Space and human perception - Exploring our reaction to different geometries of spaces

In the aspiration to design the built environment, architects and designers are continuously trying to create spaces that positively affect users. Both aspects of rational and emotional combined simultaneously with technological advancement are essential to implement in a comprehensive architectural design process. While our ability to create complex architectural forms through computation is in the state of a continuous improvement, our knowledge about their emotional effects over users remain ambiguous. Recent developments in simulation of virtual spaces, along with advancement in neuroscience may enable us to conduct an empirical research on the way we perceive space and the way space affects us emotionally. This paper presents initial results from an ongoing research that examines the connection between human feelings and architectural space. We discuss the first stage of the research in which as we examine the emotional reaction of designers and non-designers to various spatial geometries in an immersive 3D virtual environment inside a visualization laboratory. We then present the methodology for the second stage of the research, in which we repeat the experiment while using Electroencephalography (EEG) device together with a wireless eye tracker and emotional engagement measurements (EEM) system.