Space planning of classroom kindergarten: A case study of KEMAS kindergartens in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia

Abstract

The numbers of kindergarten in Malaysia boost every year as a learning environment for children as preparation for them to face the next level of education in primary school. Thus, comfortable learning environments are essential to enhance not only well-being but also increase the productivity and learning of the children. Therefore, the importance of organization and utilization of spaces can influence children’s activities and learn. This paper aims to identify the criteria of space planning and the issues of space comfort of the public kindergarten in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. By using a case study as a method, the observation of the classrooms and interviews with the teachers of the kindergarten emphasized the specific space planning applied in public kindergarten. However, some issues are highlighted regarding interior decoration and space arrangement by the occupant. Data obtained hopefully will give some ideas and benefit for the future direction of kindergarten’s teacher, authority, architect, and designer to improve the quality of the physical environment, especially in creating space for children.

Kindergarten physical setting guidelines: A review from indoor air quality perspectives

“…However, there are kindergarten buildings that were not initially designed for kindergarten purposes and require some alteration to meet the authority's establishment requirements. This may influence the kindergarten's space allocation and congestion [8]. Research conducted by [9] revealed that over 90% of randomly sampled classes (a total of 711 classrooms) were less than 2 m² per person, indicating that these classrooms were unable to accommodate the appropriate number of children as per guidelines.…”

“…Research conducted by [9] revealed that over 90% of randomly sampled classes (a total of 711 classrooms) were less than 2 m² per person, indicating that these classrooms were unable to accommodate the appropriate number of children as per guidelines. In other case studies, inappropriate space allocation such as separating the dining area from the classroom by placing the dining area in the kitchen area, was observed [8]. The inappropriate space allocation contributes to poor indoor air quality (IAQ).…”