Window views

Buying or building a home or planning to move?  If you answered yes, you’ll be intrigued by Chamilothori and teammates’ findings about how the openings (windows) in a building’s façade influence in-structure experiences.

Via a virtual reality-based project responses to six different sorts of windows/openings were evaluated; all openings the same ratio of glass to total surface:

• Pattern 1 – horizontal stripe type openings for natural light to move through
• Pattern 2 – vertical stripe type openings
• Pattern 3 – vertical stripes with some stripes not quite vertical, so that the opening looked like a view through bamboo stems, some of which were slightly askew from vertical
• Pattern 4 – a collection of small rectangular holes, arranged roughly as in a honeycomb
• Pattern 5 – many angular openings for light to pass through, as in a spiderweb
• Pattern 6 – Many curvilinear openings clustered together, vaguely reminiscent of a spiderweb

The researchers report that “Patterns 3 and 6 were similar in terms of how pleasant the space was evaluated, as they led to significantly higher ratings compared to Patterns 1, 2, 4, and 5, while they did not differ between them. . . . Patterns 1 and 2 did not differ in how calming the space was perceived. Pattern 3 led to the highest ratings of calmness. . . . Pattern 4 was the main driver of the effect of façade geometry on the perceived brightness, spaciousness, and satisfaction with the amount of view. Pattern 4 led to lower evaluations for these attributes compared to all other variations . . . In one of the most striking outcomes, the change of façade geometry from straight to slightly skewed vertical elements led to the same space being perceived as significantly more pleasant, interesting, exciting, and calming.”

Chamilothori, J. Wienold, C. Moscoso, B. Matusiak, and M. Andersen.  “Subjective and Physiological Responses Towards Daylit Spaces with Contemporary Façade Patterns in Virtual Reality:  Influence of Sky Type, Space Function, and Latitude.”  Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press, 101839, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101839