Suitability Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Research Buildings Based on Subjective Perception and Spatial Configuration

Existing university laboratories are mostly designed based on single-discipline requirements, and their spatial configurations struggle to accommodate the fluidity and interactivity demanded by interdisciplinary collaboration. Taking a physical-science research building at a university in Tianjin as a case study, this research aims to transcend the limitations of single-cross-sectional data by constructing a two-dimensional nested diagnostic framework that integrates subjective perceptual evaluation (structural equation modeling) with objective movement potential (space syntax and agent-based simulation). Drawing on 1,012 questionnaires and 80 spatial positioning samples, and employing regression analysis and principal component analysis, the study examines the relationships among the perceived suitability of physical environments, interdisciplinary management, and informal communication spaces, thermal comfort vote (TCV), and laboratory workspace flexibility & adaptability (LWFA). The results show that the perceived suitability of informal communication spaces is the latent variable most significantly correlated with TCV and LWFA (β = 0.443, p < 0.001), and hierarchical regression further confirms that global integration exerts a significant positive effect on subjective perception (ΔR² = 0.134, p < 0.001). Space syntax and coupling coordination degree analyses reveal a “connected yet coreless” spatial configuration deficiency: the ground floor exhibits a configuration with weak looping potential, while the typical floor, despite developing rudimentary physical loops, lacks topological hierarchy and a functional core, making it difficult for homogeneous spaces to transform circulation routes into effective communication. The study preliminarily indicates a coupling association between spatial accessibility and spatial perception, suggesting that the optimization of interdisciplinary buildings should prioritize shaping stay-prone and identifiable informal communication cores.