Mapping of Brain Functions and Spatial Luminance Distributions as Innovative Tools for Assessing Discomfort Glare in the Built Environment

• Main Authors: Peter Raynham, Werner Osterhaus, Michael Davies
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Architectural Research Centers Consortium 2007-05-01
• Series: Enquiry: The ARCC Journal of Architectural Research
• Online Access: https://www.arcc-journal.org/arcc-new/index.php/arccjournal/article/view/59

A series of "proof-of-concept" projects are set out aimed at bringing together built environment researchers attempting to understand what constitutes ‘comfortable’ space and neuroscientists investigating the functional characteristics of the human brain. The long-term goal is to address the question of whether there are regions of the brain that are specifically engaged when people experience spaces they consider to be comfortable, pleasing or even beautiful. Glare is an area of research that has been recognised as a problem in both interior and exterior lighting. Recent advances in technology make it an ideal candidate for the proposed “proof-of-concept” study. The mapping of brain functions through functional magnetic resonance imaging, the mapping of luminance distributionsin a visual scene, and the study of distraction and its influence on discomfort glare can be combined to form the basis of an innovative tool box for new research.