A comparison between preference judgments of curvature and sharpness in architectural façades
Abstract
Can curvature drive preference, perceived familiarity, complexity, stability and approachability for architectural façades? In this study, we generated four versions of the same reference building, varying only the amount of curvature introduced in the façade. Participants’ judgments were measured using three experimental methodologies. Multidimensional scaling on forced choices showed that the curved façade was the most preferred. Multidimensional unfolding on ranking task showed that the majority of participants expressed higher preferences for the curved façade compared to the sharp-angled and rectilinear ones. Ratings on different psychological variables provided supporting evidence for curvature significantly influencing liking and approachability judgments. Results from image analyses –using a dynamical model of the visual cortex and a model that characterizes discomfort in terms of adherence to the statistics of natural images – matched behavioural data. We discuss the implications of the findings on our understanding of human preferences, which are intrinsically dynamic and influenced by context and experience.
Citation
Ruta , N , Mastandrea , S , Penacchio , O , Lamaddalena , S & Bove , G 2018 , ' A comparison between preference judgments of curvature and sharpness in architectural façades ' , Architectural Science Review , vol. Latest Articles . https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2018.1558393
Publication
Architectural Science Review
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0003-8628Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This work has been made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2018.1558393
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