Amid rapid urbanization, balconies have transitioned into key interfaces between indoors and outdoors, impacting residents’ psychological comfort through aesthetic quality. However, conventional designs focus mainly on function or style, overlooking systematic quantification of emotional needs, which leads to subjective aesthetic evaluations. Existing studies incorporate aesthetic theory or user surveys but fail to bridge “sensory cognition” and “design elements,” lacking a practical quantitative framework. This study addresses these gaps by integrating Sensory Engineering and AHP. User sensory imagery data on balcony aesthetics are collected, and correlation analysis links design features with perceptions. Principal Component Analysis extracts core aesthetic dimensions (e.g., harmony, vitality), and hierarchical needs analysis prioritizes these for AHP−based weighting. The outcome is a user−driven aesthetic evaluation model, offering a reproducible framework that connects subjective preferences with objective design parameters. It provides a scientific tool for designers to enhance balcony aesthetics and occupant well−being in urban residences.