Bridging Territoriality and Sense of Community in University Lounges: A Mixed Reality Simulation Study

This study examined whether layering spatial partitions and symbolic identity cues can transform underdefined university lounges into supportive social environments. In a within-subjects experiment, 60 architecture students experienced three lounge configurations in random order: (A) baseline, (B) partitions presented via mixed reality (MR), and (C) partitions plus identity cues via MR. After each condition, participants rated perceived territorial characteristics (PTC; spatial comfort, openness, territorial control, and symbolic identity) and sense of community (SOC; need fulfillment, membership, influence, and emotional connection). Repeated-measures ANOVAs with sphericity corrections showed stepwise increases (A < B < C) for territorial outcomes—overall PTC, spatial comfort, territorial control, and symbolic identity (ηp2 ≈ 0.61–0.70, all p < 0.001). Openness remained high but was unchanged across conditions and unrelated to SOC (all p > 0.05). For community outcomes, improvements emerged only in Design C across the total score and all subdimensions (A = B < C; ηp2 ≈ 0.17–0.28; all p ≤ 0.01). MR presence did not differ between B and C (all p > 0.05), indicating that gains in C are attributable to territorial/identity cues rather than immersion. Design-wise correlation analyses revealed positive links between territorial control/symbolic identity and SOC indices (r ≈ 0.45–0.78). The findings support a complementary design framework: permeable partitions make boundaries salient, and symbolic identity cues add shared meaning, modestly strengthening community connection. MR serves as a context-embedded preoccupancy evaluation platform for capturing psychosocial responses to spatial design.