Emotional design in the creation of Spaces: A study on the Emotional Affect of Visual-Spatial Scale and Geometric Form variations in Built Environments

This thesis investigates and researches the affective emotional qualities of space and form utilizing empirical measurements. A literature review was performed on topics that examined the connections between built environments, architectural features, and emotions spanning across the academic fields of architecture and cognitive sciences including anthropology, neuroscience, environmental psychology, philosophy of atmosphere, and phenomenology. Subsequent analysis led to the development of architectural feature variables of interest, that were used to perform a laboratory experiment by creating parametrically generated geometries simulating built environments in a three-dimensional virtual environment (VE). A space syntax on a linear axial direction was created using properties of isovist analysis, to incorporate parameters for scalar boundary processions such as ceiling height (High or Low), breadth (Wide or Narrow), and degrees of enclosure (Open-Enclosed). The variables of form manipulation, paired visual complexity (Edge density), edge Protrusion, and boundary edge Curvature; to create four form manipulation groups, named Rectilinear, Angular, Curved, and Blobby. These VEs were demonstrated to 39 demographically diverse participants (Design expertise, Gender identity, Ethnicity, Scotophobia, etc.) with no reported visual impairments and measured the subjects’ emotional reactions with the use of electroencephalography (EEG). Results are presented using the valance, arousal, dominance (VAD) model of emotions, and engagement, mapping static and dynamic geometric criteria of space and form that evoke an emotional reaction. Our findings suggest that there is a strong linear correlation between the arousal and dominance factors of the VAD model with the examined form properties. Engagement also shows a strong correlation with all examined form properties. We conclude that terms denoting emotions that correlate with arousal and dominance factors of the VAD model to be the most appropriate metrics to describe the emotional qualities of architectural features.