Logo image
Back
Distinct prefrontal, autonomic, and subjective responses to built, ornamental, and natural virtual environments
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Distinct prefrontal, autonomic, and subjective responses to built, ornamental, and natural virtual environments

Kevin L. Ramirez-Chavez, Adrian Curtin, Felix Maldonado Osorio, Nick Jushchyshyn, Rajneesh Suri and Hasan Ayaz
Building and environment, v 304, Forthcoming
Jul 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.115004
Featured in Collection :   Research Supported by Drexel Libraries' OA Programs
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.115004View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open Access via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2026 Open CC BY V4.0

Abstract

Biophilic Design Electrodermal Activity (EDA) functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) Neuroergonomic Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Virtual Reality (VR) Environmental Psychology
• Biophilic IVR environments assessed via fNIRS, EDA, and self-report simultaneously. • Built control scenes elicited higher medial prefrontal cortex activation. • Curated gardens showed elevated EDA, perceived complexity and lower PFC activation. • Natural landscapes received the highest restoration and affinity ratings. • Wearable neuroergonomic tools enabled multimodal assessment in immersive VR. Modern urban living increasingly confines individuals indoors, limiting access to restorative natural environments and contributing to cognitive fatigue and chronic stress. Although the psychological and physiological benefits of nature exposure are well established, the neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain insufficiently characterized, constraining evidence-based design. Here, we employed a multimodal neuroergonomic approach in high-fidelity immersive virtual reality (IVR) to examine brain-body responses across a continuum of built and biophilic environments. Thirty-two adults experienced five photorealistic IVRs derived from Longwood Gardens, including curated ornamental gardens, natural landscapes and a non-horticultural control. During exploration, prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity was measured using wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), autonomic activity was assessed via electrodermal and cardiac wearable sensors, and participants reported perceived restorativeness and aesthetic engagement. The non-horticultural environment elicited the highest medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activation, whereas both natural landscapes and ornamental gardens showed lower mPFC activation and were rated as more restorative and engaging. Ornamental gardens were additionally associated with the highest tonic electrodermal activity and greater perceived complexity. Together, these findings suggest that green environments can produce dissociable subjective, neural, and autonomic response profiles, rather than a single uniform restorative pattern. More broadly, the study demonstrates the value of combining IVR with mobile neuroergonomic methods to characterize how specific environmental features relate to human experience and may inform neuroarchitecture and digital nature interventions.

Metrics

1 Record Views

Details

Logo image