Phenomenological insights into preschool children's perception of school walls

Purpose Schools are often constructed using standardized architectural models rooted in industrial-era, factory-like layouts. Within these rigid designs, walls—one of the most fundamental architectural elements—are typically treated as structural necessities rather than as components of lived experience. This study investigates preschool children's lived experience of walls, an underexplored dimension of school architecture, using a phenomenological approach to explore how 5–6-year-olds perceive and interpret these boundaries. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative descriptive phenomenological design was employed. Data were collected through field observations and semi-structured interviews with 58 preschool children in Turkey. Interview responses were transcribed and analyzed through thematic coding in NVivo to identify core perceptual patterns. Findings Analysis revealed two primary categories in children's perceptions of walls: Characteristic Associated Perception (CH)—children's direct, embodied interpretations of walls as aesthetic, functional, protective, restrictive, and orientational elements; and Cognitive-Constructive Associated Perception (CC)—schema-based and associative meanings formed through familiarity, relational thinking, and repeated behaviors. These perceptual patterns directly informed the design implications, offering a child-derived basis for rethinking the role of walls in educational environments. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine children's perceptions of walls through a phenomenological lens. Beyond generating design insights, it advances architectural discourse by reframing walls as experiential phenomena rather than purely technical boundaries.