Architectural standards of public kindergartens in Warsaw and supportive design for children’s development

Abstract

The kindergarten classroom is a fundamental setting in every child’s life. It plays a vital role in their emotional, social, and cognitive development. Although numerous theoretical studies emphasise the importance of space in early childhood education, there is still a lack of in-depth research examining the role of high-quality learning environments in contemporary preschool education. The authors’ objective was to assess the quality of contemporary kindergarten classrooms in Warsaw based on parameters recognised by research as beneficial to children’s development and well-being. In the first stage of the study, they carried out a detailed field literature review to identify fifteen relevant characteristics of qualitative space. The second stage involved a study of ten nursery classrooms in newly built state-run nurseries in Warsaw. This part resulted in an assessment of the degree to which theoretical principles had been implemented in the examined facilities, where an average of 5.7 out of 15 indicators were met. The analysis carried out can be regarded as a first step towards identifying design gaps and outlining potential directions for systemic changes that may be relevant to design practice on a national scale.