Analysis of lines and forms in buildings to rural landscape integration

Abstract

In many developed countries the recent increase in tourist and farm buildings in the countryside has seriously jeopardized the attractiveness of natural and traditional views; such is the case of inland Spain. Visual and aesthetic aspects of any object are defined by their colour, form, line, texture, scale and spatial character. This paper investigates lines and forms and tries to develop design criteria that could offer a high probability of achieving a building integration class as good or very good. The main aim of this research is to develop guidelines for future municipal planning laws, which could help professional designers and town council planners to select lines and forms that harmonize architectural design and environmental location. The proposed approach studies the relationship between buildings and their background. A method is developed to assess these visual relationships among building characteristics of lines and forms and the landscape ones. Also, this research includes public survey methods to assess building integration preferences and a summary table for systematic application of the suggested methodological process. Relevant correlations have been obtained, for example, whereas a type of relationship (visual continuity) provides a probability of 72% of achieving an integration class as good or very good other one (poorly compatible contrast) provides 0%. These relationships between different types of visual characteristics are satisfactory for the study of integration quality. Objective design guidelines are obtained and it is possible to make an evaluation of the different alternatives available and to select the most suitable according to the type of integration sought.

Use of Video and 3D Scenario Visualisation to Rate Vegetation Screens for Integrating Buildings into the Landscape

“…The work of authors such as Lange [10], García [12], and Barroso [13] shows static photorealistic simulations from the point of view of an average observer. The results of this study are a step forward in landscape visualisation and simulation from the point of view of an observer in motion.…”

“…All videos were displayed horizontally on separate pages so that they could be viewed in full screen mode. A five-option rating scale was included below each video: "Very Bad, Bad, Acceptable, Good, and Very Good" [12]. Although rating scales with smaller intervals can be used (e.g., Roth, [40], who used a 10-point scale), Lange et al (2008) pointed out that multiple levels in a rating scale can confuse respondents when they rate scenarios.…”

“…The surveys were conducted anonymously over the Internet for users of RedIRIS (RedIRIS is the Spanish academic and research network that provides advanced communication services to the scientific community and national universities) [12,27].…”

“…A high degree of realism is the main advantage of this approach, although the output is not interactive [12,13].…”

“…Some researchers have questioned the perception of the environment using static images (photographs) when we normally experience the world around us via a flow of changing visual images. Although the scientific Sustainability 2017, 9, 1102 3 of 14 community accepts that photographs evoke responses similar to those felt when actually in the location represented [12,13], Heft & Nasar [21] found that reactions to static screens are not the same as reactions to screens in motion. These authors reported significantly lower respondent ratings for static scenes than for dynamic scenes.…”