The Impact of Lighting/Daylighting and Reflectances on the Size Impression of the Room. Full-scale Studies

The full-scale studies of a small tea-room were carried out at NTNU, Norway, to find out in which way the light condition and the reflection factors of room surfaces influence the size impression of the room. The results indicate that the size impression of a room changes with the reflection factors and/or illuminances on the surfaces in the room. However, a strong luminance contrast at the border between surfaces helps the human visual system to properly evaluate dimensions of the room. In a room without strong contrasts, the impression of a room's dimensions can be easily manipulated by light: the apparent size of the room increases with the mean luminance of the room's surfaces.