The positive impact of wooden material on educational processes in the environment of Slovenian wooden kindergartens

Abstract

Several scientific studies confirm that the colors, structures or materials used in the physical environment of interiors affect the human psyche. Wood, as a material applied in the interior spaces of buildings, is an attractor that, in addition to its static and structural properties with high environmental responsibility, also brings other benefits to users. It has a much greater impact on the society than we might think. The topic of applying sustainable materials and transforming them into newly-built, valuable and cultural architecture is currently also popular in connection with the new initiative the New European Bauhaus. The initiative has ambitions to use the existing national and international legislative frameworks, and to set sustainability rules with an interest in aesthetics and the involvement of communities in the creation of new living spaces. This paper aims to expand current scientific knowledge about the positive influence of wood material and its impact on educational processes in the architectural environment of kindergartens. Selected analyses and comparisons made it possible to assess whether the presence of wood material can positively affect the well-being of children in the physical environment of kindergartens. The article presents the results regarding children’s sensory perception, the feeling of safety, the feeling of a peaceful atmosphere. It aims to prove that interiors with exposed wood can improve the quality of teaching, can support social interaction and playful learning of children. The wood material is characterized in the presented author’s research as an interior, visible, massive material. Its design is authentic, with or without fine surface treatment, which does not degrade its visual-haptic-olfactory qualities. The study examines, analyzes and compares the architecture of kindergarten interiors in Slovenia. It interprets the results of practical research from the locations of Loče, Poljčane, Šoštanj, Polzela and Škofja Loka.

Positive effects of wood in Vorarlberg’s (Austria) timber kindergartens

“…In the questionnaire (2 participants), very similar responses were recorded as in our previously conducted case study of wooden kindergartens in Slovenia (Hanták, Končeková, 2022). Teachers and educators largely agreed that the presence of solid wood in the interiors of their kindergarten creates a warm, pleasant, and inviting atmosphere.…”