Date of Submission
Spring 5-10-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Robin Puttock
Abstract
To some people children are seen as a blessing, but for China, they were considered detrimental to the economy status of the country. For 35 years China implemented a policy that limited families to one child so they could curb their rapid population growth and keep their image of being an economic leader of the world. This thesis will look at the lasting impact the one-child policy had on the population of China and the results that have emerged since the law has ended, along with the 2024 stop on foreign adoption programs and who was most impacted by it. The research focuses on a site in Xinhua County, the fourth-most populous and rural county-level division in Hunan Province of China. The focus of the design will be to create an orphanage that gears to the care of children that were “left behind” due to their birth defects or mental disabilities. Biophilic and accessible design principles will be looked at on how they promote healing, a sense of safety, and resilience in children. Grounded in using these principles as a way to reimagine the orphanage as a sanctuary of belonging, the project explores how spatial qualities can help restore emotional stability in children recovering from abandonment or disability-related stigma. While limited information is widely available online, this research relies on the personal testimonies from books and other research papers with credible knowledge on this topic. By merging evidence-based design and cultural sensitivity, the project aims to demonstrate how architecture can become a healing spaces for China’s most vulnerable children.