Multifunctional Space

Posted: August 27th, 2021

Student’s Name

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Multifunctional Space

Introduction

Globally, many people are starting to get affected emotionally or psychologically by inappropriate architectural spaces or environments. Indeed, researchers have established that people’s interactions and their proximity to buildings tend to sustain a great impact on their physiology. Therefore, this is a reason why neuroscientists and psychologists have embarked on studying how a built environment impacts students’ moods and well-being. Imperatively, the statement on how the built environment affects students’ well-being is evidenced by Navid Khaleghimoghaddam and Havva Bala in their peer-reviewed journal entitled “The impact of environment and architectural space on users’ affective experience.” From a viewpoint of these authors, a person needs to probe into oneself the following research questions:

1. Why do we need a multifunctional space?
2. What is the need for a multifunctional space?
3. Why would a multifunctional space benefit people?

From these research questions, there is a possibility that the application of multifunctional architecture would impact people’s well-being and moods positively. In this regard, the literature review obtains the use of evidence-based journals that centrally focus on the integration of multifunctional built environment as a measure to improve students’ moods and well-being (Khaleghimoghaddam and Bala 4). The literature review features such sources because evidence-based journals offer the most credible and documented facts. Therefore, the evidence-based sources are useful in developing a theoretical framework on how multifunctional space correlates with people’s moods and well-being.

Background on the Connection between Built Environment and Students’ Experiences

Althoughmany types of research have systematically examined literature concerning the effects of specific aspects of the built environment on students’ performance and wellbeing, uncovering a range of relations is still a work in progress (Collinsand Brown 5). Attempts have been made to examine the impact of diverse features of the built environment, including the architectural design, aesthetic quality, spatial and physical characteristics in relation to their impact on students’psychological reactions. All these reactions entail varying patterns like learning outcomes, preferences, emotions, needs, choices, and behaviors (Manca et al. 15). Apart from that, another evidence-based source discusses the impact of the built environment on a student’s performance, comfort, satisfaction, and well-being. Undoubtedly, these factors have, in turn, sustained a huge significance on a person’s educational experiences. With all the challenges threatening to adversely affect the well-being of students at school, research works consider the application of a multifunctional space environment as a lasting solution to the problem (Wangand Boubekri 5). Moreover, a consistent number of findings have indicated that people tend to get affected by building facades. For example, the use of a complex façade in a school environment implies the availability of greater positive effects on a person’s physiology (Zhang, and Smith 11). However, the use of monotonous facades brings about negative physiological reactions. Therefore, scenes having greater multifunctional space variation are the most mentally engaging among the students.

Inappropriately Built Architectural Space Deters Students’ Performances

However, an inappropriate built environment has sustained negative social bonding and cohesion in schools, thus contributing significantly to students’ risks of developing mental illnesses likechronic anxiety and depression (Collins and Brown 8). For instance, Research at the University of Heidelberg has demonstrated that urban living can alter brain biology, leading to a reduced grey-matter (Collins and Brown 9). Therefore, all these negative changes are attributed to early-life hectic experiencesarising from one’s confinement to inappropriate built space in schools.

The Role of Multifunctional Space on Students’ Well-being

Designers have partnered with psychologists on the increasing understanding of utilizing nature as an important aspect of alleviating the negative effects of inappropriate built space (Cotterell 3). Further, research has focused on how multifunctional space impacts positively students’ health and well-being. A person’s access to nature in the form of green spaces creates separation from the urban environment. Hence, students recover faster from stress-related health problems in such environments (Anthes 2). Also, multifunctional space plays the role of providing open spaces attached to both formal and autonomous learning due to the availability of air quality and density, thus building a better social relationship for the occupants (Khaleghimoghaddamand Bala 6). The integration of multifunctional space in schools would help encourage the participation of students towards spatial decisions. The study and integration of multifunctional space would help initiate a student-led program (WHO). Thus, individuals can collaborate on creative and intellectually stimulating projects that potentially impact mental health and wellbeing.

Conclusion

Built architectural spaces like design, aesthetic quality, spatial and physical characteristics coupled with external spaces trigger students’ psychological reactions. Other evidence-based sources of information have established that a built environment has impacts on student’s performance, comfort, satisfaction, and well-being. Therefore, multifunctional space is widely regarded as an architectural idea of increasing social interactions among students, hence helping to create varied opportunities for them to ‘collide’ within a built space (WHO 15). Hence, bringing students together vis-a-vis creative architectural space design promotes social interaction. Hence, this provides openings for students to advance meaningful support networks.

Works Cited

Anthes, Emily. “How Room Designs Affect Your Work and Mood.” Scientific American Mind (2009): 1-5.

Collins, Rebecca M., and Kerry A Brown. “A Systematic Map of Research Exploring the Effect of Greenspace on Mental Health.” Landscape and Urban Planning vol. 201 (2020): 1-12.

Cotterell, John L. (2018). “Effects of School Architectural Design on Student and Teacher Anxiety.” Environment and Behavior, 16, 455–479.

Khaleghimoghaddam, Navid, and Havva Bala. “The Impact of Environment and Architectural Space on Users’ Affective Experience.” Journal of Built Environment, vol. 6, no. 1(2018): 1-16.

Manca, Sara, Veronica Cerina, Valentina Tobia, Simona Sacchi, and Fornara Ferdinando. “The Effect of School Design on Users’ Responses: A Systematic Review (2008–2017).” Sustainability (2020): 1-37.

Wang, Na, and Mousa Boubekri. “Design Recommendations Based on Cognitive, Mood and Preference Assessments in a Sunlit Workspace.” Lighting Research and Technology vol. 42, no. 1 (2019): 1-22.

Word Health Organization (WHO). “Urban Green Space Interventions and Health.” A Review of Impacts and Assessment, 1-203.

Zhang, Yijun, and Medlody Smith. “The Association between Green Space and Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020): 1-26.