Influence of Complexity and Gestalt Principles on Aesthetic Preferences for Building Façades: An Eye Tracking Study

TL;DR

This study uses eye tracking to show how Gestalt principles and complexity affect how people perceive the aesthetics of building façades.

Contribution

The study empirically links Gestalt principles and complexity levels to aesthetic preferences and eye movement patterns in architectural design.

Findings

Higher complexity levels led to lower aesthetic ratings and more eye fixations.

Proximity-based designs were rated more aesthetically and required less visual effort.

Similarity-based designs received lower ratings and longer fixation durations.

Abstract

Buildings are an integral part of our physical environment and have aesthetic significance with respect
to the organizational integrity of architectural elements. While Gestalt principles are essential in design
education, their relationship with architectural features remains understudied. The present study explored
how Gestalt principles and complexity levels influence evaluations of building façades through the use of
questionnaires and eye tracking. Twenty-four two-dimensional black and white façade drawings, manipulated
using selected Gestalt principles (similarity and proximity) to achieve different levels of complexity
(low, medium & high), were presented to 79 participants. The results suggested a negative linear relationship
between aesthetic ratings and complexity levels across selected Gestalt principles. In addition, as
expected, participants had the highest number of fixations, shortest fixation durations, and lowest aesthetic
ratings for higher levels of complexity. Results involving Gestalt principles revealed that proximity-based
designs received higher aesthetic ratings, demanded less time, elicited lower number of fixations, and
resulted in shorter fixation durations. Conversely, similarity-based designs received lower aesthetic ratings,
demanded more time, elicited higher number of fixations, and resulted in longer fixation durations. These
findings offer insights into architectural aesthetic experiences and inform future research directions.

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