A user preference modelling method for the assessment of visual complexity in building façade

Purpose

This study aims to provide a method to assess the perceptual impact of the visual complexity of building façades.

Design/methodology/approach

The research identifies the number of design elements and the variation in their position and colour as variables of visual complexity. It introduces the concepts of vertices and corners as atomic indicators on which the measurement of these variables is built. It measures visual complexity and its variables in images of building façades and analyses their relationships with participants' reactions. It reports on the effect of visual complexity on preferences, the adequacy of different methods in measuring visual complexity and the perceptual impact of each of its variables.

Findings

The research demonstrates that visual complexity can be assessed through the measure of its variables and their statistical mapping to users' preferences.

Originality/value

The manuscript provides the foundation for a planning/assessment tool for the visual control of the built environment using computer systems based on the preferences of residents through the examination of the relationship between the users and their environment. It creates a paradigm, which introduces a robust concept in the visual analysis of urban design.