Quantifying Emotional Responses to Traditional and Modern Architecture: The Case of US Federal Buildings

Current biometric tools, with facial expression analysis capabilities, enable us to more deeply examine affective correlates of exposure to architectural forms, especially when combined with eye-tracking and preference data. This study builds on earlier preference studies comparing seven pairs of traditional vs. modern civic buildings from the National Civic Art Society and an eye-tracking study with the same images from the Human Architecture and Planning Institute. It explores how metrics for engagement and positive emotional experience are correlated with exposure to traditional and modern forms. In agreement with other eye-tracking studies, as well as with the broader literature, the results indicate that traditional stimuli elicit positive affective responses, while modern stimuli result in negative responses across participants.