Abstract

Improving thermal comfort while reducing building energy demand represents a key challenge in the transition towards more sustainable and occupant-centred buildings. Although previous research demonstrated that individual visual stimuli influence thermal perception, the effect of the overall visual quality of an indoor environment remains poorly understood. This study investigates the influence of indoor visual quality on thermal comfort perception using an immersive Virtual Reality experimental approach. Thirty participants were exposed to three distinct representations of the same office environment (named Base, Cozy, Industrial) while seated inside a controlled environmental chamber maintained at 17 °C and 50 % relative humidity. Subjective thermal responses, environmental conditions and physiological parameters were recorded throughout the experiments. Results showed that participants exposed to the Cozy scenario reported significantly higher Global Comfort Vote (p = 0.022) and warmer Thermal Sensation Vote (p = 0.026) compared to Base and Industrial environments, despite identical physical conditions and no significant differences in skin temperature or heart rate. Thermal sensation progressively increased throughout the exposure period only in the Cozy scenario, suggesting that visual indoor quality influence may strengthen over time. Qualitative analysis further revealed that warm colours, natural materials, domestic features, and perceptions of inhabitation were frequently associated with enhanced comfort. These findings provide experimental evidence that, in the tested indoor environment, indoor visual quality can influence thermal comfort perception independently of the physical thermal conditions, supporting a broader understanding of thermal comfort as a multisensory phenomenon and highlighting the potential for integrating architectural and interior design strategies to support energy reduction in buildings.