Enhancing children's health and well-being through biophilic design in Chinese kindergartens: A systematic literature review

Abstract

In the past decade, biophilic design (BD) has garnered significant attention from scholars in the architecture industry and various other fields, particularly for its application in functional built environments. However, despite the significant potential of biophilic design in meeting human physiological and psychological needs, there exist many challenges in its implementation, especially in the educationally underserved regions of central China. The climate shows a biodiversity blend of distinct seasons, nature, and green topographical features, which create optimal natural conditions for embracing biophilic design principles. However, empirical data derived from real-world experiments conducted in specially designed architectural spaces incorporating biophilic elements are lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive review of the relevant literature on biophilic design elements and bio-diversified nature-based features for kindergartens. Through a systematic literature review and analysis, this study identified the relationship between biophilic design, and children's health and well-being. These relationships stem from the interactions between biophilic architectural designs and children, aimed at promoting the physical and psychological well-being of children in kindergarten. This study also discusses future research directions, outlining a framework for biophilic design in kindergarten architectural environments, particularly in China. This includes (i) a biophilic design framework tailored for kindergartens and (ii) specific configurations of biophilic design practices that can improve children's health and well-being in kindergartens. These findings add to the theoretical and strategic perspectives, offering vast options and reference values for the implementation of kindergarten design in light of rising trends.

Keywords

• Biophilic design
• Kindergarten
• Children
• Health and wellbeing
• Nature and green
• Biodiversity