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Influence of Spatial Hierarchy on User Perception in Public Buildings

Abstract

The study examines the influence of spatial hierarchy on user perception in public buildings, with emphasis on how the organization and differentiation of spaces affect the way users understand, experience, and interact with buildings. Spatial hierarchy refers to the arrangement of spaces according to their level of importance, privacy, accessibility, size, position, or visual prominence. In public buildings, clear spatial hierarchy can help users recognize major spaces, understand circulation patterns, identify important destinations, and develop a coherent perception of the building environment. The study will assess the relationship between spatial hierarchy and user perception in selected public buildings. Attention will be given to the arrangement of primary, secondary, and supporting spaces, entrance sequence, transition areas, circulation routes, spatial scale, visibility, focal points, accessibility, and the relationship between major and minor spaces. User perception will be assessed based on spatial clarity, ease of orientation, sense of importance, comfort, privacy, visual understanding, ease of navigation, and overall satisfaction with the building environment. A descriptive cross-sectional research design will be adopted for the study. An appropriate sample of selected public buildings and their users will be selected using a suitable sampling technique. Data will be collected through physical observation, spatial mapping, building layout assessment, photographic documentation, and structured questionnaires administered to selected users. The collected data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while appropriate comparative and correlation techniques will be applied to examine the relationship between spatial hierarchy and user perception. The study is expected to reveal that spatial hierarchy has a measurable influence on how users perceive and understand public buildings. Buildings with clearly differentiated primary and secondary spaces are expected to provide greater spatial clarity, stronger recognition of important destinations, easier navigation, and more coherent user experiences. Poorly organized spatial relationships may create confusion, reduce orientation, weaken the distinction between important and supporting spaces, and affect users' perception of comfort and functionality. Other factors such as building size, circulation layout, signage, visibility, lighting, user familiarity, and building function may also influence perception. The findings will be useful to architects, interior designers, urban designers, facility managers, public building owners, and other professionals involved in the planning and design of public facilities. The study may provide practical information on how spatial organization, scale, sequence, visibility, and transitions can be used to create more understandable and user-responsive public buildings. It may also support architectural decisions aimed at improving wayfinding, comfort, spatial identity, and user satisfaction. The study will conclude by establishing the influence of spatial hierarchy on user perception in public buildings and emphasizing the importance of deliberate spatial organization in architectural planning and design. It is recommended that primary spaces, circulation areas, transitional spaces, and supporting functions be clearly organized and visually related to improve users' understanding and experience of public buildings. Further studies should examine spatial hierarchy across different types of public buildings and user groups.

Keywords: Spatial hierarchy, user perception, public buildings, spatial organization, architectural design, spatial clarity, wayfinding, building circulation, spatial sequence, spatial identity, user experience, public architecture, building functionality, spatial planning, environmental perception.