Messenger in Built Form and Design

The built environment does not exist in a vacuum. It is constructed in a socialsense and therefore regarded as a cultural source and area of communicationthat can be decoded. Architecture and design affects the environmentexperience and influences human interactions and social activities. The aim ofthis study was to explore the relations between the built environment andhuman behaviour with focus on social institutional settings. The role of thebuilt environment was assessed and its effect on environment experience andsocial processes. This was achieved by investigating different school buildingsto illustrate a range of designs and its effects in relation to their social valueand pedagogical benefit for children. It was found that the physical andsocial environments and the characteristics of people are closely interlinked.Environmental competence and awareness of aspects of environmental psychologywithin caring socialising and therapeutic settings can therefore beseen as a component of good practice.This study is intended for everyone interested in studying or working in thefield of social work and social care and offers a foundation for furtherreading.