Investigating the interaction between spatial configuration and daylight performance in predicting movement behavior

Spatial configuration and daylight performance play an important role in shaping how occupants move and use interior space. However, these variables have often been studied separately and their combined effects on movement behavior have been understudied. This study examines the relationships among spatial layout, climate-based daylight performance, users’ daylight satisfaction, and movement preference using an integrated analytical framework. Four university buildings in Erbil, Iraq, were evaluated through space syntax analysis, climate-based daylight simulations, questionnaire surveys, and regression analysis. Findings showed that daylight satisfaction significantly predicted movement preference, explaining 41.5% of the variance. Among the objective architectural measures, daylight Autonomy (DA) was the only variable that significantly predicted indoor-outdoor mobility preference. In contrast, conventional space syntax measures, Normalized Angular Integration (NAIN) and Normalized Angular Choice (NACH), showed no significant independent association with movement behavior. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of how architectural design affects movement behavior in university buildings.