The Influence of Visual Perception on Responses Towards a Real-world Environment and Application Towards Design

The goals of the current study were threefold: 1) to examine the relationship between design intent and the realized space, 2) to develop a closer understanding of how visual perception of the physical features of space influences behavior and experience, and 3) to examine ways in which such relationships can be used during the design process to create a more successful building.

The results demonstrated that although experienced designers can create spaces which foster desired behaviors, there are situations which can result in spaces that do not perform as predicted. Furthermore, it appears that navigation behavior and responses towards particular spaces are influenced by visual perception. Social cues and memory factors may additionally influence responses. By elucidating the complex relationships between the visual perception of space and the behaviors and responses to built environments, the findings here could provide designers with better tools to more fully realize their design intent and to create buildings which are better aligned with their users’ needs.