Pre-Evaluation method of the experiential architecture based on multidimensional physiological perception

With a people-oriented principle, contemporary architectural design regards the users’ spiritual and emotional satisfaction as fundamental needs. However, it was tough for designers to collect and quantify the users’ accurate perception of a design scheme in the past. This research aims to propose a method incorporating virtual reality (VR) and sensors, and wearable technology to pre-evaluate the impact of spatial schemes on user experience. Specifically, it collected users’ physiological signals to detect emotions and eye-tracking data to understand visual attention during their roaming in a VR environment. An empirical design scheme for the International School of Design’s outdoor spaces in Harbin Institute of Technology was adopted as a study case. For this purpose, multiple groups of contrast schemes were established in VR for users to experience. Participants’ physiological signals were collected and analyzed using the paired-samples T-test method. Subjective questionnaire data were also collected to assist in the verification of objective physiological data. The results showed that designers could evaluate the experience of the designs by comparing user reactions through analysis of physiological signals. Simultaneously, this evaluation method explores a feasible way for designers to promote architecture designs to be more humanized and scientific.