The Psychological Impact of Spatial Design: Virtual Technology as a Catalyst for Understanding Human Behavior
Abstract (300 words maximum)
In society today there has been a widespread rise in anxiety, stress, and burnout. While there is increasing awareness about the consequences of these negative emotions, available resources are either lacking or inaccessible. Architecture presents a unique and unexplored solution to this rising problem. Evidence from interdisciplinary research studies suggest an inextricable interconnectedness between spatial design and human psychology and physiology. This study aims to expand the ongoing efforts exploring this link between design and wellbeing by integrating an emerging state of the art technology as a reliable means to allow the immersion of the human participants in virtual spaces and systematic study of the design features conducive of wellbeing. With the use of high-fidelity virtual reality (VR) applications in architecture, volunteers can get a highly realistic sense of the architectural spaces and assess the implications of intended architectural atmospheres enabled with the strategic use of different architectural features. This study aims to assess key architectural elements along with auditory and other sensory cues. After being immersed in virtual spaces, participants will be asked to self-report their assessments with the use of an online questionnaire. Based on this data, the design of the virtual spaces will be further evolved by integrating the findings of the existing neurological, psychological, and architectural studies. To allow a systematic comparative analysis, the improved design will be presented to the study participants and their feedback will be collected via the same online survey. Overall, the study aims to enhance our understanding of the psycho- and physiological effects of spatial design, and how we can harness these design features to enhance wellbeing and reduce anxiety and stress.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CACM - Architecture
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Selen Okcu
The Psychological Impact of Spatial Design: Virtual Technology as a Catalyst for Understanding Human Behavior
In society today there has been a widespread rise in anxiety, stress, and burnout. While there is increasing awareness about the consequences of these negative emotions, available resources are either lacking or inaccessible. Architecture presents a unique and unexplored solution to this rising problem. Evidence from interdisciplinary research studies suggest an inextricable interconnectedness between spatial design and human psychology and physiology. This study aims to expand the ongoing efforts exploring this link between design and wellbeing by integrating an emerging state of the art technology as a reliable means to allow the immersion of the human participants in virtual spaces and systematic study of the design features conducive of wellbeing. With the use of high-fidelity virtual reality (VR) applications in architecture, volunteers can get a highly realistic sense of the architectural spaces and assess the implications of intended architectural atmospheres enabled with the strategic use of different architectural features. This study aims to assess key architectural elements along with auditory and other sensory cues. After being immersed in virtual spaces, participants will be asked to self-report their assessments with the use of an online questionnaire. Based on this data, the design of the virtual spaces will be further evolved by integrating the findings of the existing neurological, psychological, and architectural studies. To allow a systematic comparative analysis, the improved design will be presented to the study participants and their feedback will be collected via the same online survey. Overall, the study aims to enhance our understanding of the psycho- and physiological effects of spatial design, and how we can harness these design features to enhance wellbeing and reduce anxiety and stress.