Exploring vertical navigation within a virtual environment : a staircase experience
Author(s)
Advisor
Demirkan, HalimeDate
2012Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Architectural cues are configured by architects in the initial phase of design process.
Local architectural cues within an environment can aid individuals during navigation
and influence their spatial orientation. Staircases, as a feature of local architectural
cues that provide access to the other floors in a multi-level building can have an
impact on vertical navigation. This study focuses on the issue of vertical navigation
during virtual navigation by integrating the individual characteristics and the
geometric attributes of a staircase pair within two different multi-level desktop
virtual environments (VEs). The angle between the cue pairs with respect to the
same observation point is altered in order to determine the staircase pair that is more
efficient in navigation. Circulation paths, gender differences, navigational abilities
and cue pairs are considered to be factors that affect staircase preferences for
ascending and descending. For the VE with a 180° difference between the cue pairs,
there was a relationship between the ascending and descending staircases. Further
analysis indicated that the staircase preference in ascending was either related to the
first or last visited rooms on the ground floor. For the VE with a 90° difference
between the cue pairs, no relationship was found between the ascending and
descending staircases as well as with any other factor. There was no significant
relationship between gender and staircase preference except for the descending
staircase with 180° difference between the cue pairs and was in favor of females. In
addition, there was no significant relationship between the navigational abilities and
staircase preferences.
Keywords
Architectural CuesGender
Geometric Attributes
Staircases
Vertical Navigation
Virtual Environments