Biophilic Design: A Learning Tool
By Marie Kohne, AIA
Interior Architect
Legat Architects
Robin Randall, FAIA, ALEP, LEED AP BD+C
Director of Learning
Legat Architects
Connectivity to the outdoors and nature is critical in educational environments. This is particularly important in dense urban schools where student outdoor time is severely limited, as well as in technology-heavy learning settings where students spend 50 to 60 hours in front of a screen per week.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “On average, children ages 8-12 in the United States spend 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours.”
Even with the best intentions, there are many proven negative side effects of screen time such as reduced time outdoors, decreased physical activity, sleep problems, lower grades in school, poor self-image and weight problems.