Natural lighting and spatial cognition in campus wayfinding: A systematic review

Often overlooked, wayfinding on university campuses is essential for defining spatial experience and mobility, especially thoroughfares for first-time students, international tourists, and populations of differing cognitive and physical abilities. Signage, color-coding, and architectural layouts are conventional tools for orienting someone in an unfamiliar place; however the cognitive benefits of natural lighting are often disregarded in architectural education. Light is usually viewed as an aesthetic feature of architecture or considered a functional means of seeing, and the exploration of light as a cognitive tool for pathfinding and wayfinding is seldom studied. This thesis conducts a systematic literature review to theorize how natural lighting impacts spatial cognition in campus wayfinding. In the systematic review, peer-reviewed academic research from relevant domains of architecture, psychology, and environmental design was reviewed using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, which provide a structured process for identifying, selecting, and synthesizing knowledge. This study identified three main themes: (1) natural lighting improves visibility of space, (2) natural lighting reduces space's perceived complexity, and (3) mental maps as a function of built-environmental factors, where natural lighting interacts with architecture as architectural elements, such as corridors, atria, and visual anchors (Gibson 1979; Boyce et al. 2003). Furthermore, environmental conditions such as light and personal context, including the age of individuals, cultural background, and sensitivity to visual stimuli, interact with how users perceive and navigate through space. The insights gained about natural lighting quality provide actionable design recommendations, including maximizing natural lighting orientation, minimizing glare, and leveraging natural lighting to create spatial cues. The systematic review revealed several gaps in the literature, including the lack of interdisciplinary studies that integrate architecture and cognitive science. In summary, the systematic literature review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the current state of knowledge, actively changing the cognitive perceptions of architecture, from a mere background in design theory to its impact on spatial cognition. The implications of this research will inform the design of more intuitive and inclusive campuses, while also contributing to prospective interdisciplinary research that emphasizes human-centered spatial navigation.