People tend to gravitate toward nature. Edward O. Wilson (1984) stated that human beings are biologically connected to the psychological,
the physical, and the spiritual through nature, establishing the definition for biophilia. Specific studies have shown that biophilic design
elements enable people to live and work in healthy spaces with less stress and high productivity in healthcare facilities and learning
environments. Many special needs students in South Korea spend their time in mainstreaming learning environments, which are special classrooms
similar in design to regular classrooms. Literature suggests that special needs students may have less severe symptoms than those who commute to
special schools, but they still likely need a well-designed learning environment that contributes to their unique development and promotes their
well-being. This research identified biophilic design principles in special classrooms and other nearby spaces that support the behavioral
health of special needs students in traditional middle schools in South Korea, and explored how these biophilic design principles might be
integrated. To assess existing classroom conditions about special needs students' emotional behaviors regarding biophilic design attributes,
this study conducted an online survey and semi-structure interview with special education instructors. The study revealed that certain biophilic
attributes including windows and views, plants, wood materials, and certain furniture arrangements contribute to special needs students'
behavioral health according to queried instructors. These findings gave rise to ten biophilic design guidelines for special educational
environments that were then applied in a hypothetical middle school project. These strategies might be utilized by designers and educators to
improve special educational environments that promote special needs students' well-being. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Design in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. / Fall Semester 2018. / October 26, 2018. / Biophilic design, Learning environment, Mainstreaming environment, Special classroom design, Special needs students'
emotional behaviors / Includes bibliographical references. / Jill Pable, Professor Directing Thesis; Marlo Ransdell, Committee Member; Jim Dawkins, Committee Member;
Theresa Van Lith, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_661178 |
| Contributors | Song, Hyunji (author), Pable, Jill (professor directing thesis), Ransdell, Marlo E (committee member), Dawkins, Jim (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Fine Arts (degree granting college), Department of Interior Design (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, master thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (178 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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