Abstract
The restoration benefits of the environment have been incorporated into the planning of healthy cities. The present research of the restorative environment mainly focused on the restoration effects of the green or natural landscape, however, rare evidence has reported the restorative potential of ice and snow landscape in Winter Cities. Winter Cities have special environmental characteristics with long and cold winter, lacking green plants, and the ice and snow become one of the important winter landscape resources. Moreover, a specific measuring method of environmental restorativeness is needed under the condition of the cold winter environment. To explore the restorative effects and the design characteristics of ice and snow landscape, this study performed a comparative experiment with the typical snow structures and ice sculptures on a university campus at Harbin, China. To provide a quantitative basis for evidence-based design, the d2 Test of Attention used by European and American scholars from the neuropsychological area was combined with the field experience and questionnaire survey (n=96). The attention recovery level of university students was quantified two rounds of d2 test before and after a rest in the random settings. The restorative characteristics of ice and snow landscape were summarized using the questionnaire including Perceived Restorativeness Scale and rating the design characteristics. The results of statistical analysis showed the difference of restorative potential of ice and snow landscape. The design characteristics of improving the restoration effects were discussed from the perspective of ornamental and participation type. The design implications may assist designers to better manipulate the ice and snow landscape as a healthy environment.
