The study of the perception of architectural and urban environment through Google panorama

The study focuses on the empirical study of psychological features and mechanisms of perception of architectural space, the mapping of the processes of perception and semantic assessment of real architectural constructions, their photographs and their representations in Google panoramas software application using the techniques of personality semantic differential, architectural semantic differential, and value spectrum. We identified five significant factors of the perception and understanding of the architectural space through Google panoramas software application: “passivity—activity,” “integrity—fragmentation”, “open- ness—closeness”, “expressiveness”, “coziness, comfort”. Architectural objects with outstanding individual design features have more important semantic and value characteristics than mass residential buildings. Using the Google panoramas software application allows to get a more complete set of semantic and value characteristics as compared to photographs of architectural objects. These characteristics are similar to the estimates of architectural objects in a direct contact with them. Therefore, the results obtained open the possibility of using Google panoramas software application as a research tool.

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