Reassessing architectural autonomy in the metaverse: A human-centered quantitative inquiry
LMF Purwanto, Ridwan Sanjaya · International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews · 2025
The emergence of the metaverse has introduced unprecedented freedom in architectural design, liberating form from traditional physical constraints.This study presents a rigorous quantitative examination of user experience and design effectiveness in virtual architectural environments, challenging prevailing assumptions about absolute formal autonomy.Employing an experimental methodology, we evaluated 200 participants' interactions with three distinct spatial typologies within Decentraland: physically-derived designs, hybrid architectures, and radically unconstrained virtual forms.Standardized metrics assessed navigational efficiency, functional utility, and aesthetic preference through Likert-scale surveys and behavioral tracking.Statistical analysis revealed significant preferences (p<0.05) for hybrid designs that balance digital innovation with established architectural principles, with 68% of participants demonstrating improved spatial comprehension in such environments.Our findings suggest that successful virtual architecture requires thoughtful integration of creative freedom with human-scale considerations, offering evidence-based guidelines for metaverse development.The research contributes to ongoing discourse in digital design theory while providing practical insights for virtual environment creators.