Human Perception
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Definition of Perception
perception is the process of gathering information from the human environment, active and
persistent objects, then responding directly through sensory experiences and giving meaning to
that information.
Each perception involves two main elements:
1. The object (the perceived).
2. The subject (the perceiver), as well as elements of the situation. Perception is under special
stimulation including knowledge, experience, emotional, cognitive variables, as well as
observer decisions.
In general, built environment can be identified by seeing visually the constituent elements.
Through visual, one can give a different response to an object. Through perception, humans
can recognize, understand, then reconstruct things that are experienced such as architectural
works.
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Factors Affect in Perception
In psychology it is known that there are three factors that influence perception, including:
1.A stimulus that is human consciousness
which has an effect on the sensory nervous
system.
Three factors that influence
perception
1.A situation is an environmental condition 1.The person and things that are attached
that underlies the life of a stimulus. to Him/her such as gender, age, education,
needs, assumptions, beliefs, and mindset.
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William Ittelson (Carmona, Tiesdell, Heath, & Oc,2010), identifies four dimensions in perception:
1. cognitive involves the mind as organizing and storing information related to objects
2. Affective and emotional which involves feeling as reaction of perceptions related to built environment,
feelings are influenced by perceptions related to objects.
3. interpretative which includes the meaning or condition of the spaces by using previous experience to be
compared with stimulation experienced now.
4. evaluative which includes values and preferences as well as determining positive or negative elements in
an object.
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Process in Perception
In perception, human understanding of an object occurs in stages, where human understands the built environment and form
interpretation and emotional reaction. To get an understanding of perceptions, there are several theories that explain the
process of human perception of the environment
Theories of perception in architecture search how people experience and interpret spaces through their senses, cognition, and
emotions. These theories bridge the gap between the physical qualities of a built environment and the subjective experience
of individuals. Understanding perception is essential for architects to create spaces that evoke specific feelings and
functionality.
Gestalt Theory
Ecological Perception of The Environment
Transactional Theory
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Gestalt theory
It is a perception theory commonly used in visual perception, especially in understanding the forms of architecture. It
developed in the early 20th century, focuses on how people perceive patterns and forms in the environment. It suggests that
the human mind tends to organize visual elements into coherent wholes rather than focusing on individual parts.
Gestalt theory: The whole is greater (different) than the sum of the individual parts >>> several different phenomena that occur
during perception.
In architecture, this means that people perceive buildings and spaces as unified entities.
The perception process begins with first impressions, then pays close attention, and finally reaches the level of cognitive
processes. Based on the process it is known that human perception experiences two phases at once as follow:
Perception Cognition
•The outer phase which •The inner phase which
collects information visually processes information visually
and mentally or cognitively
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Gestalt principles of Perceptual Organization
1. Similarity
2. Proximity
3. Continuation
4. Closure
5. Figure-ground
6. The law of symmetry and order
7. Focal point
8. Common region
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1. Similarity
• It’s human nature to group similar things together. In
gestalt, similar elements are visually grouped,
regardless of their proximity to each other.
• They can be grouped by color, shape, or size.
• Similarity can be used to tie together elements that
might not be right next to each other in a design.
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2. Proximity
• Things that are close together
appear to be more related than
things that are spaced farther apart.
• Proximity is so powerful that it
overrides similarity of color, shape,
and other factors that might
differentiate a group of objects.
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3. Continuation
• The law of continuity posits that the
human eye will follow the smoothest
path when viewing lines, regardless of
how the lines were actually drawn.
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4. Closure
• Objects are often perceived as a whole
thing, even when they are incomplete.
Our mind quickly fills the gaps and
helps us to find the meaning and
intention of a particular thing.
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5. Figure-ground
• Your brain will distinguish between the objects
it considers to be in the foreground of an image
(the figure, or focal point) and the background
(the area on which the figures rest).
• The figure is what a person is concentrating on.
• The ground would be everything else in that
environment.
Some properties of figure ground:
− Figures hold more memorable association than
the ground.
− Figures are seen as being in front of the
ground.
− The ground is seen as uniformed material and
seems to extend behind the figure.
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•
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• The word “Prägnanz” is German, meaning pithiness,
suggesting something essential, concise, and
meaningful. This principle proposes that individuals
perceive complex patterns in the simplest way
possible, a process our brains engage in to reduce
cognitive load.
• To better understand this, picture a scattered array
of dots. Despite the seemingly random placement,
your mind instinctively tries to organize them into a
recognizable shape. You don’t see the dots as
separate entities, but your brain naturally looks for
the simplest interpretation — a circle. The mind’s
predisposition towards simplicity and order, even in
chaos, is the basis of the Law of Prägnanz.
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7. Focal point
The focal point principle states that whatever stands out
visually will capture and hold the viewer’s attention first.
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8. The Law of Common Region
elements that are grouped together within
the same region of space tend to be
grouped together.
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Figure-Ground in Architecture
Nariwa Musesum, Nariwa, Japan
The beams and partition outstanding from the
museum wall create a frame and pull the focus of the
user, allowing the landscape behind the museum to
fade into the background.
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Proximity in Architecture
The Oval, Japan Benesse House, Japan
The six windows at the end of the wall are
exemplifying this law in a way that shows the power
of proximity. Instead of seeing six individual windows
or one group of six, we see two groups of three
because the distance between the two sets of three is
great enough to create a feeling of separation.
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Similarity in Architecture
He Art Museum Shunde, Guangdong, China
In this example, all three projections of the museum
look exactly alike so they are seen as a collection of
three, instead of three individual projections.
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Closure
Church of the Light, Japan
negative space between walls create a cross that
becomes illuminated with natural light
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Similarity
4×4 House, Japan
two nearly identical buildings are placed next to
one another
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Environmental Ecological Perception
Assert the way the environment directly affords various understanding to individuals based on their sensory
capabilities and needs. This theory associated with James J. Gibson's ecological psychology, where perception, is
about recognizing affordances—opportunities for action that the environment provides.
The affordances of the environment are what it offers the animal, what it provides or furnishes, either for good or
ill.
Gibson's ecological theory of perception is that it is direct and innate, and a person sees the true visual stimulus.
There are no psychological and mental processes involved in perception.
In architectural practice this theory focuses on creating environments that provide clear and direct affordances
to users. For example, a staircase affords climbing, a chair affords sitting. The architecture is designed to fit user's
needs and capabilities, and the user perceives these affordances through his existence within the space.
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“Wayfinding" (how people navigate through spaces) Considered an important concept in this theory. A well-
designed path might afford guiding movement in a specific direction within a structured studied scenario.
Gordon Cullen considered one of the architect who worked in this theory and empathized the importance of this
theory via (a serial vision) concept in his book “The concise townscape”.
Serial vision refers to the changing perspectives and sequential views experienced as you move through space. It
is often explained as the unfolding visual experience – the way our perception alters and morphs as we journey
across a landscape.
A street may turn and reveal new geometries; a sudden vista may open up; a scenic landmark might appear over
the horizon; emerging views and visual stimuli are revealed. This continually evolving visual experience is what is
known as serial vision.
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Transactional Theory of Perception
This theory emphasizes dynamic interaction or contact between individuals and their environmental conditions.
It examines how people interact with their environment and how their behavior is influenced by the built
environment. It proposes that perception and experience are shaped by energetic engagement between a Human
and surroundings.
Transactional theory posits that perception is a two-way process. People actively engage with the built
environment, and this engagement modify both the perception of the space and the individual's experience.
This theory focus attention on how architecture is not just understood by sight, but by the continuous, dynamic
relationship between users and the space.
This theory explains that architectural design needs to accommodate diverse and dynamic interactions.
“Personal space" considered a central concept in this theory.
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Assignment 1:
Conduct a research to learn about these Gestalt principles:
• Multistability
• Common Fate
• Invariance
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