Conference Proceedings 2010 [pdf] - Art & Design Symposium ...

noisy doors, and dark classroom environment, insulation problems, hard floor material, small classrooms,
noisy chairs and furniture, lack of personal area in the classroom, and disordered arrangement of
classroom. Regarding the total school environment, the most liked features were the green spaces,
interesting connection of spaces, free gardens, low building heights, and variety in outdoor areas. The most
disliked features on the other hand were, floors being slippery on rainy days, problems regarding legibility of
the school environment, monotonous interior space, dark colors used in the interior, lack of social areas,
rigidity in terms of plan, lack of maintenance, and plainness. It was observed that, the needs were similar
according to the design students of both countries, and inclusion of children as well as teachers and
principals in the school assessment and school design stages was very helpful to the project (See Figures 3,
4, 5 and 6).
Conclusion
A participatory approach can provide a useful set of guidelines in beginning the establishment of children’s
environments as well as artwork for an inquisitive new generation. It is also believed that children who have
been involved in such participatory processes will be better equipped in dealing with future social and
intellectual situations. However, the first step is the clarification of the definition of participation, and
acknowledgement and valuing of children’s contribution. Naïve and tokenist approaches should be
prevented in order to contribute to the field as well as create quality spaces for environments that answer
the needs of their users.
The Kids’ Guernica mural and Peace Village design workshops that will take place at the Art and Design for
Justice Symposium, Tallahassee will carry the same objectives and it is believed that they will be
educational experiences for all participants. The children will have the opportunity to watch a presentation
on the focus topics of the workshop, discuss issues related to peace, collaborate for specific aims, and
finalize the designs. It is believed, this will be a platform to observe the practical side of the theoretical
background of participatory process.
References
Clark, A. & Percy-Smith, B. (2006). Beyond Consultation: Participatory Practices in Everyday Spaces,
Children, Youth and Environments, 2006, 16(2), 1-9.
Clark, A. & Percy-Smith, B. (2007, May/June). How Parent Explanation Changes What Children Learn
From Everyday Scientific Thinking, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(3), p. 189-
210.
Hadjioannou, X., (2007). Bringing the Background to the Foreground: What Do Classroom Environments
That Support Authentic Discussions Look Like? American Educational Research Journal, 44(2), p.
370-400.
Hart, R. A., (1992). Children's Participation: from Tokenism to Citizenship, UNICEF International Child
Development Centre, Florence.
Hasirci, D. & Demirkan, H. (2003). Creativity in Learning Environments: The Case of Two Sixth Grade Art-
Rooms, The Journal of Creative Behavior, 1 st Quarter, 37(1), p. 17-42.
Hasirci, D. & Wilson, S. G. (2009) Involving Children in Participatory Design: The Case of a Children’s
Museum in Izmir, ARCHILD: International Congress – Architecture and Children, The Chamber of
Architects, Ankara, Turkey, p. 101-103.
Kural, N., Ozaloglu, S., Tanriover, S., Ural Ertez, S., Hasirci, D. (2007). Bademlidere Child Attraction Center
Pilot Study, Published and distributed by the authors.
Sanoff, H. (1980). Methods of Architectural Programming, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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