EXPLORING THE LINKAGE BETWEEN SPACE SYNTAX AND VISUAL IMPRESSION OF ARCHITECTURAL SPACES: A case study of the Japanese streetscapes during moments of “Oku”

Recent research has shown increasing use of computational methods in the built environment for studying the visual impression of architectural spaces (VIAS) by either; (i)linking visual stimuli from imagery data with linguistic descriptions, (ii)analysing visual attention data from eye tracking devices, or (iii)a combination of these. Despite advancements in capturing multi-modal subjective impressions of architectural space, limited research links the geometry of the environment in relation to its impression. Comprehending how the geometry of the built environment affects our perception is essential for translating perceptual insights into designs. Our aim is thus to leverage on space syntax methodology, VIAS research and eye-tracking technology to explore the linkage between the spatial configuration of an urban space and its visual impression during moments of “Oku”, an abstract architectural concept in Japan to describe a sense of curiosity and depth. In particular, we examined subjective perception and conjecture that spaces with longer isovists(greater depth), higher occlusivity(curiosity) and visibility can potentially stimulate greater visual attention during moments of “Oku.” To trace the impression of Oku to the spatial configuration of the space, we: (1)collected gaze from human subjects; (2)calculated visibility graph analytical measures, and (3)associated the two. Our exploratory results indicate a weak association between VIAS and SST visibility graph metrics. These findings highlight both the potential and the complexities of connecting our visual perceptions with the spatial layout of our built environment. Moving forward, we aim to assess gaze attention dynamically to uncover how the shape of our environment influences our senses within it.