Application of environment capability theory in formulation of qualitative parameters in designing educational spaces

Abstract

This research identifies and classifies environment capabilities by reviewing environmental psychology as well as analyzing and defining environments based on different theories. Identifying and applying these capabilities in designing ideal and high quality educational environments in terms of structure leads to a deliberate and thoughtful architecture. To briefly explain the concept of capability, it can be said that environment capabilities are the physical configuration belongings of a behavioral object or place that makes it usable for certain activities. Some demands are met by an environment or object, live or cultural, easier than others; some activities which are formed in a specific configuration of environment meet some people needs and do not others. The important thing is that the capabilities of a physical environment, whether good or bad, is what the environment suggests with its configuration characteristics and materials it is made of. It seems that the quality of an object can be defined as "a set of specific characteristics or traits which distinguish one object from others and enable us to judge about superiority, similarity or inferiority of something in comparison to something else, and from esthetical aspect judge and give a verdict about being ugly or beautiful, good or bad, as well as its goodness or badness and efficiency or inefficiency with regard to functionality. In this article, by studying environment elements and capabilities and reviewing some qualitative elements and parameters in designing educational spaces and urban environments, we attained two generalized models for environmental capabilities and qualitative parameters in designing educational spaces. Finally, in the first model, two series of indicators were categorized in form of a single model including principal environment capabilities and environment physical capabilities. In the second model, qualitative parameters of environment design are divided into superficial, real and mental components and according to the obtained results, the environment receives mental qualities from environment only if the capacity components are considered in designing correctly and with high quality.