Artist Biography
Senior Caitlin St. Germain will be graduating this spring with a B.F.A. in interior architecture. From a young age, Caitlin developed a special appreciation for the space around her and how it can positively/negatively affect her daily learning. After learning what a functional and purposeful space means to her while at Endicott, Caitlin hopes to guide others to find their own definitions of what a successful space means to them. Her thesis combines her passion for functionality, biophilia, and education design into one structure. Upon graduation, Caitlin will be continuing her passion at A Square Design where she is thrilled to be able to work with a wide range of clients daily.
Caitlin’s Portfolio Website: https://caitstg.wixsite.com/website
Thesis Abstract
In recent years, the rise and fall of COVID-19 has forced many primary administrators to shift their focus to nature. Nature-based schools and programs have continued to stand as examples for traditional public primary schools looking to change directions. While immersing students in nature on a daily basis is ideal, many nature-based schools and programs, especially within the New England area, are limited to only conducting classes within the warmer seasons. With this, there appears to be a gap between traditional public and nature-based learning programs. However, with a focus on biophilic design (or the “attempt to design environments consistent with our tendency to become affiliated with natural systems and processes”) as well as constructing indoor/outdoor/all-season classrooms, nature-based design can be achieved within many primary public school environments (Barbiero et al., 2022, para. 2). Thus through a design prototype of a nature-based elementary public school, we can start to close this gap.