Sensory characteristics of a place: The development of the sensory walk questionnaire

Surrounding plays an important role in well-being and affects behaviour. The experience of the environment is multi-sensory, we perceive different visual, auditory, olfactory, and somatosensory cues, but until today, there has not been a method to measure and characterize the sensory experience of a place systematically. The current paper aims to 1) develop the Sensory Walk Questionnaire, and 2) test the questionnaire in a restaurant environment. The Sensory Walk Questionnaire was developed by reviewing literature and interviewing architectural experts. 318 respondents completed the Sensory Walk Questionnaire in Flavoria((R)) Research Restaurant. The study showed that the three test areas in the restaurant; the lobby, the dining area and the waste point differed (p < 0.05) in the perceived odour and sound intensity, in the pleasantness of odours, sounds and visual environment, as well as several sensory descriptors used to characterize these locations. The Sensory Walk Questionnaire provides a valuable tool to measure the sensory quality of places.

Automated summary

The surrounding environment plays a significant role in well-being and behavior, and the sensory experience of a place has not been systematically measured and characterized. The current study developed the Sensory Walk Questionnaire and tested it in a restaurant environment. The results showed differences in perceived odour and sound intensity, pleasantness of odours, sounds, and visual environment, as well as sensory descriptors between different areas in the restaurant.