Human factors in computer simulations of urban environment. Differences between architects and non-architects’ assessments

• We identify the human factors of computer visualisation of urban environment.
• Digital images were classified into 3 categories based on their degree of realism.
• 104 architects and 113 non-architects assessed 48 digital visualisations.
• The success of a digital image is associated to the innovation and well-being.
• The results show that more realistic images are given better assessments.

Computer visualisations are widely used to evaluate future urban environments in international competitions. Rapid technological progress in graphics computer software has enabled architects and landscape planners to produce sophisticated images that are not only capable of transmitting the characteristics of the future environment, they also manage to evoke in observers the sort of feelings and emotions which can only be aroused by experiencing the space. This present paper attempts to identify the affective responses that influence the evaluation of urban environment proposal, analysing the model of architects and non-architects’s preferences. A sample of 104 architects and 113 non-architects expressed their opinions on 48 urban computer simulations. The results show that for both groups the success of a digital visualisation is associated to the feelings of innovation and wellbeing. However, their assessments differ significantly because each group associates these feelings with different aspects. In general, architects are more critical in their assessments.