure 6: a spray pool in Philadelphia USA( source Planning for play, Lady Allen of
Hurtwood)..........................................................................................................................33
Figure 7: view showing water play in Bornholm Park( source Planning for play, Lady
Allen of Hurtwood)............................................................................................................34
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Declaration         

Table of contents         

List of illustrations         

1 CHAPTER 1:  INTRODUCTION...............................................................................1

1.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................1
1.2 What is disability?.................................................................................................1
1.3 Learning................................................................................................................2
1.4 Early learning........................................................................................................2
1.5 Background of study.............................................................................................2
1.6 Project justification...............................................................................................4
1.7 Problem statement.................................................................................................4
1.8 Design scope.........................................................................................................4
1.9 Accommodation list..............................................................................................4
1.10 User population.................................................................................................5
1.11 Total building area.............................................................................................5
2 CHAPTER 2:  NOTIONAL CLIENT.........................................................................6
2.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................6
2.2 History of ZPHCA................................................................................................7
2.3 Mission statement.................................................................................................7
2.4 Vision....................................................................................................................7
2.5 Organisation structure...........................................................................................8
3 CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................9
3.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................9
3.2 Historical Background..........................................................................................9
3.3 Child development..............................................................................................10
3.4 Developmental domains......................................................................................11
 3.5 Early learning......................................................................................................12
3.6 Grouping children in the learning the set up.......................................................13
3.7 Benefits of early childhood education................................................................14
4 CHAPTER 4: THE SITE...........................................................................................15
4.1 Site selection.......................................................................................................15
4.1.1 Location maps..............................................................................................15
4.1.2 Site 1............................................................................................................16
4.1.3 Site 2............................................................................................................17
4.1.4 Selected site and site survey........................................................................18
4.2 Site analysis.........................................................................................................21
5 CHAPTER 5: CASE STUDIES................................................................................22
5.1 CASE STUDY 1: Hazelwood School, USA for the Multiple Sensory Impaired.
22
5.2 CASE STUDY 1: ADHARSHILA VATIKA, INDIA.......................................26
5.2.1 CASE STUDY 3: The King George VI School, Bulawayo........................30
6 CHAPTER 6: DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES AND THEORIES..................................34
6.1 Form and colour..................................................................................................34
6.2 Hydro therapy.....................................................................................................34
6.3 Design considerations.........................................................................................40
6.4 Bibliography........................................................................................................43