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Architects’ and early childhood educators’ notions of quality preschool environments: case studies of award-winning Green Preschools in Bali, Berkeley, and Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Award-winning Green Preschools in Bali, Berkeley, and Hong Kong were selected as case studies to explore quality of preschool environment from the perspectives of architects and early childhood educators. Data were collected on sites over a 10-month period. The unit of analysis was a classroom for 4- to 5-year-olds in each location. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and Children’s Physical Environment Rating Scale (CPERS) were used as observational measures. A total of 14 stakeholders consisting of architects, principals, and teachers were interviewed to supplement the result of the scales. Striking similarities of the ECERS-R and CPERS data revealed preschool in Berkeley ranked the highest, followed by preschool in Bali, and preschool in Hong Kong. Interview data revealed that architects’ knowledge on preschool design; understanding of children’s behaviors; a close-knit collaboration with the educators; and a comprehensive design guidelines from the local government significantly influenced the design quality of the preschools, regardless of the cultural differences. The interdisciplinary nature of this study produced an insightful dialogue between the fields of education and architecture resulting in useful suggestions for architectural practice, while the unique analysis from the empirical data contributed significantly to the existing literature of preschool design.