Perceived interest and heart rate response to façade and daylight patterns in Virtual Reality

This contribution introduces an experimental study aiming to provide concrete evidence on how façade and daylight pattern geometry can affect the emotional responses triggered by a space. The study was conducted in Virtual Reality (VR) where participants were exposed to 360° scenes of an interior space with three different façade patterns. Their subjective evaluations and heart rate were recorded. The results show a statistically significant effect of façade on the perception of space, as well as the mean heart rate change. Specifically, during exposure to a façade with an irregular pattern, participants rated the space as more interesting and their mean heart rate was lower, resulting to a greater mean heart rate change compared to the resting state, providing quantifiable measures of the impact of façade characteristics on human perception and physiological behavior.