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On Shape and Spaciousness

Institute of Environmental Quality

Theory suggests that having enough space is a fundamental human need and so research on how environments can be modified to increase perceived spaciousness is important. Two experiments, covering 109 participants and 30 stimuli, investigated possible effects of horizontal area and aspect ratios of recesses on judged spaciousness of streets. One experiment simulated the streets with dynamic virtual reality models in which participants could move around. The other experiment simulated the streets with three static colored images. Both simulation protocols generated the same conclusions. The most important factor in judged spaciousness was horizontal area. Larger areas were judged as being more spacious. Streets with setbacks that were shallower but longer were judged as being more spacious than streets with setbacks that were deeper but shorter. The results suggest that even if the actual size of a space is fixed, it is possible to increase perceived spaciousness by modifying the shape of the space.

Key Words: affective responses • spatial geometry • evolutionary theory • safety • environmental cognition

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Environment and Behavior, Vol. 41, No. 4, 526-548 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0013916508317931


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