Brookside Montessori 

The Montessori teaching method provides students with hands-on and child-centered learning experiences. This project aims to design a Montessori School for students to have the best hands-on education while creating a relaxing, encouraging learning environment by incorporating biophilic design. The current design in schools is not centered around the students and their needs and places then in a sterile learning environment that does not promote creative and natural learning. Humans, especially young children, have a strong desire to learn and be surrounded by nature, it helps them to develop physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively in a natural way. Incorporating biophilic design inside of a school comes with challenges on how to make the different types of spaces functional for young children trying to learn. By conducting interviews and surveys with teachers at existing Montessori, public, and private schools to ask about the functional needs of classrooms and common areas; the research findings indicated that alternative seating options, ample storage spaces, and limited distractions on the walls, can help to enhance student learning. The use of natural materials and colors such as shades of green and brown, daylighting through large windows, and shapes inspired by nature help create a cohesive design and bring a sense of biophilia for the building. Inside of the classrooms, giving the students different seating options, minimal to no technology, and lots of storage cabinets for both students and teachers help to make the rooms functional. Overall, young children thrive in environments that are designed around them and their needs that also incorporates biophilia to encourage them to learn in the most natural way.