Embedding nature-based curriculum design into rural built environment: insights from Jianlou Village's built landscape

Purpose This paper explores how nature-based education can strengthen rural communities, enhance local identity, and support the sustainable management of natural and cultural resources. It clarifies the relationship between educational practices, rural built environments, and community revitalisation, proposing a framework that integrates learning processes with spatial planning and design. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study was conducted in Jianlou Village, Hunan Province, China. Using participatory and qualitative methods, the study employed field observation, in-depth interviews, and community workshops. A five-stage framework was developed and implemented: resource collection and planning, design, action, evaluation and validation, and implementation. Thematic analysis was applied to examine the effects of educational practices on community identity and local spatial transformation. Findings Results show that embedding educational activities in rural landscapes can foster social cohesion, reinforce place attachment, and encourage sustainable land-use and design practices. Interaction among learners, residents, and the built environment enhances both social transformation and architectural innovation. Research limitations/implications As a single case study, the findings are context-specific. Future research could test the framework in other rural settings to assess its adaptability. Practical implications The framework guides architects, planners, and educators on integrating environmental learning into rural design and policy. Originality/value This study demonstrates how education can serve as a transformative design tool, bridging environmental learning, participatory design, and architectural practice to support sustainable rural revitalisation. This framework uses education as a planning tool through a phased workflow, explicitly linking curriculum design, spatial interventions, and implementation-oriented deliverables (e.g. manuals, checklists, and databases) in the context of rural field studies.