The effect of wall covering form used in offices on users' perceptual evaluations

Abstract

Wall surfaces are the vertical planes that dominate the user's field of vision in interior spaces, and the form and colour tone of the materials applied to them are decisive in shaping spatial perception. Although the effects of colour on interior perception are well documented, the joint effect of covering geometry and wood colour tone in office environments, and the way this joint effect interacts with user demographics, remain insufficiently examined. This study investigates the effects of the geometric form (square/circular) and colour tone (light/dark) of wooden wall coverings used in offices on users' perceptual evaluations, together with the effects of gender, age, profession and work experience. Four photorealistic open-plan office scenarios (square-light, square-dark, circular-light, circular-dark) identical in every respect except covering form and colour were modelled in 3ds Max and presented to participants as 360-degree virtual space tours. A total of 219 volunteers evaluated the four environments on a seven-point semantic differential scale composed of 15 bipolar adjective pairs (Cronbach's alpha = 0.951). Data were analysed through one-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD post-hoc tests. Colour tone produced significant differences in all 15 adjective pairs (p < 0.001): light-toned environments were perceived more positively than dark-toned ones throughout. The effect of form emerged independently in the affective dimensions, with the circular-light environment evaluated as the warmest and most intimate condition. Gender, age, profession and work experience all produced significant differences. The findings provide designers with an evidence-based guide for wall surface decisions in offices.