Jianjiao Liu
Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Landscape Architecture
Biography
2020-Present PhD candidate
- Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne.
2017-2019 Master of Agronomy (Ornamental Plants and Horticulture)
- College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University.
- Dissertation: Research on outdoor landscape design of pension institutions in Beijing.
2013-2017 Bachelor of Agronomy (Landscape Architecture)
- College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University.
2013-2017 Bachelor of Law (Science of Law, double degree)
- College of Humanities and Development Studies, China Agricultural University.
Thesis
Biophilic Design for the Health and Well-Being of Children in the City
The trends of children’s leisure time have significantly changed from actively engaged in nature-based outdoor activities to non-physical indoor activities, resulting in the decline of their quality of life and the loss of the intimacy with nature. Accordingly, how to reconnect children with nature becomes an important question, and biophilic design could be the answer. The central idea of biophilia lies in the promotion of positive people-nature interactions, people’s health, fitness and wellbeing.
Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of passively viewing, being in, or actively interacting with environment rich in natural elements, and also provided supports for the restorative benefits of nature exposure for children. However, studies mostly looked the quantity of accessible naturalness, with few studies investigating children’s direct experiences with nature.
This project intends to firstly obtain a holistic picture of children’s daily contact with nature, and then look into the relationship between children’s direct interactions with nature and their well-being. We will also assess children’s preferences for nature and associated attributes, as well as their knowledge about and attitude towards nature. By integrating these research aspects, we hope to achieve the profound goal of biophilic design – creating a reciprocal children-nature relationship in which children can benefit from nature and at the same time have the consciousness of protecting the nature.