Tongji University College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shanghai, China.
Int J Biometeorol. 2023 Aug;67(8):1291-1301. doi: 10.1007/s00484-023-02495-3. Epub 2023 Jul 7.
Positive thermal perception can affect users' climate-controlling behavior, indirectly reducing a building's operational carbon emissions. Studies show that some visual elements, such as window sizes and light colors, can influence thermal perception. However, until recently there has been little interest in the interaction of thermal perception and outdoor visual scenarios or natural elements like water or trees, and little quantitative evidence has been found associating visual natural elements and thermal comfort. This experiment explores and quantifies the extent to which visual scenarios outdoors affect thermal perception. The experiment used a double-blind clinical trial. All tests were done in a stable laboratory environment to eliminate temperature changes, and scenarios were shown through a virtual reality (VR) headset. Forty-three participants were divided into three groups randomly, separately watched VR-outdoor scenarios with natural elements, VR-indoor scenarios, and a control scenario of the real laboratory, then finished a subjective questionnaire conducted to evaluate their thermal, environmental, and overall perceptions while their physical data (heart rate, blood pressure, pulse) was real-time recorded. Results show that visual scenarios could significantly influence thermal perception (Cohen's d between groups > 0.8). Significant positive correlations were found between key thermal perception index, thermal comfort, and visual perception indexes including visual comfort, pleasantness, and relaxation (all PCCs ≤ 0.01). Outdoor scenarios, with better visual perception, rank higher average scores (M ± SD = 1.0 ± 0.7) in thermal comfort than indoor groups (average M ± SD = 0.3 ± 1.0) while the physical environment remains unchanged. This connection between thermal and environmental perception can be used in building design. By being visually exposed to pleasing outdoor environments, the positive thermal perception will increase, and thus reduce building energy consumption. Designing positive visual environments with outdoor natural elements is not only a requirement for health but also a feasible path toward a sustainable net-zero future.
正向热感觉可以影响用户的调温行为，从而间接减少建筑物的运营碳排放。研究表明，一些视觉元素，如窗户大小和浅色，会影响热感觉。然而，直到最近，人们对热感觉与户外视觉场景或水、树木等自然元素的相互作用关注甚少，也几乎没有发现将视觉自然元素与热舒适度联系起来的定量证据。本实验探索并量化了户外视觉场景对热感觉的影响程度。实验采用双盲临床试验。所有测试均在稳定的实验室环境中进行，以消除温度变化，并通过虚拟现实 (VR) 耳机展示场景。43 名参与者被随机分为三组，分别观看带有自然元素的 VR 户外场景、VR 室内场景和实验室的对照场景，然后完成评估他们的热、环境和整体感觉的主观问卷，同时实时记录他们的身体数据（心率、血压、脉搏）。结果表明，视觉场景可以显著影响热感觉（组间 Cohen's d 值>0.8）。关键热感觉指标与热舒适度、视觉感觉指标（包括视觉舒适度、愉悦度和放松度）之间存在显著正相关（所有 PCCs≤0.01）。在视觉感觉上更好的户外场景，其热舒适度的平均得分（M±SD=1.0±0.7）明显高于室内组（平均 M±SD=0.3±1.0），而物理环境保持不变。这种热感觉和环境感觉之间的联系可以用于建筑设计。通过视觉上接触令人愉悦的户外环境，可以增加正向热感觉，从而减少建筑物的能源消耗。设计带有户外自然元素的积极视觉环境不仅是健康的要求，也是实现可持续净零未来的可行途径。
