10.57647/j.ccd.2025.0804.22

AI-Simulated Visual Tracking of Structural Order Perception in Urban Facades: A Case Study from Mashhad, Iran

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  • Matyam Motamedinezhad1,
  • Maryam Ostadi*1,
  • Fatemeh Mohammadniay gharaei1,
  • Zahra Sadat Saeideh Zarabadi2,
  1. Department of Urbanism, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
  2. Department of urban development, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2025-06-18

Revised: 2025-08-14

Accepted: 2025-09-22

Published in Issue 2025-12-31

Copyright (c) 2026 Matyam Motamedinezhad, Maryam Ostadi, Fatemeh Mohammadniay gharaei, Zahra Sadat Saeideh Zarabadi (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Motamedinezhad, M., Ostadi, M., Mohammadniay gharaei, F., & Zarabadi, Z. S. S. (2025). AI-Simulated Visual Tracking of Structural Order Perception in Urban Facades: A Case Study from Mashhad, Iran. Creative City Design, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.57647/j.ccd.2025.0804.22
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Abstract

Aims: In urban design, the structural order of building facades plays a pivotal role in shaping human perception and experience. This study investigates the implicit visual recognition of structural order using subliminal visual tracking analysis.
Methodology: Visual Attention Software (VAS) was employed to analyze observers’ visual attention patterns toward diverse façade typologies, including historical and contemporary urban facades in Mashhad, Iran.
Findings: Our findings indicate that observers’ subliminal perceptions align with the three-part rules of structural order: contrasting elements on a micro-scale, reduced entropy and connection between micro and macro scales, and a hierarchical connection between levels. Here, we show that observers readily perceive structural similarities on a micro-scale and the totality of forms on a macro-scale, but struggle with perceiving the hierarchical connection between these levels.
Conclusion: This study underscores the critical role of multi-scale coherence in façade design across scales and provides insights for enhancing the visual quality and coherence of urban facades.

Keywords

  • structural order,
  • urban façade,
  • subliminal attention,
  • visual perception,
  • visual attention software
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