Explaining the Evaluation Indicators of the Concept of the Role of Shadowing on the Perception of Form in Architecture

Hashemi, Mahnaz Sadat; Baghaei, Azhang; Afhami, Reza

doi:10.22034/ijumes.2026.2047813.1280

Explaining the Evaluation Indicators of the Concept of the Role of Shadowing on the Perception of Form in Architecture

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahnaz Sadat Hashemi

Azhang Baghaei

Reza Afhami

Department of Architecture, Ke.,C., Islamic Azad university, Kerman, Iran

10.22034/ijumes.2026.2047813.1280

Abstract

Cast shadow is among the most pervasive yet least systematically evaluated phenomena in architectural form, usually treated as a secondary or merely functional matter rather than as an active determinant of how form is perceived. The central problem addressed in this study is the absence of an explicit, validated set of evaluation indicators that capture how the dynamic play of cast shadow modulated by the texture and colour of facade materials shapes the perception of architectural form. The objective of this research is therefore to explain and validate the evaluation indicators of the role of shadowing on the perception of form, and to model the relationships among them. Adopting a mixed-methods design built on methodological triangulation, the study combined qualitative content analysis of 57 specialist documents in MAXQDA (yielding 179 sub-codes, eight main categories, and two core codes), a three-round Fuzzy-Delphi expert consensus that reduced 22 initial factors to ten high-importance indicators, and partial-least-squares structural-equation modelling in SmartPLS on 200 valid questionnaires. Findings indicate that cast shadow operates as a key mediating variable that enables form perception through the dialectical interaction of two constructs “volumetric structure” (the static dimension) and “time passage” (the dynamic dimension) between which the quantitative model found a very strong relationship (β = 0.965). Volumetric structure exerted strong, significant effects on design components (β = 0.928), materials and texture, homogeneity, contrast, texture and visual richness, and visual-perception analysis, while time passage drove surface-height change and spatial mode-setting . The study concludes that optimal form perception depends on designing simultaneously for structural stability and temporal change, and it offers a validated indicator set and a perceptual-dynamics evaluation framework that move facade assessment from intuition toward evidence.

Graphical Abstract

Explaining the Evaluation Indicators of the Concept of the Role of Shadowing on the Perception of Form in Architecture

Highlights

· Cast shadow functions as a dynamic perceptual mediator that enables the interpretation of architectural form through the interaction of volumetric structure and time passage.

· A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative content analysis, Fuzzy-Delphi consensus, and PLS-SEM validated ten key indicators for evaluating shadow-based form perception.

· Volumetric structure was identified as the strongest static driver influencing design components, material expression, homogeneity, contrast, and visual perception.

· Time passage acts as the primary dynamic factor, activating perceptual changes through surface-height variation and spatial mode-setting effects.

· Facade materials and textures significantly modify the perceived depth and quality of cast shadows, transforming material selection into a critical determinant of form perception.

Keywords

Cast shadow

evaluation indicators

facade materials

perception of architectural form

PLS-SEM

time passage

volumetric structure

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