Architectural design, visual attention, and human cognition: exploring responses to federal building styles

Brandon R. Ro and Hunter Huffman

Planning Practice & Research, 2025, vol. 40, issue 3, 447-486

Abstract: This article examines the ongoing architectural debate surrounding styles for American government buildings. It tests the results of the 2020 National Civic Art Society survey that found 72% of Americans prefer traditional federal buildings over modern designs. To gain a neuro-biological perspective on these results, eye-tracking emulation software is used to evaluate the relationship between architectural design, visual attention, and human preferences. The hypothesis that traditional buildings would capture and retain pre-attentive visual processing more than modern styles was confirmed in several experiments. The research offers valuable insights for architects, urban planners, and policymakers considering design decisions about federal buildings.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/02697459.2024.2342755

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