Effects of labelled meaning on the affective quality of housing scenes

A series of studies examined the effects of labelled meaning on affective response to housing scenes. Students at Ohio State University assessed their feelings towards imagined housing (public or private) and cities (Memphis, Houston and San Francisco). Expected differences in the affective quality were found. Responses to color photographs of specific housing scenes labelled as either private condominiums or public housing were obtained. Differences in scene-affect as a function of labelled meaning were found. Responses to housing scenes labelled as located in either Memphis, Houston or San Francisco revealed no differences in scene-affect as a function of label meaning. This latter finding was confirmed in a non-repeated measure examination. Differences in the fittingness, potency or relevance of the information provided may account for the pattern of findings.     

Visual preferences of elderly public housing residents: Residential street scenes

Multiple regression predictors related judged visual attributes of housing exteriors to evaluative responses by elderly persons living in public housing in two different cities. In one city, the safety and composite preference evaluations of the 30 neighborhoods portrayed in photographs were found inversely related to both the dilapidation and diversity of the street scenes. In the other city the same evaluations were found related to the dullness and openness of the street scenes. In both cases, the responses predicted by the multiple regression equations for the sample in one city showed significant correlations with the obtained evaluative responses by the sample in the other city. However, the equations with dilapidation and diversity were the better predictors.     

Infill McMansions: Style and the psychophysics of size

The number and size of infill oversized houses, or McMansions, has increased in the U.S. and the world. To maintain desirable neighborhood appearances, communities should know what constitutes “too big.” This paper reports six studies that used color simulations of blocks of houses to examine compatibility and visual appeal in relation to attributes of the infill house and its context. Following psychophysical findings, the relative size of the infill house should have larger effects on response than its actual size. The studies confirmed that the infill ratio had more weight than size for perceived compatibility. Compatibility did not always translate into visual appeal. For visual appeal, infill style had larger effects than did size or size ratio, height had larger effects than width, and, for larger sizes and ratios, infill ratio had larger effects than actual size. To maintain visual quality in relation to infill houses, communities should first seek an architecturally compatible style, and then try to control its relative size (the infill façade area). Tests of responses to real infill houses can show how well these findings generalize.     

Application of polyaniline-based adsorbents for dye removal from water and wastewater—a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Several industries release varying concentration of dye-laden effluent with substantial negative consequences for any receiving environmental...     

The beauty and the beast: Some preliminary comparisons of ‘high’ versus ‘popular’ residential architecture and public versus architect judgments of same

This research examined differences between the features of ‘high’ and ‘popular’ style residential architecture and between responses to those styles by architects and non-architects. Forty slides (20 of each style) were scored in terms of physical properties. They were also rated by 20 architects and 20 non-architects. The research identified distinct physical features of each style. ‘High’ style residential architecture had fewer materials, more concrete, simpler forms, more white, and off-center entrances. They were judged as more complex, novel, and exciting. ‘Popular’ style residential architecture was characterized by use of more building materials, horizontal orientation, hip roofs, framed windows, centered entrances, and warm colors. Architects and non-architects differed in how they characterized and evaluated the two kinds of buildings, Architects rated the ‘high’ buildings as more clear, coherent pleasant, relaxing, and meaningful. Models of preference revealed that both groups favored novelty and coherence (or clarity), but the non-architects favored simplicity and ‘popular’ attributes, while the architects favored complexity and ‘high’ attributes.     

The desirability of views of city skylines after dark

Three studies used digital color photographs to compare responses to natural scenes, skylines after dark, and skylines during the day (seven of each). Study 1 had 59 respondents rate the pleasantness of each scene. They gave similar ratings to Night Skylines and Natural Scenes, and rated each as more pleasant than the Day Skylines. Study 2 had 56 other participants choose from each of seven sets of each kind of scene the one they would most like to have as a framed print in their home or office, and to report the reasons. Participants chose Night Skylines most often, followed by Natural Scenes and then Day Skylines. While participants most often picked attractive as a reason for their choice, those who chose Night Skylines also picked exciting as the reason, and those who picked Natural Scenes also picked relaxing or peaceful as a reason. Study 3 obtained ratings of selected formal features of each scene. The 23 judges rated the Natural scenes as more natural, orderly, open, and curvilinear, less complex, and as having smoother transitions than either Day or Night Skylines; and they judged the Night Skylines as higher in complexity but lower in order than Day Skylines. The results suggest that preferences in relation to the scene categories may well depend on a mix of their formal characteristics and their content.