I'm currently working on project for Mt Scopus, Burwood - Primary School; as part of my R&D have been reading about the relationship between design and education - came across this provocateur:

HUMAN NEEDS RELEVANT TO DESIGN

In addition to satisfying their physiological needs, such as light, air, food, sleep, and sexuality, people have additional basic needs that are of interest with regard to interior design. One of the most fundamental of these is related to experiencing one’s own existence, the experience of “I am”. Through the sense of touch, of contact, people learn how to distinguish between their bodies and the outside world and, in doing so, experience themselves. This experience is also supported by the boundaries, objects, and materials of architectural space. Another human need is that of orientation: in one’s surroundings as well as in planning and shaping one’s own life. Architectural design that is geared to people can thus communicate meaning and build values. The need for orientation also includes the need for control, which means being able to cope with situations and achieve goals. The desire for control is related to the desire for room, for leeway, to carry out one’s actions. The designed environment can create an important framework that helps people cope with their situation. Understanding something is a “first, important step along the path to control” (Wolfman Kurz).

Colour Communication in Architectural Space, Meerwein, Rodeck, Mahnke.

- MG