Melisa Lukito, Ng Kai Cong, Ong Yan Zhi, Ooi Jun Wei
Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
Industry Advisor: UCI
Empowering campus communities to participate in and influence decision-making processes that ultimately affect their lives is critical for sustainability (Cervoni et al. 2008). As NUS is at a strategic phase in setting up a sustainable campus, student input can and should be incorporated in meaningful ways. Our project explored stakeholders’ perception and awareness of ‘WaterSmart’ and sustainable landscapes to test a systematic approach for participatory design solutions on campus. Using the RVRC landscape as our case study, we conducted a quantitative survey to examine residents’ perception and awareness of ‘water smart landscapes’ as a sustainable alternative. Our results highlighted that staff prioritised functionality while students prioritised aesthetics. Sustainability was not a high priority for either stakeholder group. The respondents also scored low on awareness of sustainable alternatives. We recommend information sharing as a key component of the participatory design process for the successful implementation of campus infrastructure improvements.
Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green design, Green Spaces