INTRODUCTION





















01

“When a flower 
doesn’t bloom, you 
fix the environment 
in which it grows,
 not the flower.”

- Alexander Den Heijer 02









We know that a significant amount of brain growth occurs within the first five years of a child’s life. We also know that experiencing an enriched environment can improve both our health and our brain’s ability to absorb information, thus affecting our overall ability to learn.

In his book, Healthy Buildings, Joseph Allen explains that children will spend at least 15,600 hours in a classroom by the time they graduate high school and that “There are over 200 scientific studies documenting how the school building influences student health, student thinking, and student performance.” 03


As an educator, you have the unique ability to transform the classroom space according to the needs of the young minds you teach. 






You might consider the children in your classroom as freshly planted seeds in a garden that you have the responsibility and opportunity to cultivate. 

Refer to the ten “nutrients” in this manual to enrich your classroom and create a space that supports your students’ growth.
04






Embrace the role
of the gardener.

  1. Zygistudio - stock.adobe.com
  2. TEDx Talks. “How Neuro-Architecture Will Change Your Well-Being” Youtube, 19 Jan. 2024
  3. Allen, Joseph G. and Macomber, John D.. Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Can Make You Sick—or Keep You Well. Cambridge, MA and London, England: Harvard University Press, 2022.
  4. Bauhaus Archive Berlin - https://vsamerica.com/montessori/
           all other images are my own illustrations



INTRODUCTION LIGHT
NATURE
ACOUSTICS MOVEMENT
SECURITY
ORDER
COMMUNITY
OWNERSHIP
VARIETY
ACCESSIBILITY
 Hover Transition