Human wayfinding simulations in building environments: a scoping review of modeling frameworks and design applications

Indoor wayfinding plays a vital role in everyday activities and can be critical in emergencies. Before a complex building is constructed or renovated, simulation models can be used to test and improve its wayfinding design. Drawing on 50 recent studies, this scoping review maps the current landscape of indoor wayfinding simulation research. The analysis compares how the studies frame wayfinding, which modelling approaches they employ and what variables and datasets they incorporate. This review contributes by systematically categorizing existing modelling frameworks, comparing how environments and agent behaviours are encoded and identifying underrepresented factors. It reveals methodological gaps that limit model realism and design applicability. The review recommends more sophisticated environment encoding, richer representations of wayfinding heuristics and stronger integration of perception, cognition and memory to support more realistic and design-relevant wayfinding simulations for computer-aided design, decision-support systems and automated building design.