Pilot Project: Wellness Pod
Healthy teachers, higher quality of education
A partnership between HNYC and Carolina Rodriguez (MSc Student)
In collaboration with Ecore Habitat
Funded by UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning
Teachers are always faced with challenges - its a challenging job!
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Some of the biggest challenges teachers reported facing are
Time Management
Being on your feet almost all day, with almost no time dedicated to rest as part of the school hour. Mind always racing with new keeping students engaged and on task
Burn out
Constant pressure to give the absolute best all the time, long hours of cleaning up, class management, plus being in a constant state of alert.
Resulting in a problem of tired teachers in a worn-out environment
Being held in a constant alert state, while trying to provide a nurturing space for 8 hours straight can result in mental exhaustion and low levels of quality teaching. Stress makes a person more vulnerable to anger, frustration and depression. This is a shared problem with the 30,000 full-time teachers (or 7% of the workforce) in BC.
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This is where Biophilic Design comes in
Biophilic Design - Using human's intrinsic connection to nature as inspiration to bring natural elements to our indoor spaces
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Design Principles
Small
Touch
Visual
Sound
Taste
Connection through awareness in all senses
Space in nature must be accessible
Independent from the cold and rain
Vancouver receives almost 200 days of rain in a year. Many outdoor spaces are only available for those who can battle the cold and who can afford it
Less than a 3 minute walk
Usually 5 minutes is understood as an acceptable time to access something quickly. The closer the better, especially if it is within the school grounds
Inspiration
Concept:
Through sensory experiences such as a view, sound, smell and even tactile qualities the user's mindset will be transformed into a calm state
4-8 meters diameter Geodesic Dome with an internal biophilic environment filled with a variety of tropical vegetation , water &other physical features to create a deep forested feeling inside.
Teacher Contribute to the Design through a focus group: what is their relaxation style? What needs are not being met at school?
