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Mapping architectural students’ perception on educational spaces: a guideline toward understanding spatial belonging

Karen Arzate Quintanilla, Gehan Selim, Pam Birtill

Archnet-IJAR

ISSN: 2631-6862

Article publication date: 23 December 2024

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Abstract

Purpose

This study explores how physical factors foster a supportive and welcoming atmosphere conducive to learning and personal development. The research highlights the relevance of “spatial belonging” as a novel concept associated with the materiality of buildings in higher education institutions, explaining how the physicality of architectural space directly impacts students’ success and learning experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methods included the use of cartographies created by undergraduate students, which provided a platform for them to articulate their perspectives on the educational spaces within their school.

Findings

The findings show a relationship between well-designed educational spaces and students’ heightened sense of belonging. Implications for educational policy and campus design are included as areas for future research, emphasizing the need for architects, educators and policymakers to collaborate in creating spaces that meet functional academic requirements.

Research limitations/implications

Spatial belonging has been studied through the architectural student perspective, however, there should be a different approach toward materiality from students of different disciplines. The study could be replicated in different institutions and multiple career paths.

Practical implications

Spatial design for higher education has been a matter of importance especially after COVID-19, since the sudden change of educational learning migrating to online platforms, the meaning and value of space should be revisited. HEIs should be prepared for multiple events that our society and environment may experience in the foreseeable future. Guidelines of spatial design for belonging and well-being should be at hand of educators and stakeholders.

Social implications

Spatial design is involved with psychological processes where emotions are being experienced in different places. A physical space should provide students with what they need in order to fulfill their needs as human beings who are experiencing multiple changes in their academic and personal life. Moreover, as seen in previous research, through the pandemic many students presented anxiety and depression which was related to isolation. Therefore, their life in campus is important not only for their academic development but for personal reasons.

Originality/value

The concept of sense of belonging has been studied through the perspective of psychology, geography, education and multiple disciplines. However, there is a lack of research that relates sense of belonging with materiality and architecture. The relationship physical spaces, has not been considered as essential for the development of basic tasks. Who designs the spaces we inhabit? Why are they designed in that particular way? Why are people not involved in the design of the spaces they work and live? Space is essential for social relationships to be developed, and at the same time social relations create different spaces, therefore, architecture supports the way we experience these spaces and promotes different relationships where there are no hierarchical levels but every aspect rather spatial or social have the same level of importance.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the School of Architecture 36th showcase team: Ollin Yoltic Maldonado Corona, Luis Felipe Vásquez Palacios, Paulina Neri Rosario, Salvador Gómez Correa, Oscar López Carranza, Leonardo Misale López García,Wilhelmina Murillo Hernández, Sebastian Gómez Garduño, Adrián Juárez Cruz, María Aíza López-Peláez, Mauricio Hidalgo Vicelis, Blanca Esther Martínez Contreras, Ameyali Amezcua Martínez, Fátima Vianey Talavera Miranda, Sergio Alcocer Lira, Julieta Basurto Pérez, Dino del Cueto Beato, Wilhelmina Murillo Hernández, Sebastian Gómez Garduño, Patricia Anagelly San Román Sánchez, Valentina Maldonado Zúñiga, Maria Fernanda Zárate Batres, Ursula Vargas Baeza, Rodolfo García Portillo. And lastly, Jorge Andreas Hernández Aymes coordinator of the showcase, Eduardo Gonzaga cartographical coordinator, the staff of the School of Architecture, and the National Council of Humanities Sciences and Technologies.

Funding: This research is funded by the National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology (CONAHCYT) and the National Endowment for Culture and Arts (FONCA), Mexico.

Citation

Arzate Quintanilla, K., Selim, G. and Birtill, P. (2024), "Mapping architectural students’ perception on educational spaces: a guideline toward understanding spatial belonging", Archnet-IJAR, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-07-2024-0318

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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