Volume 15, Issue 55 (5-2026)
Haft Hesar J Environ Stud 2026, 15(55): 75-92 |
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Ebrahimi A, Habib F, Zabihi H. Delineating the Evaluation Criteria for Interior Spaces of Newly Constructed Residential Buildings in Tehran, Considering Psychological Factors. Haft Hesar J Environ Stud 2026; 15 (55) :75-92
URL: http://hafthesar.iauh.ac.ir/article-1-2363-en.html
URL: http://hafthesar.iauh.ac.ir/article-1-2363-en.html
Abstract: (11 Views)
Incorporating psychological considerations into the architectural design of residential buildings is essential for achieving improved living conditions and enhancing residents’ satisfaction during the occupancy phase. Such attention equips architects and developers with a broad range of effective design and construction capabilities. However, the neglect of these aspects in the current building practices of Tehran has resulted in specific shortcomings that emerge once residential environments are occupied. Among the hidden costs of these deficiencies is the increased vulnerability of residents’ mental health, which stems from the incompatibility between the physical environment and the occupants’ behavioral and psychological needs. Accordingly, this study addresses the problem of environment–behavior incongruence in the interior spaces of residential buildings in Tehran. Furthermore, architects and designers often lack direct insight into the actual performance of their built environments and residents’ post-occupancy feedback, which prevents the continuous improvement of architectural design from a psychological perspective.
The main objective of this research is to identify and prioritize the criteria and sub-criteria for evaluating the actual performance of interior spaces in newly constructed residential buildings in Tehran, emphasizing psychological factors and causal relationships among these criteria. To achieve this, a mixed qualitative–quantitative methodology was adopted, including content analysis of relevant sources, expert interviews, and a researcher-designed questionnaire administered to 15 specialists. The collected data were analyzed using the DEMATEL-ANP statistical technique.
Findings indicate that the criterion of interior space–behavior congruence (synomorphy), with a relative weight of 0.2880, was rated as the most significant factor by experts. This was followed by psychological comfort (0.2563), behavioral pattern (0.2397), and physical characteristics of the interior space (0.2160). At the sub-criteria level, sense of security and psychological tranquility (0.0734), psychological pleasantness (0.0706), multisensory perception (0.0566), and spatial coherence and consistency (0.0557) were identified as the most influential psychological components affecting interior spatial quality.
These findings provide a set of evaluative criteria centered on residents’ post-occupancy feedback, serving as practical references for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of architectural designs. Understanding feedback patterns within this framework enables architects to predict and design spatial–physical configurations that promote optimal levels of comfort, psychological well-being, and overall residential satisfaction.
The main objective of this research is to identify and prioritize the criteria and sub-criteria for evaluating the actual performance of interior spaces in newly constructed residential buildings in Tehran, emphasizing psychological factors and causal relationships among these criteria. To achieve this, a mixed qualitative–quantitative methodology was adopted, including content analysis of relevant sources, expert interviews, and a researcher-designed questionnaire administered to 15 specialists. The collected data were analyzed using the DEMATEL-ANP statistical technique.
Findings indicate that the criterion of interior space–behavior congruence (synomorphy), with a relative weight of 0.2880, was rated as the most significant factor by experts. This was followed by psychological comfort (0.2563), behavioral pattern (0.2397), and physical characteristics of the interior space (0.2160). At the sub-criteria level, sense of security and psychological tranquility (0.0734), psychological pleasantness (0.0706), multisensory perception (0.0566), and spatial coherence and consistency (0.0557) were identified as the most influential psychological components affecting interior spatial quality.
These findings provide a set of evaluative criteria centered on residents’ post-occupancy feedback, serving as practical references for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of architectural designs. Understanding feedback patterns within this framework enables architects to predict and design spatial–physical configurations that promote optimal levels of comfort, psychological well-being, and overall residential satisfaction.
Keywords: Newly Constracted Residential Buildings, Environmental Psychology, Well-being, Interior Spaces, Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE), DEMATEL-ANP
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2025/10/4 | Revised: 2026/06/4 | Accepted: 2025/11/16 | Published: 2026/06/4 | ePublished: 2026/06/4
Received: 2025/10/4 | Revised: 2026/06/4 | Accepted: 2025/11/16 | Published: 2026/06/4 | ePublished: 2026/06/4
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