The influence of virtual human representations on first-year architecture students’ perceptions of digitally designed spaces: a pilot study

Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of human figures throughout the design process enables designers to experience, communicate, and evaluate design concepts. Earlier studies of architectural representation sought to identify the relationship between the tools and techniques of representation and how individuals perceive architectural scenes. Nonetheless, the effect of virtual human representation (VHR) on students’ perceptions of architectural space remains underexplored. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted with first-year architecture students, in which they experienced three architectural scenes (non-presence of VHR, presence of idle VHR, and presence of animated VHR). Statistical analyses of the students’ self-assessments examined how the inclusion of VHRs in digitally visualized architectural spaces influenced the perceptions of these spaces. The study revealed that incorporating VHR into representations of architectural spaces positively affected the students’ sense of physical dimensions and of the spatial qualities.