Child-Friendly Mosque Architecture: A Systematic Review of Spatial and Environmental Design Strategies

Abstract

Mosques serve religious, educational, and community functions, yet their architectural planning does not always fully address children's spatial, developmental, and environmental needs. Research on mosque accessibility and child-friendly built environments has largely developed separately, highlighting the need for an integrated synthesis of design strategies suited to mosque settings. This study aimed to identify spatial and environmental design strategies for child-friendly mosque architecture. A systematic literature review informed by the PRISMA 2020 reporting framework was conducted. Scientific literature published primarily between 2021 and 2025 was examined through qualitative thematic synthesis, with architectural implications interpreted at macro, mezzo, and micro spatial scales. Five interrelated domains emerged: accessibility and movement; spatial zoning and supervision; child-scaled activities and participation; sensory and environmental comfort; and nature-connected spaces and inclusive supporting facilities. Cultural and religious identity emerged as a cross-cutting consideration across these domains. The resulting conceptual framework emphasizes integrated accessibility, supervised autonomy, flexible relationships among worship and learning activities, environmental comfort, and cultural and ecological belonging. The framework provides a conceptual foundation for architectural design and post-occupancy evaluation. However, further mosque-specific empirical research is needed to validate the proposed strategies and establish contextually appropriate evaluation indicators.

Keywords: child-friendly mosque architecture; spatial-environmental design; systematic literature review