Presenter 1: Dr. Demet Yeşiltepe

Title of presentation: The relationship between wayfinding performance, spatial layout and landmarks in virtual environments

Content summary: For this ADP presentation, Demet will talk about her Ph.D. study in which she aimed to investigate the effects of different spatial layouts, environmental conditions and landmarks on people’s wayfinding performance. A virtual game, Sea Hero Quest, is used to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and wayfinding performance. The results of the study show that the complexity of the layout plays an important role in wayfinding; as the complexity of the layout increases, the time required for wayfinding also increases. 

Presenter bio:  Demet is an urban planner and designer, with her research centered on the built environment and active travel. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Istanbul, Turkey, and completed her Ph.D. at Newcastle University in 2021. Her doctoral research explored the interplay between wayfinding and environmental elements. Throughout her academic tenure in Newcastle and Turkey, Demet contributed to several studies examining the nexus of health, active travel, and the environment. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sheffield, engaged in the EPSRC-funded SATURN project (Supporting Active Travel Using Road-lighting at Night), under the leadership of Prof. Steve Fotios and Dr. Jim Uttley in collaboration with the University of Leeds.

Presenter 2: Antonio Sorrentino

Title of Presentation: The spaces of urban decompression in individual and collective experience: A neurophenomenological approach to architecture

Content Summary: This ongoing doctorate study aims to identify, through neuropsychological questionnaires, specific spatial patterns within the consolidated urban environment that confer benefits to users. These patterns are linked to the phenomenon known as "decompression." Originally identified during the Covid-19 pandemic, decompression refers to designated areas within hospitals designed to help healthcare personnel relax. These spaces promote general relaxation—evidenced by reduced heart rates and respiration, and regulated homeostatic values—and foster empathic interactions and relationships among colleagues and patients.

The primary research question is: What architectural patterns and types of spatial configurations are most effective in fostering the decompression effect, thereby providing neuro-psycho-physiological benefits to those who inhabit them?

Presenter Bio: Antonio Sorrentino, M.Arch., is an architect with a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience Applied to Architectural Design (NAAD) from the Iuav University of Venice. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Sapienza University of Rome, where he researches urban decompression spaces using a neurophenomenological approach. Previously, Antonio collaborated with the Milan-based firm Lombardini22 as a neuroarchitecture expert within the ‘Tuned’ unit and served as the editor of their blog, ‘Stay Tuned’. Now, he is part of the team at Tuning Arch, a science-informed design firm founded by Davide Ruzzon in 2024. Additionally, he works as a teaching assistant at various design studios at the Polytechnic University of Turin and as a lecturing tutor in the NAAD Master’s Program at Iuav University.