Selective Work Book Songyan (Edwin) Tan Bartlett

Songyan (Edwin) Tan Portfolio Selected Works 2023-2026 2026 Bartlett BSc Year 3 Portfolio Prize

The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL BSc Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1)

Year 2: UNIT 9 Year 3: UNIT 21

Tutors: Chee-Kit Lai, Jessica In Tutors: Abi Ashton, Andrew Porter & Tom Holberton

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HALF A DOZEN EGG MAPS YEAR 3 (P1) SHELL INFORMATION FLOW/ PROJECTION/ FRAGMENTS Dec,2025

This project explores how architectural information can be generated, distorted, and reread as drawings move between plan and irregular geometry. Using the eggshell as a fragile, non-developable surface, the project treats projection distortion as a productive design tool rather than a technical error.

Through scanning, projection, and re-scanning, architectural lines are wrapped onto the shell and returned as fragmented UV islands. Plans become stretched, cut, and reassembled, producing new adjacencies and alternative room configurations. By comparing the original drawings with their shell-based distortions, the project uses cartographic bias and geometric instability to rethink how plans can encode, lose, and reinvent spatial information.

video QR Code https://youtu.be/qAiBHsfUuFE

Device and process apply (Using instruments, I attempted to draw a 2D graphic image containing information and spatial details onto an egg. Then, through my process: 3D scanning and organizing the 2D fragments—a new image was generated)

Original Map (the reference)

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During During the the Renaissance, Renaissance, Leonardo Leonardo da da Vinci Vinci created created spherical spherical maps maps using using ostrich ostrich eggs. eggs. He He first first drew drew the the corresponding corresponding planar planar structure structure on on paper, paper, and and then then used used this this as as aa reference reference to to hand-draw hand-draw the the curved curved surface surface of of the the egg egg segment segment by by segment, segment, gradually gradually translating translating the the planar planar information information into into aa three-dimensional three-dimensional surface. surface.

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NOTATION (shell information)

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2 FRAGMENT INTO PARTS (uv 2D map)

3 FRAGMENTS CONSOLIDATION

Accuracy developement

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Tissot circle

Graticule +

Photogrammetry calibration

Distortions Of Projection

Latitude and Longitude Benchmark

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(first scan the egg to get the precise geometry data)

Fiducials +

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+ REEL--2 CALIBRATION

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A graticule or grid on a map, is a graphical depiction of a coordinate system

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Tissot’s Indicatrix is a method to visualize the distortions of a map projection

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2D-EGG SHELL SURFACE

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On NASA photographs, crosshair reticles on a Réseau plate enable detection and correction of distortions caused by the processing and handling of physical photographs.

WHOLE STIMULATION

DETAILS

develped rotation scan method

Infrared Obstacle Avoidance Sensor Detecting the position of the egg

RELL--1

A4988 Stepper motor Rotate the egg (A axis)

Paper printed with a c r o s s wa s u s e d t o calibrate the scanner.

Stepper Motor 2 — Pen Carriage Axis (Y-axis) Servo Motor

pen height stepper motor 1 degree stepper motor 2 degree

depends on egg geometry

Stepper Motor 1 — Rotation Axis (A-axis) Stepper Motor 1 rotates the egg around its longitudinal axis.

It corresponds to the horizontal (X) direction in the 2D drawing space.

Stepper Motor 2 moves the pen assembly along the egg’s length.

It corresponds to the vertical (Y) direction of the 2D drawing.

1. simplify a complex graphic image into curve

2. Input & Curve Sampling

3. Calculate the dx and dy values between ​​ adjacent points

SP,1,100 SM,80,200,0 SP,0,100 SM,15,10,0 during time

Infrared Obstacle Avoidance Sensor Detecting the position of the egg

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plan

The black, informationless areas can be inserted and retrieved

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The cracks created by scanning the surface of the egg were transmitted to the distorted room

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family photo of the devices and models

Do you want to join EGG PARK? YEAR 3 (P2,3) JUNE,2026 The Egg Park explores how cartographic distortion can become a design method for a contemporary urban landscape.

Drawing from Bologna’s maps, lost towers, and vanished architectural fragments, the project reassembles urban traces through projection, distortion, and spatial reinterpretation.

The egg acts as a fragile and unstable surface where city information is stretched, broken, and reconnected. This generates a landscape of slopes, cracks, voids, curved surfaces, and unexpected adjacencies. Influenced by Arakawa and Gins, the park uses instability, colour, and uneven ground to challenge perception while maintaining safety and accessibility.

The design is first upgraded through UK Approved Documents K and M as a baseline for universal safety, then refined through VR, eye-tracking, and iterative testing. Participants’ gaze, movement, hesitation, gathering, and escape behaviours are translated into adjustments of colour, texture, geometry, slope, and material surface.

The project proposes a pluralistic design method: rather than prescribing one fixed route, The Egg Park becomes an open spatial system shaped by different bodies, ages, behaviours, and relationships with the city.

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360-photo

Galliera Castle military fortress built by the Popes to control Bologna, but it was repeatedly destroyed by citizens because it was a symbol of oppression, ultimately leaving only "ruins." The remaining building materials—foundations, rubble, earth, and old walls—formed a truly unique topography: the Montagnola. Stairways were later built to connect it.

Place of the former Church Gesù e Maria Posizione di ex Chiesa Gesù e Maria

Porta Galliera

Castello di Galliera

Scalinata del Pincio (montagonola)

Mappa di Bologna del Blaeu Author: Johannes Blaeu Date: 1640

Innocenzo Francucci da Imola, "San Petronio in gloria", Museo Davia Bargellini

The City Within the City reimagines Bologna as a scaled-down civic landscape, drawing from old maps, Bologna la Turrita, and the image of San Petronio holding the city. Rather than reproducing Bologna literally, the project translates its walls, towers, streets, and collective memory into a compressed urban world. The park becomes a protected civic shelter, connecting people, memory, identity, and everyday public life.

Statue of St Petronius in Piazza di Porta Ravegnana

Medieval maps: urban planning

Contemporary maps: urban planning

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During the Middle Ages, the city of Bologna boasted nearly 100 tall towers. Angelo Finelli made this reconstruction model of medieval Bologna in 1916–1917, showing the city of towers in the 11th–12th centuries

1. simplify a complex graphic image into curve

Former tower locations are extracted as historical markers.

The script simplifies and aligns the two maps into a comparable graphic system.

Medieval and contemporary maps of Bologna are used as parallel references to compare urban form across time. By using former tower locations as markers, the method overlays the two maps to identify continuity and transformation in the city’s structure. This cartographic comparison supports the park design by translating historical urban fragments into contemporary spatial organisation.

Medieval maps: urban planning

Contemporary maps: urban planning

The two maps are processed through the simulation script to generate drawing paths.

Each route is translated into layered G-code, converting the maps from static images into executable machine instructions.

G-code 1 G-code 2 G-code 3 G-code 4

G-code 1 G-code 2 G-code 3 G-code 4

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Using the tower locations as reference markers, the model stitches together fragments from the medieval and contemporary maps. This allows the two urban planning systems to be aligned and read together within a single composite spatial field.

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Routes Cartographic distortion voids

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Location of bologna lost tower

distortion simulation

Through the use of a Grasshopper script, six planar surfaces were scanned, distorted, and transformed into a series of deformed geometries. This computational process enabled the originally flat planes to generate different gradients and slope conditions. The deformation of each plane created variations in height, direction, and spatial intensity, allowing the surfaces to move beyond a purely horizontal condition. As a result, the script became a tool for testing how simple planar geometries could be translated into dynamic topographical forms within the landscape design.

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grasshopper script

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Based on the scanned distortion data, the script generated geometric deformation, transforming the original planar surfaces into a series of varied topographical forms.

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G-CODE path

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+CNC wood stimulation TO CARVE OUT THE SPACE (design)

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Based on previously generated topographical surfaces, CNC G-code was produced to translate the digital models into a physical fabrication process. The six terrain pieces were then fabricated through CNC milling, enabling the digitally generated landscape forms to be tested as material prototypes. In this process, the routes were embedded into the terrain surfaces, allowing each model to represent not only the variation of slope and deformation, but also the spatial logic of movement across the landscape. This fabrication stage helped bridge the gap between computational analysis and physical modelling, transforming route data and topographical deformation into a tangible design output.

Cartographic Void

By using different CNC cutting tools, the fabrication process simulated varied excavation methods, surface conditions, and material removal strategies.

The size and weight of each carved terrain piece were controlled so that the removed material could be measured and reused within the landscape and underground canal system.

This process therefore works not only as a simulation of topographical deformation, but also as a test of material redistribution. Excavated material is measured, collected, and re-applied within the building and landscape, rather than treated as waste.

2026 BOLOGNA CENTRE MAP ROUTE

1300 BOLOGNA CENTRE MAP ROUTE

0–1°: Almost gentle slope, suitable for all ages 1–3°: Slight slope, comfortable for most people 3–5°: Becomes more sensitive for children, the elderly, stroller users, and wheelchair users >5°: Should be carefully reviewed and not suitable as a primary accessible route for long distances in daily life.

The 3–5° range roughly corresponds to several key ratios in the UK document: 1:60 ≈ 0.95° 1:40 ≈ 1.43° 1:20 ≈ 2.86° 1:15 ≈ 3.81° 1:12 ≈ 4.76°

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route 1 0–1° 1–3° 3–5° >5°

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Analyze of the Document K (make the design "compliant" with the regulations)

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In practice, this type of guidance is often treated as a default route to demonstrating compliance. Where the relevant measures are consistent with the document, there is usually a presumption that the corresponding requirement has been met. This presumption, however, is not absolute. Following the guidance does not in itself guarantee that the final outcome is sufficient or appropriate, and responsibility may still arise where the completed work presents risk. The document therefore remains guidance in nature: it offers a commonly accepted pathway to compliance, rather than an automatic exemption from responsibility.

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Statutory guidance

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follow the requirements to make my design legal

Software Work Flow

Part 1 SELF INVESTIGATION

system setup

software: ENSCAPE

The project used a Meta Quest Pro headset with Enscape to create an immersive VR navigation and testing environment. Based on safety and accessibility criteria developed from Document K, the VR system was adapted to evaluate the landscape in real time during navigation. The system checks key spatial conditions, including step height, drop height, surface clearance, and walkable surface angles. When these conditions exceed the defined thresholds, a red warning mechanism is triggered, allowing potential safety risks to be clearly identified within the VR environment. In this way, the VR setup functions not only as a visualisation tool, but also as an analytical platform for testing the feasibility of the proposed landscape.

model platform

vr ajustment platform

Hardware Setup Controller 1

Headset

Controller 2 Climbing a step more than 25cm is considered dangerous A drop height difference more than 60cm is considered dangerous The maximum clearance between adjacent surfaces on a plane is recommended to be 10-20cm Face normal threshold for near-horizontal top surfaces Unit conversion 1: Depth Wheel 2: Spring Loaded Straps 3: Power Button 4: Audio Jack 5: Fit Wheel 6: Lens Spacing 7: Volume 8: Light Blockers (Magnetic)

1: Quest Button 2: Charging Port 3: Trigger Button 4: Thumbstick 5: Action Button 6: Thumbpad 7: Menu Button 8: Grip Button 9: [Placeholder name] Stylus Tips 10: Wrist Strap

META quest pro

RED Error reporting mechanism

Headset

Controller

Real-time experience and feedback landscape

Adjustable character parameters Based on the draft park routes, the project develops a first-person simulation to test navigation, spatial experience, and user interaction within the unbalanced building landscape. Through an immersive VR environment, participants are brought into the proposed landscape and are able to explore it through live interaction. This method shifts the evaluation process from a purely visual or representational analysis to an embodied spatial test, in which users can directly experience changes in slope, height, orientation, and accessibility. As a result, the VR simulation becomes a tool for assessing how the landscape performs in relation to human movement, perception, and safety.

View the map in real time while browsing.

VR RED Error reporting mechanism

Specify teleport location

Control the light by adjusting the sunlight in real time

Part 1 SELF INVESTIGATION

system setup software: ENSCAPE

The entire generated landscape was tested through continuous VR navigation and real-time detection. As the user moved through the terrain, the system checked it against predefined safety and accessibility criteria.Non-compliant areas were automatically marked, allowing problematic moments to be identified and refined in the next stage of design development.

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Part 1 SELF INVESTIGATION

system setup software: ENSCAPE

Through addition and modification, the generated landscape was refined to meet the minimum criteria defined by the VR detection system. Selected areas were adjusted to reduce unsafe height differences, improve route continuity, and support smoother navigation.This stage establishes a safe baseline condition rather than a final landscape form. It provides the foundation for subsequent allage testing, where accessibility, comfort, and spatial experience can be evaluated across children, elderly users, and other groups.

Revised Railings and Handrails

ADJUSTED CNC Model Massing Iteration

scale 1:100

Road(Street) Index 2 44°29'52.80"N 11°20'46.58"E Via Guglielmo Oberdan

44°29'52.70"N 11°20'52.30"E Via delle moline 44°29'52.70"N 11°20'52.30"E Via delle Oche 44°29'43.93"N 11°20'50.61"E Via del Caro 44°29'45.96"N 11°20'52.11"E Via Vodonica 44°29'46.29"N 11°20'56.40"E Via Marsala 44°29'47.38"N 11°21'00.18"E Largo Respiggi 44°29'42.78"N 11°20'50.43"E Via S.Siemon 44°29'42.78"N 11°20'50.43"E Via Canonica

44°29'45.35"N 11°20'59.09"E Via Zamboni 44°29'41.44"N 11°20'48.04"E Via De'guide

44°29'42.78"N 11°20'52.20"E Via Zamboni 44°29'38.79"N 11°20'52.83"E Via Castel Tialto 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Viccolo Fatossi 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Viccolo Fatossi 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Via Guido Reni 44°29'38.19"N 11°21'06.28"E Via Ardrovandi

Road(Street) Index 1 44°29'39.05"N 11°20'48.91"E Via di porta Revegnana 44°29'41.20"N 11°20'35.40"E Via Rizzoli 44°29'40.72"N 11°20'25.86"E Via dei Terribilia 44°29'35.06"N 11°20'44.55"E Via Clavaturi

44°29'37.52"N 11°20'51.56"E Str.Maggire

44°29'35.96"N 11°20'42.39"E Dra Perrie 44°29'41.23"N 11°20'27.44"E Via Giacomo Venezian

44°29'34.82"N 11°20'46.20"E Via Calvature

44°29'39.34"N 11°20'33.12"E Piazza del Nettuno 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'40.70"E Via degli Orifici

44°29'34.91"N 11°20'47.57"E Via Sampeiri

44°29'36.76"N 11°20'34.77"E Piazza Maggiore

44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Via Ardrovandi

44°29'39.26"N 11°20'40.57"E degli Artiaeri 44°29'30.32"N 11°20'34.92"E Pizza Galvani 44°29'35.96"N 11°20'32.05"E Via de'Pignattari 44°29'35.14"N 11°20'33.67"E Via d'Azeglio

44°29'32.78"N 11°20'46.85"E Castiglione

44°29'35.09"N 11°20'36.96"E V. dell'Archiginassio 44°29'32.62"N 11°20'32.56"E Vicolo columbina 44°29'33.41"N 11°20'43.09"E Via de Toschi 44°29'33.54"N 11°20'46.88"E Castiglione 44°29'28.91"N 11°20'32.90"E Via Farini 44°29'35.53"N 11°20'40.43"E Via Demusei 44°29'27.54"N 11°20'37.28"E P.za Cavour 44°29'25.73"N 11°20'36.40"E Vicolo Barbazzi 44°29'34.95"N 11°20'47.76"E Via Sampeiri

44°29'25.24"N 11°20'59.79"E Via Sento Stifanno

ADJUSTED CNC Model Massing Iteration

scale 1:100

ENTRENCE 3 Entrance 3 is the main public entrance, with multiple smaller access points to accommodate different users.

ENTRENCE 2

Entrance 2 connects the nearby shops with the park, requiring a gentle slope and a more inviting underground entrance.

ENTRENCE 1 Entrance 1 is located on the Via Galliera side, set on the pedestrian pavement and close to the adjacent buildings. This area receives more shade and functions as the second main entrance from the north.

The building contains various daily services, including groceries, cafés, books and magazines.

Place of the former Church Gesù e Maria Posizione di ex Chiesa Gesù e Maria

This area is more sunken and private, with more shade, while still connecting to the public space. It can serve as an archive room with public engagement functions.

P.za XX Settembre

This area is relatively private, allowing for potential kindergarten expansion while remaining connected to the wider park.

This area is more open, with better views and a balanced slope that is both accessible and spatially dynamic. It can better connect the public realm and serve as a park service space or café.

Porta Galliera

Entrance 4 is relatively narrow and serves as a more private connecting entrance.

ENTRENCE 4

Entrance 5 serves as the second main entrance, receiving most visitors from the south with a gentle slope.

ENTRENCE 5

ENTRENCE 6 Entrance 6 also connects with the surrounding buildings and should be well integrated while remaining visually inviting.

First-person perspective within the unbalanced CNC landscape.

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Design pierence x E e c n Unbale Pluralistic Expirence

Design self)

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Entertainme nt Area (diffe rent ages)

BUILDINGS PARK "CAFE"

PLAN ARCHIVE (public and staff)

SMALL SCALE FRAGMENTS MANCRAFT (kingdergarden)

A standard-scale model of the building (shaped like an arch) is embedded outside the municipal compound.

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Prototype 01- Park Café

Prototype 01- Kindergarten Extension: Craft and Workshop Room

These distinctive local architectural fragments were combined with references to vaulted structures to form the initial prototypes of the three buildings.

Prototype 03- Exhibition and Drawing Workshop Space

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Exhibition and Drawing Workshop Space

Kindergarten Extension: Craft and Workshop Room

The previously developed compliance-based VR testing system was informed by Approved Document K and Approved Document M.

The integrated plan and overall 3D park model show the spatial organisation of the design, combining circulation, building fragments, terrain, and the wider park.

Park Café

Do You Want To Join EGG PARK ?

The Egg Park as a Participant-Activated Design Game ! Ready?

loose script: a board-game-like system of rules

A Feedback-Based System of Testing, Adjustment, and Spatial Interaction

traversing the plan an open-ended and adaptable system a set of rules and relationships

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Relations Florian Idenburg

While traversing the plan the objective is to discover and examine its relationships. The building is the extrusion of a systematically and rigorously optimized plan.

SANAA’s architecture can be understood as a system of game-like rules rather than a fixed system of predetermined routes.

As Idenburg suggests, SANAA’s plan is not merely a conventional organiser of programme, but a carefully constructed framework for human relationships, actions, and choices. Users are not forced to follow a single prescribed path; instead, they are given the freedom to move through space, select their own trajectories, and discover spatial relationships through use.

This research understands the landscape in a similar way: not as a fixed circulation system, but as a loose script through which users reveal different spatial relationships through navigation, gaze, and deviation.

The design process therefore does not aim to determine a final and closed result.

Rather, it accommodates changing needs and behavioural feedback. Instead of searching for an absolute optimum, the project develops through a process of testing, changing, and retesting, allowing the design to be continuously adjusted in response to how people actually behave within the space.

Isamu Noguchi Playground

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fostering (not forcing)

The user can roam freely between these different zones and see people enjoylng their surroundings.

A park only succeeds as an environment through activation by its user.

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audience participation

Software Work Flow

The Egg Park as a Participant-Activated Design Game ! Ready? 04

loose script: a board-game-like system of rules

A Feedback-Based System of Testing, Adjustment, and Spatial Interaction

traversing the plan an open-ended and adaptable system a set of rules and relationships

SOFTWARE: Vizard Sightlab Testing Mode

model platform

After contacting Vizard by email, I held three meetings with the project manager to adapt the basic VR programme for all-age user testing.

The main upgrades included scene collision, gravity, and accessibility settings such as eye height, movement speed, and walkable slope.

These changes helped create a more suitable VR testing system for children, adults, and elderly participants.

people work with: Sado Rabaudi is a Product Manager at WorldViz, where he works on Vizard and related virtual reality solutions, with a focus on product development and applied VR workflows. (online meeting)

Hardware Setup Controller 1

Headset

VR navigation and eye tracking experiment platform

Grasshopper helps to back-analyze data in the model

Andrew Beall is the co-founder and Chief Scientist of WorldViz. He has a background in cognitive science and virtual reality research, including postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). (Emial)

Controller 2

RUNING SCRIPT

Increase scene collision Establish the gravity of the scene Participant accessibility: eye height, speed, walkable slope

META quest pro EYE TRACKING SYSTEM

https://sadlyinreality.com/the-final-meta-quest-proanalysis/

The Egg Park as a Participant-Activated Design Game ! Ready? 03

loose script: a board-game-like system of rules

A Feedback-Based System of Testing, Adjustment, and Spatial Interaction

traversing the plan an open-ended and adaptable system a set of rules and relationships

Participant in the VR environment

test model 01

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attention intensity

movement routes

attention focus points

eye-movement direction

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The upgraded VR system was tested in a previously generated fragment environment to check whether the new functions could support navigation and accessibility evaluation. The test focused on scene collision, gravity, and user-specific settings, including eye height, movement speed, and walkable slope. All functions were successfully activated, confirming that the system could provide a more physically grounded testing environment for the next stage of all-age user evaluation.

The Egg Park as a Participant-Activated Design Game ! Ready? 02

loose script: a board-game-like system of rules

A Feedback-Based System of Testing, Adjustment, and Spatial Interaction

traversing the plan an open-ended and adaptable system a set of rules and relationships

timestamp (secs) combined eye intersect x combined eye yaw left eye intersect x combined eye intersect y combined eye pitch left eye intersect y combined eye intersect z combined eye roll left eye intersect z

right eye intersect x right eye intersect y right eye intersect z

head x head y head z

fixation status delta gaze angle (deg) delta gaze velocity (deg/sec)

TASK

Model calibration

Eye tracking calibration

A Grasshopper script was developed to integrate eye-tracking data into the spatial analysis process. In plan view, it helps analyse participants’ routes, visual attention, and decision-making across the landscape. The same data can also be mapped onto the 3D model, linking 2D route analysis with 3D spatial experience.

Gaze Point

navigation

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN 0

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The Egg Park as a Participant-Activated Design Game ! Ready? 01

loose script: a board-game-like system of rules

A Feedback-Based System of Testing, Adjustment, and Spatial Interaction

traversing the plan an open-ended and adaptable system a set of rules and relationships

The visual characteristics of different age groups were considered for all-age testing, including eye level, field of view, visual range, and colour perception. These factors helped refine the landscape for children, adults, and elderly users. Blender was also used to adjust material qualities such as colour, texture, reflectivity, and surface finish, allowing the virtual landscape to be tested through both spatial and visual experience.

child mode Approx. age range: 3–12 years old

Middle-aged mode Approx. age range: 20–54years old

Elderly mode Approx. age range: 65 years and older

blender adjust the tecture and color

VR EYE TRACKING PLATFORM

Participant Sheet / TEC Course Study

The Egg Park as a Participant-Activated Design Game ! Ready? 00

loose script: a board-game-like system of rules

A Feedback-Based System of Testing, Adjustment, and Spatial Interaction

traversing the plan

Marr’s theory suggests that people do not understand space immediately as “architecture”; they first read low-level visual cues, then organise them into spatial structures, and finally make behavioural decisions. Therefore, my eye-tracking test asks whether changes in visual cues can change how participants read, move through, and occupy the Egg Park.

an open-ended and adaptable system

Do You Want to Join The Egg Park?

VR Park Experience and Eye-Tracking Participation Instructions

a set of rules and relationships

This test focuses: how people explore an unbalenced EGG PARK surface under different accessibility conditions, and observes how design cues such as color, material, and path cues affect movement and attention. Please complete the task: There is no correct answer.

What I will record:

Please note:

• Your gaze direction and fixation position (eye-tracking data)

• Please act naturally; there is no need to deliberately search for the "correct answer."

• Your movement path, dwell points, time spent, and completion status in the space • Differences in your route choices across different design versions • The system doesn't test "whether you're right or wrong," but rather helps us understand how design influences movement and attention.

• If you experience dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, or eye strain, please stop immediately and inform the researcher.

• You can pause or end the test at any time.

• If you do not understand the task, please ask a question before starting.

Task instructions (Please complete in order) your Height: Your Age:

Marr’s theory informs the task structure Free exploration tests what attracts attention without instruction.

Navigation task tests whether visual cues help route finding.

Different design versions test whether one visual change affects behaviour.

Experience task tests how perception supports stopping, viewing, and inhabiting.

• A. Calibration and Familiarization with Controls: Complete eye-tracking calibration as instructed by the researcher; familiarize yourself with moving forward, turning, and stopping.

1-2 min

• B. Free Exploration: Explore the surface naturally without additional prompts. Explore the park in your own way.

2 min

• C. Navigation task: After hearing the task, walk from the starting point to the designated destination (e.g., "Find the cafe within 1 minute" or "Reach the other side of the site"). You might repeat this task 2-3 times, but the environment(color,texture)will change each time.

3-4 min

• D. Different versions of action abilities: You may repeat the same task 2–3 times, but each time there will be different action ability settings. Treat each time as a new experience.

• E. Experience / Architectural Perception Task: Choose a location in the site or building that you feel is suitable for staying, viewing the architecture, resting, or observing the light, and stay there for a moment to observe your surroundings.

After the test, please answer briefly: 1. Which path was the easiest to understand?

Why? 3-4 min

1-2 min

2. Was there any color, texture, light, or marker that made you want to go in a certain direction?

3. When and where did you hesitate, pause, or feel uncertain, and repeatedly look at the path?

4. Where do you feel it's a good place to stop, observe, or rest? Why?

The Egg Park is now OPEN !

START

Indoor testing Location: UCL Bartlett, 22 Gordon St Main source of test participants: my classmates and tutors 2nd floor landing / 3rd floor landing Room 3.08s, 2.08s

The display screen allowed me to observe the participant’s actions and behaviour within the VR environment.

A. Calibration and Familiarization

B. Free Exploration

C. Navigation task D. Different versions of action abilities

set up for the test The controller was used by the participant to move around and navigate within the VR environment.

E. Experience / Architectural Perception Task

The Egg Park is now OPEN !

START

Outdoor testing Location: Cumberland Market St. Playground, NW1 3RH Main source of test participants: Netley Primary School, Netley Campus, 74 Stanhope St, London NW1 3EX Time: around 4:20 p.m.

(Before this test, I visited the testing site twice to assess the location, mainly observing the main users of the site and the primary school pick-up times.)

Regent’s Park Children’s Centre, NW1 3TJ test location

Netley Primary School, Netley Campus, 74 Stanhope St, London NW1 3EX

set up for the test

The Egg Park is now OPEN !

START

Outdoor testing Location: Cumberland Market St. Playground, NW1 3RH Main source of test participants: Netley Primary School, Netley Campus, 74 Stanhope St, London NW1 3EX

The participants were primary school children aged 10 and above, mainly from upper primary school age groups. Children under 10 were excluded from the VR headset testing because Meta Quest Pro are designed for users aged 10+, and Meta’s official guidance states that children under 10 cannot use these devices. This participant selection ensured that the testing process followed the manufacturer’s age guidance and reduced potential safety and ethical concerns. For children aged 10–12, parental consent and adult supervision were required during the testing process.

Time: around 4:20 p.m.

(Before this test, I visited the testing site twice to assess the location, mainly observing the main users of the site and the primary school pick-up times.)

The test was fully organised and conducted by me, while my flatmate helped record the video footage and audio.

Before the test, I randomly approached children and their parents or guardians. I provided them with my test overview and procedure sheet that I had prepared, explaining that the whole test would take no more than 15 minutes. I also made it clear that parents or guardians could stay with the children throughout the test. In particular, I emphasised that the test would be video-recorded, and only proceeded after receiving permission from both the parent/guardian and the child.

During the testing process, I provided additional support to the children to help them understand the task and engage with the experience. At the same time, I recorded key observations, as well as the eye-tracking data captured by the device, for use in the later stages of the research.

At first, I made several attempts to invite participants, but many of them declined. The main reason was that they were unfamiliar with VR equipment and felt unsure about using it.

For the later groups, I adjusted the testing order. Instead of inviting the children to try the VR experience first, I asked the parents or guardians to test it first so that they could understand how the VR system worked. After they became familiar with the interaction logic, the children were invited to take part only if the parent or guardian gave permission and the child was also willing to participate.

During the participant recruitment process, I noticed that, because it was around primary school pick-up time, many children were being collected by older adults, such as grandparents. This made it easier and more convenient to recruit elderly participants for the later stage of the testing.

TASK 1 The test with elderly participants shows a clear link between gaze behaviour and navigation choice. Before selecting a route, participants scanned the surrounding paths and compared their options. They tended to choose closer, shorter routes with gentler gradients. Their gaze movements were also stable and controlled, suggesting a cautious navigation strategy. These findings highlight the need for clear routes, gentle slopes, and visually readable paths in all-age landscape design.

3-D Non Baked

Baked

The walking habits of the elderly are evident on most paths; they pay more attention to the path beneath their feet as they walk.

Baked

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN 0

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20 m

Testing Volunteer: Meihong Yu

Age: 68

Age group: eldly people

Speed: 0.9m/s

Max walkable slope = 8°

This green section of the path selection shows that due to the accessbillity setting, he could not take the slope greater than 2.3 and instead chose another, gentler path.

TASK 1 The test with child participants shows that their gaze patterns were less directly linked to route choice than those of elderly participants. Their attention moved broadly across the environment, suggesting a more exploratory mode of perception. Children tended to choose playful, steeper, and more dynamic routes, with several participants attracted to similar paths. This suggests that their movement decisions were shaped more by curiosity, play, and spatial experience than by efficiency.

3-D Non Baked

This pattern was not only found in Xiaotian’s test.

Other child participants also tended to scan the surrounding environment from a greater distance than elderly participants, resulting in more dispersed gaze maps.

3-D Non Baked

Baked

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN 0

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8

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20 m

Testing Volunteer: Xiao Tian Age: 11 Age group: Children

Speed: 1.4m/s

Max walkable slope = 18°

2

1

b

5

b wandering path

c

5

3

5

All children in the study selected the path with the greatest slope variation, as well as other paths with similarly large slope changes.

In the same choice context, children consistently selected the narrower and steeper path.

This clearly reflects a preference for the gentler path due to accessibility limitations.

C accessibility limitation

It can be observed that all participants chose to traverse these two deviation paths, and their gaze patterns exhibited clear intentionality.

3

Testing Volunteer: Emily Age: 13

4

Testing Volunteer: Bennett Age: 67

2

1

4

At this point, where two paths emerged, participants’ movement trajectories showed evident deviations and backtracking, with their gaze shifting between the two locations. This suggests that they were hesitating and making decisions at this point.

a wandering path

Here, their gaze was initially concentrated on the narrow and steep path, but they ultimately chose to walk along the adjacent route.

Testing Volunteer: John Age: 11

4

3

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN ANALYZE

Testing Volunteer: Amina Age: 64

a

Deviation Routes

Older adults at this location consistently chose this wide and gently sloping path.

3

Routes

2

Testing Volunteer: Xiao Tian Age: 11

4

5

Navigation

Testing Volunteer: Meihong Yu Age: 68

2

1

Gaze Point

1

TASK 1

TASK 2 This is used to illustrate the participant’s observation environment within the VR world, as well as how changes in variables affect the environment.

CONTROL VARIABLES geometry colour

texture

Participants settings

+

S

E

S

W

N

E

W

N

This is the café model within the VR environment, designed to stand out more clearl y from the surrounding context within the participant’s field of view.

Ioana Drogeanu age: 27

Nicole Xu age: 21

Hugo Loydell age: 28

3.0

render view 1

CONTROL VARIABLES geometry colour

texture

gaze heatmap

geometry being focused

0.5

Participants settings

1 2

starting point

2 3

1 2 3 4

entering point

3 4

4

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN 0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20 m

Participant 1

gaze points

Participant 2

gaze points

Participant 3

gaze points

This page uses the previously developed Grasshopper script to convert participants’ eye-tracking data and navigation routes into plan-based drawings. These drawings are then analysed together with 3D views and eye-tracking data to understand participants’ movement patterns, viewing directions, and attention focus within the architectural environment.

This shows the environment in front of the café entrance within the VR environment, where participants identified and assessed the entrance.

glass

door

A particularly interesting finding is that both participants positioned near the entrance were drawn towards the volume with distinctive geometry, moving to the glass wall instead of entering through the actual entrance.

Upon spawning at the starting point, participants’ gaze was immediately drawn, in under one second, to the protruding café structure.

door

glass

2.7s

32.7s

35.5s 37.1s

43.7s

42.9s

Strong visual fixation on geometric features

TASK 2 This is used to illustrate the participant’s observation environment within the VR world, as well as how changes in variables affect the environment.

CONTROL VARIABLES geometry colour

texture

Participants settings

+

S

E

S

W

N

E

W

N This shows the colour-highlighted effect of the predefined movement route within the participant’s field of view in the VR environment.

INVESTIGATION STUDY preview

CONTROL VARIABLES geometry colour

texture

gaze collection

Participants settings

+ Ioana Drogeanu age: 27

Nicole Xu age: 21

Hugo Loydell age: 28

gaze dwelling

starting point

3.0

0.5

1

2

3

entering point

3.84s

1 0.16s

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN 0

2

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20 m

Participant 1

gaze points

Participant 2

gaze points

Participant 3

gaze points

2

3 bright orange

TASK 2 This is used to illustrate the participant’s observation environment within the VR world, as well as how changes in variables affect the environment.

CONTROL VARIABLES geometry colour

texture

Participants settings

+

S

S

E

W

N

E

W

N This shows the textured effect of the predefined movement route within the participant’s field of view in the VR environment.

INVESTIGATION STUDY preview

CONTROL VARIABLES geometry colour

texture

gaze collection

Participants settings

+ Ioana Drogeanu age: 27

Nicole Xu age: 21

Hugo Loydell age: 28

gaze dwelling

starting point 3.0

0.5

1

2 The function becomes ineffective at longer distances.

entering point

At longer viewing distances, the special surface material has a reduced effect on participants’ visual attention.

EYE TRACKING NAVIGATION PLAN 0

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20 m

Participant 1

gaze points

Participant 2

gaze points

Participant 3

gaze points

1 Texture Route Building Part

2

0.10s 3.90s

Based on the previous studies of geometry, colour, and texture, the findings were simplified into a set of visual-attention rules.

Directional geometries showed the strongest ability to focus attention and guide sightlines, especially at longer distances of approximately 5 to 28 metres. Bright colours also had a strong signalling effect, particularly at close range within around 1.5 metres. Detailed textures provided weaker but still noticeable visual guidance, especially when compared with smooth surfaces.

+

+ + + +

+ ++ 1.41m

Perceptual Nudging 1-Geometry

Perceptual Nudging 2-long distence -Color

Perceptual Nudging 3-Short distence (1.5m) -Texture

PN-1

PN-2

PN-3

The protective measures added in this area were developed based on the previous VR testing informed by Approved Document K.

Summer 6.21 18:00

Entrence 02 render

Perceptual Nudging 2-long distence -Color Perceptual Nudging 3-Short distence (1.5m) -Texture

PN-2 PN-3 PN-1

Perceptual Nudging 1-Geometry

Egg park entrance 02 design

Initial Design Application An initial attempt was made to design an entrance with a clear perceptual nudging / fostering function, combining the surrounding context with the previously studied strategies of visual guidance and spatial perception.

Visual inclination A participant’s path inclination can be inferred from a combination of earlier first fixation, longer cumulative dwell time, more revisits, and increased gaze concentration toward a path-related AOI before locomotor commitment.

+ + +

1. Seen earlier: shorter first gaze latency.

Which path participants look at first upon entering the scene often indicates which path is more likely to become a decision candidate.

2. To see for longer: the total dwell time / fixation time is longer.

Head

1

3

4

3. Repeated Review: revisiting the route more often.

A truly preferred route is often not reviewed only once, but rather repeatedly checked back and forth.

4. Focus your attention on it more intently as getting closer to the action.

If the proportion of your gaze on a particular path increases significantly just before you make a moving.

Behavioral commitment

Third-person perspective First-person perspective

Drogeanu age: 27

SYMBOL

Testing Volunteer: Ioana

INVESTIGATION RESULT high-frequency locations for children high-frequency routes for children

1

high-frequency locations for eldly people

A

A

high-frequency deviation routes(Inclination)

2

C

3

D

4

B

Te s t i n g Vo l u n t e e r :

high-frequency routes for eldly people

high-frequency dwelling points

Nicole Xu age: 21

wondering location

Inclination to climb up

5

A 6 9

6

C

7

D

8

E

9

A

10

B

8

5

2

3

D

7 Testing Volunteer: Emily Age: 13

The results were then further integrated with the findings from the interaction tests involving the façade and surrounding environment. Through this process, the relationship between user behaviour, age-specific spatial tendencies, and architectural/environmental elements could be compared and organised more clearly.Based on these combined findings, a series of diagrams and charts were produced to visualise the testing results and reveal the patterns of interaction between participants, the façade, and the surrounding environment.

These analytical drawings provide a foundation for the later refinement of material allocation, helping to determine where and how different material panels should be applied.

C

1 4

By combining the preliminary investigation and findings from the navigation task in Test 1, the plan was further refined according to the testing results from different age groups.

This helped to identify how participants of different ages responded to spatial guidance, route organisation, and environmental cues within the designed scenario.

Loydell age: 28

10

B

Testing Volunteer: Xiao Tian Age: 11

Test Model

Testing Volunteer: Hugo

Inclination to slide down

E

0

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16

20 m

INVESTIGATION RESULT

SYMBOL

high-frequency locations for children high-frequency routes for children high-frequency locations for eldly people high-frequency routes for eldly people high-frequency deviation routes(Inclination)

Ground Texture Most of the ground surface is finished with white paving tiles. This is intended to make the colour and material adjustments within the park more visible, while also allowing the landscape to better match the surrounding architectural context.

The area with the highest frequency of child activity is planned as a sand play zone.

The purple area is planned as a landscape seating zone, providing a resting space for elderly users.

Derived from the methodology of the egg drawing machine, both the landscape and the architectural façade naturally acquire dual curvatures.

Materially, stone is selected as the primary medium because of its latent connection to the egg, as both share the same chemical basis of calcium carbonate, CaCO3.

+

“Rocks on Wheels” is a regional public art playground located on Wurrundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, forming part of one of the City of Melbourne’s largest open-space transformation projects in recent years. This case study primarily examines how CNC fabrication and the design of stone surfaces are used to enable people to interact with the work.

+

6

Rocks On Wheels 2022 Dimensions Vary Bluestone boulders, bouncy bluestone (rubber-flooring), HDPE lid, 316 steel, wheel assembly, various Southbank, Naarm (Melbourne)

+

+

MACHINE A CNC bridge saw

MACHINE B 5-6-axis robotic CNC milling arm

curvature: 2.54

curvature: 2.80

Digital-double curvature

Digital-double curvature

Front Section

Front Section

Machine:quarry cutting + bridge saw Tool: diamond circular saw blade, approx. Ø600–900mm Operation: block extraction + slab reduction

Cut logic: First, cut the large quarry stones into rectangular blocks that can be machined by CNC. At this stage, don't focus on detail; only establish the maximum outer contour and thickness.

interchangeable cutting bits for the robotic arm

Quarry block

0-0

01—stone block reduction

+

+

The park routes are constructed from a combination of polished and unpolished stone blocks. The surface grid of each block is calibrated according to the slope and the accessibility requirements of different age groups: the steeper the slope, the denser and deeper the grid becomes, in order to enhance friction and tactile grip. Once the slope exceeds 5 degrees, the material transitions to rubber, and the geometry becomes more playful in character.

machine: CNC bridge saw tool: Ø600–900mm diamond circular saw blade operation: primary block cutting / slab subdivision

02 — datum surface cutting machine: bridge saw + CNC face cutter tool: Ø100–150mm diamond face cutter operation: flattening / datum surface cutting

route 1 0–1° 1–3° 3–5° >5°

03 — rough topographic milling machine: 6-axis robotic CNC milling arm tool: Ø20mm diamond flat endmill operation: rough milling / topographic roughing

04 A— curved surface finishing machine: 6-axis robotic CNC milling arm tool: Ø8–10mm diamond ball-nose endmill operation: surface finishing / curvature smoothing

CNC-5

CNC-6

PLASTER

04 B— coarse surface finishing

+

+

machine: 6-axis robotic CNC milling arm tool: Ø8–10mm diamond ball-nose endmill operation: coarse finishing / tool-marked surface milling

routes in the park

05 A— surface polishing machine: robotic polishing arm / CNC polishing head tool: Ø100–125mm diamond polishing pad operation: polishing / surface smoothing

F-2

05 B— grid cutting into rough surface machine: 6-axis robotic CNC milling arm tool: Ø4–6mm diamond flat endmill operation: grid cutting / shallow groove cutting

A

rough limestone

CNC-5

06 A— grid engraving machine: 6-axis robotic CNC milling arm tool: Ø4–6mm diamond flat endmill operation: grid engraving / shallow groove cutting

06 B— dust removal only machine: compressed air / water cleaning tool: air nozzle / water jet rinse operation: dust removal / cleaning only

B

polished limestone

CNC-6

Based on the visual-attention principles identified in the previous tests, specifically the studies of geometry, texture, and colour, and combined with further research into CNC fabrication and material properties, I developed a customised material panel system.

This system is intended to modify the façade and street environment according to the interaction behaviours and spatial tendencies of participants from different age groups, as identified through the earlier testing process.

Perceptual Nudging 1-Geometry

Perceptual Nudging 2-long distence -Color

Perceptual Nudging 2-Short distence (≤ 1.5m) -Texture

PN-1

PN-2

PN-3

APPLY BOARD Approach

CNC-1

CNC-2

CNC-3

CNC-4

CNC-5

CNC-6

Illustration

Approach

Illustration

B-1

B-2

B-3

F-1

F-2

V-1

V-2

V-3

route 1

INCLINNATION ANALYZE

route 2

inclination moment

eye gaze point

inclination moment 1

inclination moment 2

inclination moment 1

inclination moment 3

inclination moment 3 inclination moment 2

CNC-5 F-2 V-2 CNC-5 CNC-6 B-2 CNC-6

V-3

B-1

F-1

V-3

V-3 CNC-1 V-3

B-2

CNC-1

V-3

V-3

1

2

3

limestone (sheet) 20mm) A thin limestone sheet forms the upper roof and curved façade surface. It works as a continuous protective skin while keeping the material visually light and segmented.

The use of limestone also connects the building material to calcium carbonate, creating an indirect relationship with the egg-based design method.

1

ceramic tile The ceramic tiles are applied as a repeated surface layer across the curved roof. Their small-scale modular pattern allows the roof to adapt to changing curvature while creating a textured, tactile surface. This layer also helps express direction, rhythm, and visual movement across the building envelope.

Curved beam splice connection

Two curved timber beam segments are joined by concealed steel splice plates. Vertical bolts pass through the timber and steel plates, allowing the separate curved pieces to work as one continuous structural member.

1

2 wood shaped structure The shaped timber ribs act as a secondary structural system beneath the roof surface. They support the ceramic tiles and limestone panels while defining the doublecurved geometry generated from the egg drawing machine method.

3

2 The reinforced concrete frame forms the main load-bearing structure of the building. It supports the internal spaces, vertical walls, and upper roof system, while providing stability for the curved architectural form.

Timber cross-beam connection

The secondary timber beam is fixed into the main curved beam with a steel bracket and side plates. Horizontal bolts lock the members together and resist movement at the intersection.

concrete

sandstone (shaped) Through CNC cutting and surface shaping, the sandstone becomes both a construction material and an interactive landscape element.

3

Timber post-to-beam connection

The vertical timber post supports the roof beam through a steel head plate and bolted bracket. Loads are transferred from the curved roof beam into the post and down to the base plate.

1

In the development of the roof and façade construction, particular attention was given to joint design and the logic of assembly. The key challenge was to introduce a more rational and stable construction system while maintaining the continuity of the curved geometry. By studying how structural members, joints, and surface layers can work together, the design attempts to translate the continuous curvature into a buildable architectural system without compromising its formal integrity.

2

3

4

1

60/40 mm timber sections on supports

2

double layer bituminous sheet welded

3

2-ply bituminous membrane

4

fire protection membrane

5

20 mm sheathing

6

45/70 mm counter-battens

7

28/70 mm battens

8

windproof membrane

9

45/45 mm counter-battens + 4 × 45/45 mm battens, bolted connections

10

grid shell, spruce LVL

11

19 mm solid spruce wood panel

12

195 mm mineral wool thermal insulation

13

segmented edge beam, spruce LVL

14 15

external stone cladding plate between stone brackets insulation glazing

16 17 18

aluminium frame

19 20

raised deck pine

6

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11 12 13

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14 15

21

floor vent

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intake air

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exhaust air

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25/110 mm spruce floorboards

25

4 × 15 mm plywood panel, adhesive bonding

26

2 × 45/170 mm raised timber beams

27

100 mm mineral wool insulation between the beams

28

25/48 mm sheathing / boarding support

29

380 mm installation space

30

260 mm reinforced concrete slab

31

3 × 100 mm rigid thermal insulation

24 25 26 27

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17 18

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TASK 3 Spetial Task: Please locate the exit and escape from the smoke-filled environment as quickly as possible.

left eye intersect x y z

combined eye intersect

right eye intersect x y z

preparation

The risk in this project comes from the combination of vulnerable users and challenging environmental conditions. Older adults may have reduced mobility, slower reaction times, and weaker spatial perception. At the same time, the site is unfamiliar and difficult to navigate. When fog or smoke reduces visibility, spatial cues become less clear, increasing the risk of disorientation, incorrect judgement, and delayed evacuation.

first-person perspective

Event Dates

third-person perspective

February 27: Anniversary of the Founding of the National Fire Brigade

This study uses firefighters’ movement in low-visibility environments as a reference, alongside Bologna’s children’s firefighter experience programme. In smoke-filled interiors, firefighters often move in pairs, following wall lines and using touch to identify surfaces, doors, handles, and openings. This provides a framework for studying how people navigate when vision is restricted. The project therefore examines not only evacuation awareness, but also how users occupy, understand, and move through low-visibility space.

Our studio adopts investigative practices developed by Forensic Architecture in order to map the effects of tear gas in the city and to analyse how the system of architecture presents itself as an accomplice, weaponised by the choreography of the clashes between police and protesters.

In technical terms, the visual condition is simulated through smoke obstructing the participant’s field of view, while tactile feedback is represented by a 20 cm backward displacement upon contact with a wall. Together, these mechanisms are used to approximate real-life conditions within the simulation.

TASK 3 Preliminary smoke calculations and preparations

volume Major-axis diameter: 15.5890 m

The dissertation also makes a clear distinction between artificial fog and actual fire smoke. Artificial fog may be used as a medium through which visibility thresholds and spatial legibility can be investigated, whereas real fire smoke is toxic and therefore cannot be treated as an environment for direct experiential engagement. The study is therefore framed as an exploration of perception and navigation in lowvisibility conditions. In this sense, it addresses concerns over visibility in high-risk scenarios such as fire, while also extending to the dense natural fog conditions commonly found in the region of the site.

Minor-axis diameter: 16.8107 m Height 8.099925 m 2/5V=3/4​π×7.7945×8.40535×4.0499625≈444.5736 m3

Assumption 1 The building is treated as a single uncompartmented enclosure with one principal exit.

Assumption 2 No mechanical smoke control system is assumed unless evidence of such a system is provided.

Assumption 3 Because no design fire, fuel package, smoke yield, CO yield, or ventilation data are available, a detailed fire engineering tenability analysis is outside the scope of this report.

Assumption 4 Assessment is therefore based primarily on Approved Document B Volume 2 prescriptive means-of-escape guidance, supported by qualitative discussion of smoke accumulation in a high-level dome volume.

Visibility: 5 m: The lowest acceptable limit for small spaces Clear layer height = 2.5 m above floor Fog / haze aerosols =1.2 μm

source: Firecode – fire safety in the NHS Health Technical Memorandum 05-03: Operational provisions source: Firecode – fire safety in the NHS Health Technical Memorandum 05-03: Operational provisions source: Theatrical Fog, Smoke, and Haze Effects

Absolute smoke depth to 2.0 m level = 3.1 m

Smoke Simulation Setting smoke define use what to mimit

escape point : 59:40

starting point : 00:00 37:32

48:12

37:32

This study used eye-tracking and e va c u a t i o n m e t r i c s t o e va l u a t e guidance effectiveness in smoke-filled fire evacuations. Low visibility reduced visual stability, with participants more often missing targets and fixating on empty or distant areas, leading to more fragmented gaze, weaker binocular convergence, and less stable fixations. In total, 127 fixations and 77 saccades were recorded over 56.54 seconds. Of 4,054 samples, only 1,701 (42.0%) hit an object, while 2,353 (58.0%) hit no recordable object. Frequent None values and fardistance intersections further suggest that, in smoky conditions, even stable gaze often failed to land on clear nearby targets.

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location of the smoke generator

eye gaze point

esccape route

original

1

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Adjusted

1 roof tiles on fixed to horizontal battens on counter battens

B

2 rafter fully filled with 150mm insulation between 3 breathable sarking membrane 4 62.5mm insulation under rafters

A

5 vapour control layer

C

D

Perceptual Nudging 1-Geometry PN-1

E

F

G H

A

CNC-6

B C

V-3 CNC-1 V-2 CNC-5

D

CNC-6

E

V-3

CNC-1

F

V-3

CNC-1

G

V-3

H

B-2

Firstly, the roof design was modified to improve interior ventilation and create a more responsive environment. The previously developed material panel system was then tested indoors as a visual guidance strategy, using colour, texture, and directional geometry to reorganise spatial perception and support orientation.

In the next stage, this strategy will be tested to examine whether improved ventilation, material panels, and directional visual cues can help participants identify escape routes more quickly, reduce hesitation, and improve evacuation efficiency.

data from the the revised version

In the original version

escape point : 59:40

In the test of the revised version

starting point : 00:00

escape point : 14:32

13:07 11:21 08:40 05:62 04:62

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location of the smoke generator

eye gaze point

esccape route

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starting point : 00:00

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location of the smoke generator

eye gaze point

esccape route

After the detail changes, the eye-tracking data show that visual attention became much more concentrated, even though the view was still partly blocked by smoke. In the new scene, 674 out of 675 gaze samples hit the same recordable object, giving a hit rate of about 99.85%. This is a significant improvement compared with the previous smoke condition, where only 42.0% of samples hit an object.

The timing data also suggest faster decision-making. Participants focused on the target within about 0.55 seconds, indicating that they could identify the direction quickly after one visual scan. The adjusted façade and floor design therefore reduced visual uncertainty, strengthened the guidance cues, and made the escape route clearer and more direct.

00:00

02:10

03:07

04:62

08:40

11:21

13:07

14:32

05:62

Park Roof Testing Plan

Road(Street) Index 2 44°29'52.80"N 11°20'46.58"E Via Guglielmo Oberdan

44°29'52.70"N 11°20'52.30"E Via delle moline

Road(Street) Index 1

44°29'52.70"N 11°20'52.30"E Via delle Oche 44°29'43.93"N 11°20'50.61"E Via del Caro 44°29'45.96"N 11°20'52.11"E Via Vodonica 44°29'46.29"N 11°20'56.40"E Via Marsala

44°29'44.44"N 11°20'34.21"E Via dell‘indipendenaza

44°29'47.38"N 11°21'00.18"E Largo Respiggi 44°29'42.78"N 11°20'50.43"E Via S.Siemon 44°29'42.78"N 11°20'50.43"E Via Canonica

44°29'45.35"N 11°20'59.09"E Via Zamboni 44°29'41.44"N 11°20'48.04"E Via De'guide

44°29'41.20"N 11°20'35.40"E Via Rizzoli

44°29'42.78"N 11°20'52.20"E Via Zamboni

44°29'40.72"N 11°20'25.86"E Via dei Terribilia

44°29'39.01"N 11°20'53.92"E Via Caderass 44°29'38.79"N 11°20'52.83"E Via Castel Tialto 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Viccolo Fatossi 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Viccolo Fatossi 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Via Guido Reni

44°29'35.06"N 11°20'44.55"E Via Clavaturi 44°29'35.96"N 11°20'42.39"E Dra Perrie 44°29'41.23"N 11°20'27.44"E Via Giacomo Venezian

44°29'38.19"N 11°21'06.28"E Via Ardrovandi

44°29'39.34"N 11°20'33.12"E Piazza del Nettuno 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'40.70"E Via degli Orifici 44°29'36.76"N 11°20'34.77"E Piazza Maggiore 44°29'39.26"N 11°20'40.57"E degli Artiaeri 44°29'30.32"N 11°20'34.92"E Pizza Galvani

44°29'39.05"N 11°20'48.91"E Via di porta Revegnana

44°29'35.96"N 11°20'32.05"E Via de'Pignattari 44°29'35.14"N 11°20'33.67"E Via d'Azeglio

44°29'37.52"N 11°20'51.56"E Str.Maggire

44°29'35.09"N 11°20'36.96"E V. dell'Archiginassio

44°29'34.82"N 11°20'46.20"E Via Calvature

44°29'32.62"N 11°20'32.56"E Vicolo columbina 44°29'33.41"N 11°20'43.09"E Via de Toschi

44°29'34.91"N 11°20'47.57"E Via Sampeiri

44°29'28.91"N 11°20'32.90"E Via Farini 44°29'38.37"N 11°20'59.40"E Via Ardrovandi

44°29'35.53"N 11°20'40.43"E Via Demusei

44°29'32.78"N 11°20'46.85"E Castiglione

44°29'27.54"N 11°20'37.28"E P.za Cavour 44°29'33.54"N 11°20'46.88"E Castiglione 44°29'25.73"N 11°20'36.40"E Vicolo Barbazzi

44°29'25.24"N 11°20'59.79"E Via Sento Stifanno

44°29'34.95"N 11°20'47.76"E Via Sampeiri 44°29'33.54"N 11°20'46.88"E Castiglione 44°29'34.23"N 11°20'41.95"E Maechessana 44°29'33.39"N 11°20'43.10"E Via de Toschi

0

2

4

6

8

10m

scale 1:200 A1

-2m Park Testing Floor Plan LEGEND

+ -2.2m

1

Café Toilet 1

2

Café Viewing Area

3

Café Public Seating Area

4

Staff Work Area

5

Café Storage Room

6

Children’s Play Area

7

Café Toilet 2

8

Slope Experience Area

9

Children’s Crawling Entrance

10

Misleading Entrance ?

11

Park Kindergarten

12

Park Small Archive Exhibition and Communication Area

+ -4m

+ -4.8m

+ -4.2m

+ -4.4m

+ -6.6m

+ -5.3m

+ -3.2m

+ -4.1m

+ -7.1m

+ -2.2m

+ -5.5m

11

12 + -7.6m

+ -8.1m

+ -7.7m

+ -6.3m

+ -2.1m

+ -5.9m + -6.5m

+ -5.1m

+ -2.5m

+ -2.2m + -4.5m

+ -4.7m

+ -4.7m

+ -2.1m

+ -3.1m

10 1

+ -3.5m

8 2

+ -2.9m

+ -3.1m

+ -2.9m

3 + -2.3m

5

+ -2.5m

7

4 + -2.3m 6 + -2.3m

9

0

2

4

6

8

10m

scale 1:200 A1

Task sheet

-2m Participants navigation Floor Plan

Participant Sheet / TEC Course Study

Do You Want to Join The Egg Park?

VR Park Experience and Eye-Tracking Participation Instructions

eye tracking gaze points

Free Exploration Task: Explore the surface naturally without additional prompts. Explore the park in your own way.

This test focuses: how people explore an unbalenced EGG PARK surface under different accessibility conditions, and observes how design cues such as color, material, and path cues affect movement and attention. Please complete the task: There is no correct answer.

What I will record:

Please note:

• Your gaze direction and fixation position (eye-tracking data)

• Please act naturally; there is no need to deliberately search for the "correct answer."

• Your movement path, dwell points, time spent, and completion status in the space • Differences in your route choices across different design versions • The system doesn't test "whether you're right or wrong," but rather helps us understand how design influences movement and attention.

• If you experience dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, or eye strain, please stop immediately and inform the researcher.

Testing Volunteer: Meihong Yu

• You can pause or end the test at any time.

• If you do not understand the task, please ask a question before starting.

Age: 68

Age group: eldly people

Speed: 0.9m/s

Task instructions (Please complete in order) your Height: Your Age:

Max walkable slope = 8°

• A. Calibration and Familiarization with Controls: Complete eye-tracking calibration as instructed by the researcher; familiarize yourself with moving forward, turning, and stopping.

1-2 min

• B. Free Exploration: Explore the surface naturally without additional prompts. Explore the park in your own way.

2 min

• C. Navigation task: After hearing the task, walk from the starting point to the designated destination (e.g., "Find the cafe within 1 minute" or "Reach the other side of the site"). You might repeat this task 2-3 times, but the environment(color,texture)will change each time.

3-4 min

• D. Different versions of action abilities: You may repeat the same task 2–3 times, but each time there will be different action ability settings. Treat each time as a new experience.

• E. Experience / Architectural Perception Task: Choose a location in the site or building that you feel is suitable for staying, viewing the architecture, resting, or observing the light, and stay there for a moment to observe your surroundings.

Testing Volunteer: Xiao Tian Age: 11 Age group: Children Speed: 1.4m/s Max walkable slope = 18° After the test, please answer briefly:

Testing Volunteer: Emily Age: 13 Age group: Children

1. Which path was the easiest to understand?

Why? 3-4 min

1-2 min

Speed: 1.4m/s

2. Was there any color, texture, light, or marker that made you want to go in a certain direction?

Max walkable slope = 18°

3. When and where did you hesitate, pause, or feel uncertain, and repeatedly look at the path?

4. Where do you feel it's a good place to stop, observe, or rest? Why?

Navigation task: After hearing the task, walk from the starting point to the designated destination (e.g., "Find the cafe within 1 minute" or "Reach the other side of the landscape"). You might repeat this task 2-3 times, but the environment (color,texture) will change each time.

Hugo Loydell Age: 28 Speed: 1.2m/s Max walkable slope = 15°

Ioana Drogeanu Age: 27 Speed: 1.2m/s Max walkable slope = 15°

0

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10m

scale 1:200 A1

Incllination Facade (climb up) Incllination Facade (slide down) Visual Guidance Façade Visual Guidance design Protective Stepped Boundary Protective Climbing Pad Stone CNC Strategy

B-1 CNC-1 B-1 CNC-2 B-2 CNC-2 V-3 CNC-6 V-3 CNC-1 V-2 CNC-5 V-1 CNC-6 F-2 CNC-5 F-1 CNC-3 V-2 CNC-1 V-1 CNC-6

Perceptual Nudging 1-Geometry

Perceptual Nudging 2-long distence -Color

PN-1

Perceptual Nudging 2-Short distence (≤ 1.5m) -Texture

PN-2

PN-3

APPLY BOARD Approach

CNC-1

CNC-2

CNC-3

CNC-4

CNC-5

CNC-6

Illustration

Approach

B-1

B-2

B-3

F-1

F-2

10m

scale 1:200 A1

Illustration

0

2

4

6

8

V-1

V-2

V-3

SECTION A-A

6

4

5

SECTION A-A LEGEND 1 Changing Room and Storage Room 1

2

3

2 Children’s Craft Classroom 2 3 Children’s Craft Classroom 1 4 Café Viewing Area 5 Staff Work Area

0

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4

6

8

10m

6 Children’s Play Area

scale 1:200

SECTION A-A

SECTION A-A Eye Tracking eye tracking gaze points Free Exploration Task: Explore the surface naturally without additional prompts. Explore the park in your own way.

Testing Volunteer: Meihong Yu Speed: 0.9m/s 0

2

4

6

8

10m

Max walkable slope = 8°

scale 1:200

Age: 68

Age group: eldly people

SECTION A-A

SECTION A-A Material Board Apply Incllination Facade (climb up) Incllination Facade (slide down) Visual Guidance Façade Visual Guidance design Protective Stepped Boundary Protective Climbing Pad Stone CNC Strategy

0

SECTION B-B

7

3 1

0

2

4

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10m

scale 1:200

2

4

5

6

8

SECTION B-B LEGEND 1 Artifact storage room 2 Staff Work Area 3 Entrance and Exhibition Area 4 Underground Passage 5 6

Children’s Toilet Children’s Craft Classroom 2

7 8

Children’s Craft Classroom 1 Children’s Library and Activity Area 1

SECTION B-B

SECTION B-B Eye Tracking eye tracking gaze points Free Exploration Task: Explore the surface naturally without additional prompts. Explore the park in your own way.

Testing Volunteer: Emily Age: 13 Age group: Children Speed: 1.4m/s 0

2

4

6

8

10m

Max walkable slope = 18°

scale 1:200

SECTION B-B

SECTION B-B Material Board Apply Incllination Facade (climb up) Incllination Facade (slide down) Visual Guidance Façade Visual Guidance design Protective Stepped Boundary Protective Climbing Pad Stone CNC Strategy

Incllination Facade (climb up)

Protective Stepped Boundary

Incllination Facade (slide down)

Protective Climbing Pad

Visual Guidance Façade

Stone CNC Strategy

Visual Guidance design

V-2 CNC-5 V-3 CNC-6

1

Within the café interior, the façade details and colour design were adjusted to make the escape route more visible. These changes helped participants identify the direction more quickly and move faster during the fire evacuation simulation.

13

This underground passage forms the entrance to the archive room. Bright colours are also used here to attract visual attention and guide users towards the entrance.

2

Based on the inclination analysis, a climbable façade was designed in this area. It allows children to climb onto the surface, while protective elements at the base provide additional safety and support during interaction.

14

3

This area shows the adjusted result of the false-door test.

The entrance was refined to become more visually guiding, helping participants identify the intended direction more clearly.

This walkway was added based on the attention-guidance test. The area was originally identified as a deviation route, but was later refined into a clearer path to guide users’ movement and visual attention.

15

Based on the activity-frequency analysis, the area most frequently used by children is planned as a sand play zone. This provides a softer and more playful surface for children, while responding to their tendency to gather, explore, and interact within this part of the landscape.

This climbable façade was added based on the navigation test results and is combined with material panels to support both physical interaction and visual guidance.

16

Based on the exploration test, landscape seating was added to the areas where elderly participants tended to gather, providing resting points within the park.

5

Based on the inclination analysis, a climbable façade was developed in this area, allowing children to engage with the surface through climbing while supporting a more active and playful form of interaction.

17

6

After ascending from the -2 metre level, handrails were added based on the safety test results to provide additional protection and support for users.

This special entrance is designed specifically for children around or below 1.4 metres in height. It has a steeper slope and a highly playful spatial quality, while the bright-coloured entrance, developed

7

During the free exploration test, this suggestion was first raised by participants and was later adopted in the design.

Specific flowers found in Bologna were introduced at the lost tower locations, transforming these areas into planted landscape elements with a stronger local identity.

8

The handrails were added based on the safety findings from the VR Enscape testing process, providing additional support and protection along the route.

9

The protective steps were added based on the findings from the exploration test. Below them, the stone path was developed through CNC testing, translating the material and surface studies into a walkable landscape route.

10

Based on the inclination analysis, a slideable façade was designed in this area. It allows children to slide down along the inclined surface, creating a more playful form of interaction, while the lower part of the design provides additional safety and support.

11

According to the activity-frequency analysis, this area is designed as a sand play zone for children. The soft ground condition supports play, gathering, and exploration, while small handrails are added to provide extra support during movement and interaction.

12

Based on the inclination analysis, a slideable façade was designed in this area, allowing children to slide down the inclined surface. It creates a playful route that is located on a different ground level from the main entrance.

F-2 CNC-5

V-3 CNC-6 V-2 CNC-5 13

16

B-1 CNC-1 F-1 CNC-3 B-1 CNC-1

15

7

4

V-3 CNC-1 V-1 CNC-6

5 8

V-3 CNC-1 F-1 CNC-3 B-1 CNC-1

6 9

B-2 CNC-2

4

12

10

B-2 CNC-2 11

F-2 CNC-3

3 14

1

2

17

F-2 CNC-3

F-1 CNC-3

F-2 CNC-3

B-2 CNC-2

F-2 CNC-3

V-2 CNC-5

B-1 CNC-1

V-3 CNC-1

B-1 CNC-1

B-1 CNC-1

B-2 CNC-2

V-2 CNC-1 V-3 CNC-1 F-1 CNC-3

V-1 CNC-6

F-2 CNC-3

V-3 CNC-1

Acknowledgements With special love and thanks to the UCL Robotics Team, Vizard Company, and all the volunteers who tested my VR park.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Ioana Drogeanu, Hugo Loydell and Unit 21 for your support, guidance, feedback, and encouragement throughout the development of this project.

Thank you for helping this work take shape.

2025.10.27

UCL Robotics Team

2026.2.23

Vizard Company

2026.3.12

Hugo Loydel

2026.3.20

Ioana Drogean

2026.3.23

volunteers tested my VR park

National Gallery 200th Anniversary Live Project, London

UIA-HYP Cup 2025 International Student Competition in Architectural Design

Installation Designer / 2024.9 - 2025.7

(Team Category)

AZL ARCHITECTS (Zhang Lei), NanJing Architecture Internship / 2025.7 - 2025.9