Interactive effects of visual perception and thermal sensation in different styled indoor scenes: An experimental study based on VR technology

Creating personalized indoor environments has become a key focus in academic research due to its crucial role in promoting human well-being, supporting energy conservation and improving building performance. This study explored how thermal perception varies across four typical interior styles: traditional Chinese, classical European, industrial and modern minimalist, using virtual reality (VR) to control visual variables. Experiments were conducted at 18 °C, 24 °C and 30 °C. Two-way analysis of variance revealed that while temperature was the primary factor affecting thermal comfort (η 2 = 0.454, p < 0.001), scene type also had a notable effect (η 2 = 0.035, p = 0.014), particularly under moderate and warm conditions (η 2 = 0.085, p = 0.001). In addition, the study found that the thermal environment had a significant effect on skin temperature, heart rate and blood pressure indicators, while the visual environment had no significant effect. The innovative contribution of this research lies in systematically demonstrating the interactive effects of visual scene styles and thermal environments in indoor settings by integrating VR-based experimental design with physiological and subjective measures. This suggests that enhancing the visual environment can improve perceived thermal comfort and support energy-efficient indoor design.