The P.A.T.H.O.S. project. Drawing Human Perception of the Environment

The P.A.T.H.O.S. project (Perception of Architecture, Territory and Heritage. Observation and Sensation) explores the intersection between emotional perception, artistic expression, and the urban environment through the medium of drawing. Architecture students were invited to depict selected areas of the cities of Genoa and Pisa, guided by specific emotions assigned to them — such as joy, sadness, anxiety, and calmness. These hand-drawn representations served as the foundation for a multidisciplinary study aimed at understanding how emotions can be expressed and interpreted through artistic depictions of urban space. The project unfolded across multiple research phases: an online perception test involving over 200 participants, laboratory sessions utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to measure neurological responses to the drawings, and experimental investigations employing artificial intelligence to analyze visual patterns and emotional content. Findings indicate that drawing is a particularly powerful medium for emotional communication, capable of conveying complex affective states with clarity and nuance. The study also highlights recurring spatial elements — such as tunnels and wide-open areas — as being consistently associated with specific emotional tones. While the current study represents a pilot, its promising results lay the groundwork for future iterations and a broader exploration of how the emotional reading of cities can inform both artistic practice and urban design. P.A.T.H.O.S. opens up new perspectives on the role of subjective perception in shaping our experience of place, suggesting that emotion-based approaches can contribute meaningfully to architectural and urban discourse.

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