The Impact of Spatial Configuration and Functional Layout on Evacuation Efficiency of Kindergarten Activity Units

The kindergarten activity unit is the main space for children’s daily life and learning, and also represents a special type of densely populated public building. Its layout and evacuation design play an important role in ensuring children’s safety and improving evacuation efficiency in emergency situations. Therefore, our study aims to achieve a paradigm shift in kindergarten evacuation research, from the discrete analysis of evacuation ‘components’ (such as corridors and entrances) to integrated analysis of the ‘activity units’ as a whole system. As a complete evacuation analysis unit, the focus is on exploring the coupling mechanism between its internal spatial configuration and functional block layout, in order to improve evacuation efficiency. The results showed that when the classroom and dormitory of the activity unit are compared, the reasonable location for the exit of the classroom and dormitory can shorten the average evacuation time by 13.84%. When classrooms and dormitories are separated, it is necessary to control the connection exits between the classrooms and dormitories as well as the independent exits of the classrooms. This can significantly reduce the average evacuation time. The results of this study will help improve the survival ability of children in emergency situations, ensuring their safety and well-being.