In autumn 2017 I began a research proposal that utilised eye-tracking technology to investigate how six subjects from different academic backgrounds viewed two baroque buildings in Rome.
The proposal was formed while working within the interdisciplinary environment of the British School at Rome as part of the Giles Worsley Rome fellowship, 2017-2018; the subjects comprised fellow researchers, including artists, archaeologists and historians, thus providing the required academic cross-section for investigation. The methodology first required the construction of an eye-tracking headset and utilisation of open-source software. Two Baroque buildings of a similar date and scale were then chosen: Francesco Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Sant’Andrea al Quirinale. Six test subjects were each tested in both buildings. Each observer was seated, fitted with the eye-tracking headset and given a starting focal point. The two cameras were set with one facing the subject’s eye and the other at the scene; the equipment was then calibrated. Recordings of the eye movements and focal routes were taken, ending only when the focal point reached a set position in each building.
The results of these initial tests suggest that the architectural differences between each building influenced how the subjects viewed the spaces more than their individual academic backgrounds, with similar focal points and viewing patterns being observed between subjects within each building. The analysis and presentation of the investigation required a combination of 3D scanning, 3D computer modelling and 3D printing to produce physical models and digital drawings of the results to convey the findings. This work forms part of my continuum of exploration into how digital technologies can be utilised within architectural research, including the use of augmented reality and 3D scanning within architectural pedagogy.