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This paper presents a new method of human-response testing to enhance the success of designs. Rather than waiting until after a building is constructed to see how the design will affect human users, we developed a high-resolution virtual-reality platform to present design variations to the study participants. This technique allowed us to make very precise adjustments in design variables (e.g., the ceiling height, or the placement of windows) within the same overall structure, thereby obtaining more empirically rigorous comparisons than is possible in traditional post-occupancy studies of completed buildings. In addition, this approach allowed us to collect a variety of biometric data, such as EEG signals, heart rate, head motions, and other indicators of attention and stress, while the study participants interacted with the virtual environments. The overall outcome of this research method will be to improve the human quality of the built environment and to promote data-driven innovation in the design field.

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Virtual reality, Human-centred Design, Computational design methods, Design process