IMPACT OF ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATION ON USERS' FEELINGS: FROM 2D PLANS TO VIRTUAL MODELS AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPES

User integration in the architectural design process raises the issue of tools for communicating between architectural-design experts and human-factor experts or users. Architectural representations, such as two-dimensional (2D) plans, cardboard models, and three-dimensional (3D) renderings, should be used to support the active participation of users. However, previous studies have highlighted the limitations of the most conventionally used architectural representations, and the feelings induced by the environment are difficult to anticipate during the architectural design process. This study focused on the impact of six architectural representations - 2D plans, cardboard models, 3D renderings, CAD models, full-scale virtual models, and full-scale physical prototypes - on users' feelings in the context of office design. The study found that, while users' feelings with regard to use, aesthetics, and emotion in relation to office design were similar for the full-scale virtual model and full-scale physical prototype, they were different for the other representation types. Therefore, these representation types should only be used with experts such as architects. To support the active participation of users, full-scale virtual models and full-scale physical prototypes should be proposed. Indeed, these representation types can aid in the study of the feelings an environment induces in users.