Ecological validity of architectural cognition: a framework

Krukar, Jakub; Schultz, Carl

Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed

Abstract

Architects are often criticized for not using psychological evidence in design. This paper explores whether the issue lies in the relevance of this evidence for predicting behaviour, perception and cognition in unbuilt buildings. Psychological experiments often fail to mirror real-world building experiences. We introduce the Ecological Validity of Architectural Cognition (EVAC) framework, which evaluates the generalizability of experimental results to real buildings by comparing experimental participants with actual building users in behavioural, perceptual and cognitive terms. We apply EVAC to studies on perceived spaciousness to identify research gaps and suggest methods that better align with real-world building experiences.

Details about the publication

JournalArchitectural Science Review
Volume0
StatusPublished
Release year2024
Language in which the publication is writtenEnglish
DOI10.1080/00038628.2024.2410741
KeywordsEcological validity; architectural cognition; spaciousness; user behavior in architecture; user behaviour; human-building interaction

Authors from the University of Münster

Krukar, Jakub
Junior professorship of spatial cognition (Prof. Krukar)