jaue2023011: Using an Immersive Environment to Investigate the Occupant’s Residential Preference — a Case Study of Residential Building in Fukuoka

Abstract

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is one that heavily relies on visual communica- tion and has undergone a transformation over the past decade to adapt to the use of virtual environments. Presently, Virtual Reality (VR) technology holds significant potential in supporting architectural assessment and is considered a highly valuable tool in the field of architectural design. Virtual Environments (VE) facilitate building assessments by allowing for systematic manipulation of environments, which, once occupied, cannot be effectively implemented in Real Environments (RE). If the use of virtual simulations and user evaluations are more thoroughly integrated into user-centric design, it could potentially enhance the usability of buildings. This paper takes residential buildings in the Fukuoka region as a case study, utilizing VR technology to create immersive virtual environments for users. It explores, in the context of features still lacking in similar studies, whether immersive virtual environments can better reflect individual preferences in living environments compared to traditional 2D spatial perception, and whether they offer advantages in the early stages of architectural design. The conclusion indicates that, within the scope of this research, immersive virtual reality environments provide participants with a more authentic spatial perception compared to traditional 2D real environments.