Façade design and our experience of space: the joint impact of architecture and daylight on human perception and physiological responses

Daylight has an undeniable value in various aspects of architectural design, ranging from energy efficiency and user comfort to our experience of space. Even though there is substantial evidence of the positive effects of daylight access on occupants, we have limited knowledge on how the façade geometry and the spatial composition of the resulting sunlight patterns in a space affect its occupants. Could a simple change of the façade change the way we perceive a space? Could it trigger different physiological reactions? This presentation investigates the intuition of architects on how façade geometry can impact occupant perception, and compares these insights with experimental findings on subjective and physiological responses to façade and sunlight pattern variations in virtual reality.