The Art of Play
| dc.contributor.author | Kingsley, Michelle | en |
| dc.contributor.committeechair | Galloway, William U. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Vorster, Clive R. | en |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | King, Jonathan Lee | en |
| dc.contributor.department | Architecture | en |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-05-23T08:01:30Z | en |
| dc.date.available | 2025-05-23T08:01:30Z | en |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-05-22 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines how children's interactions with their environments can inform the design of early learning spaces. Through iterative design cycles and hands-on feedback from educational settings, it demonstrates that real-time observations lead to more functional and adaptable spaces. The final design—a learning center featuring modular structures, movable elements, and a fabric-based building system co-created by children—embodies principles of bricolage, iteration, and child agency, illustrating how adaptability fosters more engaging educational environments. | en |
| dc.description.abstractgeneral | This thesis is driven by the belief that young children learn best in environments that reflect their natural curiosity, creativity, and need for agency. It investigates how children's interactions with their surroundings can directly inform the design of early learning spaces. By observing children in educational settings and refining ideas through hands-on, iterative design, the project demonstrates that spaces become more effective and engaging when shaped by the behaviors and needs of their users. The final outcome is a learning center featuring modular components, movable elements, and a fabric-based construction system that children help create and adapt. Grounded in the principles of bricolage, iteration, and child agency, this work highlights the importance of designing educational environments that are flexible, participatory, and responsive to the ways children learn and grow. | en |
| dc.description.degree | Master of Architecture | en |
| dc.format.medium | ETD | en |
| dc.identifier.other | vt_gsexam:43763 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10919/134197 | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Virginia Tech | en |
| dc.rights | In Copyright | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | en |
| dc.subject | play | en |
| dc.subject | kids | en |
| dc.subject | bricolage | en |
| dc.subject | early learning center | en |
| dc.subject | nature | en |
| dc.title | The Art of Play | en |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Architecture | en |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | en |
| thesis.degree.level | masters | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Architecture | en |
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