Introduction: experiential simulation and urban design Aim, methodology and field of application of the work Environmental design studies on perception and simulation: an urban design ap... Ambiances, 1 | 2015 Environmental design studies on perception and simulation: an urban design ap... Ambiances, 1 | 2015 Environmental design studies on perception and simulation: an urban design ap... Ambiances, 1 | 2015 Environmental design studies on perception and simulation: an urban design ap...

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Natural environments have a restorative effect from mental/attentional fatigue, prevent stress, and help to revitalize psychological and physical resources. These benefits are crucial for promoting active aging, which is particularly relevant given the phenomenon of population aging in recent decades. To be considered restorative, green spaces have to meet specific requirements in ecological and psychological terms that can be assessed through Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), a multimethod approach commonly used by environmental psychologists and landscape architects after construction to evaluate the design outcomes from the users’ perspective. Generally, POEs consist of surveys and/or interviews accompanied by more or less structured observations of onsite users’ behavior. Despite this, various practical constraints can prevent physical access to the renovated area (e.g., weather conditions, time/resources limits, health issues, bureaucratic constraints). Exploiting digital tools for such an assessment can be a crucial support in such circumstances. The current study presents the visual POE of a restorative garden for older adults in Milan, Italy. We developed a web application, that includes the exp-EIA© patented method, which allows participants to virtually explore a visual simulation of the environment and provide their feedback. We identified 3 representative viewpoints in the redeveloped garden differing from each other for the functions and the design principles that inspired the transformation. For each point of view, we created 360° Virtual Reality photographs, that can be navigated by looking around, i.e., panning, from the standing point of each view. In connection to each virtual scene, a survey was conducted (N = 321). The focus was the psychological experience related to each viewpoint, assessed with two psychometric scales investigating the constructs of emotions (pleasure and arousal) and restoration (fascination, being away, coherence, scope, and environmental preference); such information is integrated with behavioral aspects, including the main activities prefigured by participants and their visual exploration of the VR photography. The results of the virtual exploration show that the garden is perceived as restorative, with a more intense effect in a spot purposely designed. The emotions experienced in the garden are positive and a mild level of arousal is observed. The behavioral dimension is characterized by predominantly contemplative activities and contact with nature. A cartographic representation of the psychological and behavioral data is developed, to support the maintenance of the garden.

Simulations of urban transformations are an effective tool for engaging citizens and enhancing their understanding of urban design outcomes. Citizens’ involvement can positively contribute to foster resilience for mitigating the impact of climate change. Successful integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) into the urban fabric enables both the mitigation of climate hazards and positive reactions of citizens. This paper presents two case studies in a southern district of Milan (Italy), investigating the emotional reaction of citizens to existing urban greenery and designed NBS. During the events, the participants explored in Virtual Reality (VR) (n = 48) and Augmented Reality (AR) (n = 63) (i) the district in its current condition and (ii) the design project of a future transformation including NBS. The environmental exploration and the data collection took place through the exp-EIA© method, integrated into the mobile app City Sense. The correlations between the color features of the viewed landscape and the emotional reaction of participants showed that weighted saturation of green and lime colors reduced the unpleasantness both in VR and AR, while the lime pixel area (%) reduced the unpleasantness only in VR. No effects were observed on the Arousal and Sleepiness factors. The effects show high reliability between VR and AR for some of the variables. Implications of the method and the benefits for urban simulation and participatory processes are discussed.

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This study looks at the effect of daylighting on human performance. It includes a focus on glare index combined with the actual feeling of users of the classroom as a way to assess indoor lighting quality. The main objective of this research is to understand the impact of daylighting from windows on the glare sensation and also to determine which glare index is the closest to human visual sensation under local daylighting conditions in Biskra, Algeria with highly luminous climate. The study used High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, Evaglare and Aftab Alpha software to calculate the two glare metrics Daylight Glare, Index (DGI) and the Daylight Glare Probability (DGP). A survey was also used with 90 occupants under different lighting conditions (different configurations) in a design classroom. In order to link the mathematical model and the human assessment of glare, statistical regression analysis was used. We established a statistically compelling connection between daylighting and student performance

Human factors studies are becoming more and more crucial in the automotive sector due to the need to evaluate the driver's reactions to the increasingly sophisticated drivingassistant technologies. Driving simulators allow performing this kind of study in a controlled and safe environment. However, the driving simulation's Level of Detail (LOD) can affect the users' perception of driving scenarios and make an experimental campaign's outcomes unreliable. This paper proposes a study investigating possible correlations between driver's behaviors and emotions, and simulated driving scenarios. Four scenarios replicating the same real area were built with four LODs from LOD0 (only the road is drawn) to LOD3 (all buildings with real textures for facades and roofs are inserted together with items visible from the road). 32 participants drove in all the four scenarios on a fixed-base driving simulator; their performance relating to the vehicle control (i.e. speed, trajectory, brake and gas pedal use, and steering wheel), their physiological data (electrodermal activity, and eye movements), their subjective perceptions, opinions and emotional state (questionnaires concerning the research and Self-Assessment Manikin Scale) were measured. The results showed that driver's behavior changes in a very complex way. Geometrical features of the route and environmental elements constrain much more driving behavior than LOD does, as observed for vehicle trajectory and speed; skin conductance and gas pedal appear to be more sensitive to LODs. Gaze position changes according to LODs, but differently for rectilinear and curvilinear segments. Pupil diameter increases with higher LODs. Emotions are not affected by LODs. Generally, different signals showed different correlations with the LOD level, suggesting that future studies should consider their measures while modeling the virtual scenario. It is hypothesized that scenario realism is more relevant during leisurely environmental interaction, whilst simulator fidelity is crucial in task-driven interactions.

The goal of this research is to demonstrate, according to subjective and objective evaluations, that a passive Anidolic Integrated Ceiling (AIC) is able to provide an adequate illumination level for optimal visual and task performance in deeper office spaces and to prove its effectiveness in enhancing interior daylighting quality. A quantitative study was performed by calculating the D.GI.P from spherical images in an office room, while a qualitative evaluation was achieved by using questionnaire survey. Experimental results confirmed that the AIC significantly improves luminous comfort by providing a uniform luminance distribution throughout space. Responses obtained from 62 subjects show that 64.51% of participants were satisfied with their daylighting. In addition, ANOVA test results showed that there is a significant correlation between quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the interior daylight distribution