Preferences of the Facade Composition in the Context of Its Regularity and Irregularity

The aim of this study is to determine the preferences of Polish society towards building facades depending on the degree of the composition regularity of the facade elements. The subject matter is inspired by the authors’ observations in relation to the current architectural trends. The purposefulness of the conducted research results from several issues. Firstly, the reports of psychology and neurosciences clearly indicate the universality of certain preferences towards visual attributes of objects (e.g., in relation to abstract symmetric patterns), resulting from biological conditions. Secondly, residential, multi-family architecture is by definition designed for a wide group of anonymous users whose expectations must be met. One of the dimensions of the above-mentioned expectations is the visual dimension, partially dependent on the composition of the facade. In the course of the conducted research, it is shown that facades with a regular composition are assessed as more attractive than those with irregular compositions. Moreover, irregular facades evoked a negative effect of a significantly greater force than the positive effect in the case of regular facades. The above-described discoveries shed, in the authors’ opinion, a completely new light on the contemporary work of architects. It is extremely important to adapt the visual dimension of architecture to the expectations of its recipients, while taking care of its values and quality as a field of art.

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