Hospital Lobby and User’s Perceptions Architectural Kansei Method

The improvement of hospital spaces should be an increasing concern nowadays. Specially because they have a huge impact on user’s perceptions and that gives the responsibility to architects to deal with the feelings and emotions of those who already are in an unpleasant situation. The aim of this study is to understand how the space character of hospital lobbies can positively influence the user’s perceptions and experiences, contributing to their emotional well-being. We applied the Kansei methodology as a tool to develop a model of users' perception in correlation to hospital lobbies. For this purpose, it was established the concepts: identity, energy, calm and comfort and created 15 drawings of architectural spaces to combine the architectural values of light, right foot (scale), vegetation, materiality and form. High ceilings, natural lighting from two or more facades and curved shapes were the architectural values that most positively influenced the participants of this study.