Immersive Design Research Lab
Neuroarchitectural Field Visualization

Designing for
wonder.

A suite of open research tools for visualizing mobile EEG data spatially, aligning it with ethnographic observation, and building a shared assessment infrastructure for the experiential quality of designed space.

θ Theta — attention
α Alpha — reception
β Beta — suppression
01
WonderMap
Visualization Interface

A browser-based neuroarchitectural field visualization tool. Renders live EEG data from the g.tec Unicorn Hybrid Black as an animated smoke field, spatially situated within an architectural floor plan. Supports live streaming and session replay.

Three frequency bands — theta, alpha, beta — each with a distinct space-wide color identity
Puff geometry derived from Unicorn electrode cluster topology
EMA smoothing — the field breathes rather than flickers
Persistent path line, memory slider, wonder detection badge
Uploadable base layer — photograph, collage, or Gaussian splat
Open WonderMap
02
Event Marker
Ethnographic Companion Tool

A mobile-optimized companion interface for live session observation. Bridges mobile EEG and ethnographic observation by logging zone entries, behavioral tags, voice notes, and images with millisecond-precise timestamps aligned to the EEG record.

Feature setup — name, description, and 12-sense phenomenological vocabulary
Zone entry / exit logging aligned to Unicorn sample timestamps
Voice notes via Web Speech API — hands-free, eyes on participant
Still image capture with timestamped CSV cross-reference
iPhone, iPad, and Android — 52px minimum touch targets
Open Event Marker
About this research

WonderMap is developed by the Immersive Design Research Lab (IDRL) at California State University Long Beach as part of the Design Happenings research program — a series of public, multi-sensory installations in a downtown lab space that investigates the neurophysiological and behavioral conditions that produce wonder in designed environments.

The tools operationalize the Neuro-Architectural Analysis Framework (NAAF), which triangulates environmental sensing, mobile EEG, and design ethnography to study experiential qualities of architecture. WonderMap and the Event Marker are freely available for use in neuroarchitectural and experiential design research.

EEG hardware: g.tec Unicorn Hybrid Black (8-channel, 250Hz). Data schema is portable JSON, designed for compatibility with Three.js and Unity rendering pipelines.

Development trajectory
Three tiers — one data schema
01
p5.js / Browser
Current
Smoke field visualization over a floor plan image. Live EEG stream and session replay. Portable JSON data schema established here.
02
Three.js / Browser
Near term
Live Gaussian splat rendering of the research space as base layer. Real-time LSL stream from Unicorn headset. Same data schema, upgraded renderer.
03
Unity / Gaussian Splat
Far goal
Three-dimensional spatial rendering. Participant tracked in 3D space. Smoke field anchored to live movement in a Gaussian splat environment.