Date of Award
Spring 5-31-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Design (MDes) in Interior Studies / Adaptive Reuse
Department
Interior Architecture
First Advisor
Jeffrey Katz
Second Advisor
Can Altay
Third Advisor
Eduardo Benamor Duarte
Abstract
With the rapid development of urbanization in China, people's connection with nature has weakened, leading to an increasingly common phenomenon of nature-deficit disorder. The high-paced, information-saturated lifestyle of cities has further reduced people’s sensitivity to natural rhythms. This is especially true for the younger generation, who are accustomed to fast, dense information flows and find it difficult to slow down and engage meaningfully with nature, even when visiting rural areas.
This study uses the ruins of Puji Temple, located about 50 miles from downtown Beijing, to explore how spatial design can offer urban youth opportunities to reconnect with nature while preserving examples of rural architectural. The project retains the original structure and vernacular features as much as possible, while introducing natural elements selectively to create a dialogue between architecture and nature.
The spatial experience unfolds in three layers: an entry courtyard serving as a psychological threshold, interior spaces encouraging a slower pace and connection to rural and natural life, and a designed forest path with sensory stops that gradually immerses visitors in natural rhythms.
The project avoids large-scale reconstruction and instead focuses on creating a coherent and immersive experience based on the site's existing texture and ecology. Here, nature is not treated as scenery or decoration, but as a living rhythm, a breath, and an emotional presence. Rather than controlling natural elements, the project constructs a layered framework that gradually shifts visitors’ pace and deepens their engagement with the environment. Through reconnecting traditional site elements, ecological features, and sensory experiences, the reimagined Puji Temple a natural setting that fosters emotional resonance and physical awareness among urban youth.
Recommended Citation
Wu, Zongda, "Rural Dreams" (2025). Masters Theses. 1383.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1383
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