The typology I am studying at this stage is about the learning experience in the biodiverse campus. Research has shown that students’ contact with green spaces can improve their physical and mental health, as well as exposing them to nature and learning about it. Most students are very busy, in their daily lives and if they can use the time away from the classroom, for example on their way home, they can use this time to engage with nature. So I got my proposition: using the campus green space to restore students’ well-being through access to ecologically diverse environments and related activities. The proposition is as much a park as it is a place for learning. Of course, we also have to consider the impact of the climate, and if we want people to use it effectively, then we have to think about how we can work through building strategies in bad weather. How to create new spaces to guide students and residents in their learning and create activities that take advantage of the existing ecological conditions. More importantly, how to attract people and use their free time to use the space.
After considering what activities and spaces these stakeholders really need, I tried to document their needs and ideas in pictorial form. I chose six representative characters from the different user groups and based on their ideas and needs. I envisaged what kind of activities could take place in the space. In addition to this, how to really bring the activity space into the lives of the students and residents and express it through architectural techniques is something I need to continue to explore at this stage.
Hi, this is Yijing Zhuang, a postgraduate in architecture from Cardiff university. In my search for architecture, I enjoy finding interesting things and combining these ideas in my designs. With regard to the design of the campus, as well as bringing a positive break from the traditional campus environment, I also focus on the psychological change of the user within the space, creating a more humanistic intersection.
E-mail: Zhuangy7@cardiff.ac.uk