Research-based hospitality design exploring Southern Chinese people's place attachment
Category: Oral Presentation
Author(s): Campbell Schildt, Zining Zhu
Presenter(s): Campbell Schildt
Mentors(s): Jain Kwon
This research-informed design project explores Southern Chinese natives’ place attachment, aimed to invoke an emotional and cultural connection among visitors of a Southern Chinese background. We gained insight into place attachment through theoretical study and then conducted user interviews, observation, and site analysis. Place attachment refers to the emotional and psychological bond individuals establish with their surroundings over time. People, even from the same region, develop various attachments based on daily routines, spatial settings, and social statuses. Research shows that 1) collective experiences can form a socio-cultural bond among people; 2) individuals of a Southern Chinese background tend to build a bond with the earth as humanity’s foundation; 3) geographical features—hills, wetlands, farms—can impact a sense of belonging; 4) attributes like texture, sound, or color contribute to culturally inspired design. Informed by precedent research studies, this project applied place-attachment principles through geographical reflection, space planning, and interior detailing. Through this project, we created a place for respite and excursion, where people can relax and find emotional comfort stemming from cultural familiarity.