AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISUAL PREFERENCE AND RATIO VARIABLES IN ENCLOSED URBAN SPACES: AN EXPLORATION OF A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Environmental design and evaluation deals with physical-ecological, behavioral-functional, and aesthetic-visual factors, as well as economic and political issues. Few design approaches have utilized scientific methods in dealing with the aesthetic and visual factors. In an attempt to explore a scientific approach to environmental design, the relationship between visual preference (VP) and ratio variables in enclosed spaces on the Virginia Tech campus was investigated, utilizing such systematic methods as the VP measurement method (SBE), paired comparison, and regression analysis.;The comparison of on-site and photographic evaluation showed high correlation and was statistically significant. It confirmed the previous finding, that is, photographic simulation is a valid representation of real environments.;The order effects in simulation did not appear to be significant in the present study. Familiarity did not have significant correlation with VP values. It suggests that a prediction model can be derived for a group of relatively homogenous subjects with different levels of familiarity, unless they are unfamiliar with the characteristics of the overall environment.;The prediction model derived by regression analysis suggests that VP for enclosed urban spaces can be predicted from the linear combination of three ratio variables--height ratio, ground slope, and vegetation coverage. The prediction model can be used as not only an analytic tool but also an heuristic tool for design practice. Designers can compare perceived visual quality of design alternatives in a quantitative way. They also can develop a general idea about how important a variable is in creating visually pleasing environments.;This study suggests that the SBE method is reliable and valid in measuring VP in enclosed urban environments as well as in natural environments. Providing a reliable and valid VP measurement method is the first step toward a scientific approach to aesthetic and visual aspects of design.