Comparative analysis of visual-thermal perceptions and emotional responses in outdoor open spaces: Impacts of look-up vs. look-forward viewing perspectives

Horizontal and vertical viewing perspectives exert varying influences on the environmental perceptions and emotional states of college students. Despite this, scant research addresses the impact on this demographic. We selected typical campus open spaces for comprehensive physical parameter assessments, encompassing meteorological and spatial characteristics. A cohort of 36 healthy college students participated in a questionnaire survey designed to ascertain shifts in visual comfort, thermal comfort, and emotional responses when viewing landscapes in look-forward and look-up orientations. Key findings following both viewing modalities included: 1) a notable rise in mean visual comfort vote (MVCV), by 1.22 for look-forward and 1.01 for look-up, with a pronouncedly higher sunlight sensation vote (SSV) for the latter orientation; 2) a significant increase in thermal comfort vote (TCV), although the difference in increments between the two viewing angles was minimal; 3) Positive affect (PA) exhibited considerable improvement in both viewing conditions, while negative affect (NA) was markedly reduced in the look-up condition relative to look-forward viewing; 4) The SSV was predominantly influenced by the trunk ratio and canopy-to-trunk ratio, with substantial weights of 31.47% and 32.15%, respectively. Landscape element diversity emerged as the most critical factor affecting visual comfort vote (VCV) and aesthetic assessment score (AAS), with overwhelming weights of 70.67% and 63.15%, respectively. Moreover, the leaf ratio was identified as the chief determinant of emotional responses. Our results provide insights into the design of campus spaces for enhanced student well-being.