Article:

This research is an inquiry into correlations between specific configurations ofvirtual spatial enclosures and corresponding perceptual responses in subjects.The experiments comprised of three sets - opening configurations, volumeconfigurations and partition configurations. The perceptual parameters testedwere Degree of Enclosure (E), Degree of Separation (P), and Spaciousness (S)respectively. Immersive virtual environments depicting enclosures with thesedifferent configurations were presented to 25 subjects through a head mountedVR gear. Responses were recorded in the form of verbal ratings. The resultsrevealed that one's visual field along the horizontal axis at eye level plays a majorrole in the way specific attributes of spatial enclosures are perceived. One'sperception of `openness' in an enclosure correlated strongly with the amount ofphysical opening that was present along the horizontal axis at eye level, while theperception of `spaciousness' correlated strongly with the amount of visualobstruction within one's horizontal visual field at eye level. It was found thatlarger unified openings between enclosures along eye level created a weakersense of visual separation as compared smaller dispersed openings of equalcumulative area.