SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AS A TOOL FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Abstract

The Singapore government’s pragmatic policies in rectifying developmental issues in early independence days have caused much destruction of Singapore’s natural landscape, depriving generations of Singaporeans growing up in the post independence era the opportunities to grow up close to nature and therefore result in a lack of affinity towards nature. This lack in affinity towards nature has inevitably become a hindrance in the environmental education in Singapore, as it is difficult for the children to grasp the importance of conservation and environmental sustainability without the love for nature. Even though many campaigns were initiated by the government throughout the years to rectify this issue, and to create a cleaner and greener Singapore, some studies have criticised these efforts by the government to be too utilitarian in stance and are ineffective in cultivating real love for the environment in students. This thesis therefore looks at architecture as a tool and vector for enhancing and facilitating environmental education in Singapore, through the exploration of the connection between human living spaces and nature.