DEVELOPMENT OF A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE PERCEPTION OF ARCHITECTURAL ENVIRONMENT IN VIRTUAL REALITY

The article presents the development and pilot validation of a diagnostic questionnaire designed to assess the cognitive and emotional responses of users interacting with virtual representations of architectural environments. The increasing application of immersive technologies in architectural design, particularly virtual reality, has opened new possibilities for visualizing and experiencing space long before it is physically constructed. However, the lack of standardized tools for measuring users’ subjective reactions to such environments limits the effectiveness of virtual design communication and user-centered design decision-making. The main objective of this research was to create a structured, reliable instrument that enables the evaluation of how users perceive, interpret, and emotionally respond to architectural spaces in virtual reality. The proposed questionnaire consists of 12 statements grouped into four thematic blocks: cognitive perception of space, emotional response, sense of presence and immersion, and communicative effectiveness of the VR presentation. Each item is rated using a five-point Likert scale, from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. A pilot test was conducted with 30 participants of various roles and levels of VR experience. The results demonstrated high internal consistency of the scale: Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the four blocks ranged from 0.81 to 0.88, indicating strong reliability. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the structural validity of the instrument, with the identified factors aligning with the theoretically proposed dimensions. These findings support the use of the questionnaire in both academic research and professional architectural practice. The tool not only captures the clarity and logical structure of spatial solutions but also provides insights into users’ emotional engagement and ability to comprehend and communicate architectural ideas. The integration of such an instrument into the design process may significantly improve user feedback mechanisms, promote participatory practices, and enhance the communicative bridge between architects, clients, and end users within virtual environments.