Complexity has been known as a crucial psychological factor influencing the evaluation of the building facades preferences. However, little is known about the role of physical attributes of preferred building facades on perceived visual complexity. The objective of this study is to assess perceived visual complexity of urban building facades in terms of physical attribute in different levels. Discrete choice experiments were used to study the perceived visual complexity of preferred building facades. A sample of 213 students from Golestan University evaluated preference and perceived visual complexity of 36 pairs of images based on ten physical attributes of building facades in different levels (material (brick, stone), the contrast of materials (absent, present), color (absent, present), ornament (high, low), curve (straight, curved), vegetation (plants, no plants), windows orientations (vertical, horizontal), fenestration (large, small), articulation (side recesses, flat) and architectural style (modern, classic, traditional). The results revealed that all physical attributes of preferred building facades were found significant on perceived visual complexity expect for three attributes: architectural style, color and window to wall size. Thus, participant preferred a high-ornament facade with curved lines, vegetation, classical style, articulation, contrast between materials, as well as vertical windows. The articulation and ornament attributes were the most significant on perceived visual complexity. The results of this study can help city planners, architects, and designers to design facades with more general preferences and reduce the visual pollution of the cities.

A significant majority of the literature on natural environments and urban green spaces justifies the preferences that people have for natural environments using four predictors defined by Kaplan’s preference matrix theory, namely coherence, legibility, complexity, and mystery. However, there are no studies implicitly focusing on the visual attributes assigned to each of these four predictors. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the influence of nine visual attributes derived from the four predictors of Kaplan’s matrix on people’s preferences in the context of urban parks. A discrete choice experiment was used to obtain responses from a sample of 396 students of Golestan University. Students randomly evaluated their preferences towards a set of potential scenarios with urban park images. The results of a random parameter logit analysis showed that all of the attributes of complexity (variety of elements, number of colors, and organization of elements) and one attribute each of coherence (uniformity), mystery (visual access), and legibility (distinctive elements) affect students’ choices for urban parks, while one attribute each of mystery (physical access) and legibility (wayfinding) did not affect the choices. Furthermore, the results indicated a preference for heterogeneity of the attributes. The findings of this study can provide instructions for designing parks.