A growing body of research indicates that visual exposure to nature can enhance mental well-being. However, the impact of such contact through high-rise building windows remains unclear. To address ...this significant knowledge gap, we utilized aerial drone-captured videos taken from a height of 90 m to present comprehensive visual panoramas encompassing various scenes observed through high-rise building windows. These scenes included three key elements: built structures, greenery, and water bodies. Forty-five participants were randomly assigned to view six conditions in a laboratory setting. Physio-psychological responses to each condition were measured using a portable electroencephalogram device, which continuously recorded brainwaves, and ErgoLAB, which monitored heart rate variability. Additionally, participants completed anxiety level assessments and subjective feelings questionnaires. Our findings revealed that visual contact with all window views produced significantly greater positive effects compared to viewing control or built environments. Among the window views, those featuring green space with water or green space alone elicited the most beneficial outcomes, including increased alpha brainwave activity, enhanced parasympathetic nervous system activation, heightened levels of relaxation and comfort, and lower anxiety levels. The study's findings indicate that high-rise building residents can benefit from 4-min exposure to greenery, either with water or alone, through window views, in promoting mental health. The study emphasizes the importance of considering window views in urban high-rise planning and design to enhance the mental health and well-being of city dwellers.
•Investigated the impact of high-rise window views on well-being.•Assessed physiological and psychological responses to different views.•Measured brain activity, heart rate variability, and self-reported feelings.•Greenery and water views provided the highest positive effects on well-being.•Urban building views and windowless settings provided fewer relaxation benefits.
Optimal design of bird collisions prevention glazing patterns is pivotal in the protection of avian ecology and provision of quality window views for building occupants. However, a research gap ...currently exists regarding the impact of different pattern designs on the quality of window views. Therefore, this study evaluates the influence of various bird collision prevention pattern designs on window view clarity. A total of 18 patterns, including dot matrix, vertical stripes, and horizontal stripes, were designed and evaluated. The patterns had varying combinations of coverage rates and spacing ratios. Sixty participants were recruited to participate in an experimental survey using virtual reality (VR) technology. They were asked to rate the level of clarity of window views observed through different glazing pattern designs. The results indicated that the bird collision prevention glazing pattern designs significantly influenced occupants’ perception of visual clarity. Designs featuring horizontal and vertical stripes attained higher visual clarity ratings compared to the dot matrix pattern. Additionally, visual clarity significantly decreased with increasing coverage rates and designs with larger spacing ratios were associated with higher clarity than smaller spacing ratios. Most participants were willing to sacrifice window view quality in order to minimize bird fatalities. These findings can guide the development of window view evaluation criteria in existing green building standards, by accounting for the trade-off between avian conservation and window view clarity.
•Impact of bird-collisions prevention glazing pattern designs on window view quality is investigated.•Virtual reality is used to conduct a visual clarity evaluation survey.•Horizontal and vertical stripe patterns achieve better visual clarity than dot patterns under same coverage ratio.•Building occupants are willing to sacrifice view quality for prevention of bird-window collision fatalities.
Daylighting standards dictate that the view seen through a window can be evaluated using several criteria. Among one of them is the distance at which the visual content can be seen. However, not ...enough guidance is given on how this criterion can be applied in practice. We used two approaches to address this problem: online surveys and human subject assessment in a controlled experiment using an artificial window. Images were used in both cases to represent window views. Two independent groups of participants took part in either study and both gave subjective satisfaction ratings to three parameters, namely, connection to the outside, visual content and visual privacy. Eighteen images were evaluated in the online surveys by a total of 91 participants while eight images were rated by 50 participants that took part in the controlled experiment. We developed a calculation method, named the Observer Landscape Distance (OLD), to quantify the distance of the window view landscape from the occupant. Our initial results showed that people are more satisfied when features are far away. However, we also showed that when the landscape contained nature, the effect of distance was smaller. If far away views cannot be provided due to site constrains, nature (e.g. trees) should be integrated nearby to increase satisfaction. Current daylighting standards promote distant views regardless of its visual content (nature or urban). We found that visual content matters and occupants prefer urban features to be viewed from a distance, whereas this same recommendation does not apply for nature.
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•Online surveys and a controlled experiment were used to collect assessments.•Distant visual content seen in the view increased visual satisfaction.•The effect of distance was larger for urban features and lower for nature features.•Building occupants prefer nature to be nearby and urban features to be further away.•We propose the Observer Landscape Distance metric to assess the window view landscape.
A high-quality window view plays an essential role in people's indoor life, and assessing the content of the window view is essential for evaluating view quality. Although many studies have evaluated ...specific view content preferences of occupants, only a few have lumped different quantitative and qualitative factors together. This study aims to assess occupants' window view preferences by quantitative and qualitative factors of view contents. We conduct a systematic study by providing 80 static photos of window views to the participants, selecting quantitative (i.e., natural feature ratio, artificial feature ratio, number of layers) and qualitative (i.e., presence of rule of thirds, horizontal layers, and far elements) window view descriptors, developing and administering questionnaires, and analyzing the obtained data. The findings reveal that the percentage of natural elements, including the sky and greenery, are highly correlated to occupants' subjective window view preference. In addition, the number of layers and the existence of far elements are also factors with more significant impacts.
•A systematic study was conducted by using 80 static photos of window views.•The contents of each photo were described quantitatively and qualitatively.•The ratio of natural elements is highly correlated to window view ratings.•The number of layers is a crucial contributor to the positive ratings of images.
Many studies point out the importance of the window views to the surroundings, as they have a significant impact on children's well-being, living comfort and learning performance. Nevertheless, this ...aspect is overlooked and usually not included as one of the main criteria for designing school facilities in an urban area. The purpose of the study was to find out how the students are responding to the potential of classroom’s window views. To collect data a questionnaire was implemented in three Slovenian primary schools (in the third triad). The respondent were pupils from three different Slovenian regions. The results were processed with the statistical package SPSS for Windows and with the MS Excel tool. The pupils answered consistently to the questions in the survey. They like their classroom because of the large windows with lots of light and because of the window view of green areas. Most pupils prefer to sit by the window because they like to look outside at the surroundings. Otherwise, they would prefer to look at water, greenery, and nature. The least they would like is the view of neighbouring buildings nearby, especially if the view is without greenery, or of a busy street. They like to look out the window, even if sitting by the window is sometimes unpleasant if too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. The noise passing through the window clearly does not bother them. The result of the study can be helpful in designing school facilities in an urban environment.
The current challenges of urbanization and densification threaten the health of urban dwellers. Previous studies have shown that contact with; or perception of green spaces has beneficial impacts on ...human psychological wellbeing. However, residents and employees who live or work in high-rise buildings have little opportunity to access green spaces during working hours. We do not know whether viewing green space through a high-rise estate window can potentially contribute to the psychological wellbeing of urban dwellers. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to two offices, a window looking out onto urban space, or a window looking out onto green space from a wide-angle of the 21st floor of the Jin-Mao Tower. During visual stimulation, sensors took physiological measures of their stress levels by measuring Electroencephalography, heart rate variability, and skin conductance, while their psychological reactions were collected using Profile of Mood States and Semantic Differential Questionnaire. Results showed that compared with the urban space view; viewing green space through a high-rise window resulted in a significant increase in alpha wave power in the frontal and occipital lobes, a significant increase in parasympathetic activity; and a significant decrease in the skin conductance. Moreover; a significant increase in “comfortable”, “beautiful”, “attractive”, “relaxed”, and “cheerful’’ feelings, and a significant improvement in mood states. Window views can significantly lead to better mental health and psychological wellbeing for urban dwellers. The observed results highlight the significance of considering the window views in urban high-rise neighborhood planning and design.
One of the important aims of window design is to provide quality views that affect occupant health, well-being, and work performance. We assessed the effect of geometric variables (i.e., view angles, ...glazing area (Window-to-Wall Ratio, WWR), window distance, viewing direction and percentage of window view area in the visual field (PWV)) had on occupants’ satisfaction to view access. We conducted a human subject experiment with 40 participants using simulated images displayed in virtual reality headsets. Each participant rated 40 images with the geometric window view variables being presented in various combinations. The results showed that glazing area (WWR), window distance, and viewing direction were the three primary predictors for view access satisfaction. Based on the empirical results, we developed a view access index. This index found that satisfactory view access cannot be achieved with WWRs < ∼25%, and the level of satisfaction with view access did not increase substantially when WWRs > ∼65%. The proposed index is the first model that predicts occupant satisfaction to view access by considering the complex interplay of multiple geometric window view variables derived from an immersive environment. Given the impact of glazing area, window distance and viewing direction have on occupant satisfaction in the workplace, it is important to integrate them during the early stages of building design. For minimum view access requirements, we recommend WWRs and horizontal view angles that are greater than 25% and to 35°.
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•We assessed the effect of geometric variables on view access satisfaction.•40 participants rated simulated images in virtual reality headsets.•Glazing area, window distance and viewing direction are the primary predictors.•We developed an index that predicts view access satisfaction.•At minimum, we recommend 25% WWR and 35° horizontal view angle for view access.
Previous studies have shown that access to a satisfactory view to the outside with sufficient daylight is essential for building occupants' health and well-being. It has also been suggested that ...certain features of visual content improve view-out quality, such as horizontal stratification, natural landscapes, distant features, and diversity of visual elements. Additionally, having movement and changes in viewing content has been shown to further strengthen building occupants’ engagement and connectivity to their surrounding environment. The objective of this paper is to review the literature on the dynamism of the view content and the inclusion of this criterion in the current metrics of view evaluation. Our review revealed a need for further research on view dynamism, especially focusing on testing different types, speeds, and scales of movement on view quality assessment. It also showed that more comprehensive view evaluation frameworks should be developed to accurately preserve the dynamic qualities of window views in experimental settings. While many view rating metrics have acknowledged the importance of movement, this criterion is to date ignored or only poorly included in existing metrics, which further highlights the need of learning more about this topic.
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•Natural window views were associated with less perceived stress and more attention.•Natural views were not associated with performance in a concentration test.•Children’s nature experiences were ...associated with less perceived stress in school.•Children’s nature experiences were associated with perceived well-being in school.
There is increasing evidence for the restorative and stress-reducing benefits of natural window views and indoor vegetation. However, few studies have investigated associations between the naturalness of window and interior classroom views and students’ well-being and performance in primary schools. The present cross-sectional study investigated associations between the naturalness of window and interior classroom views and primary students’ subjective well-being and actual performance in a standardized attention and concentration test. Well-being was assessed with a written survey, covering students’ satisfaction and comfort in school, ability to concentrate and learn in class, satisfaction with achievements, perceived stress, and social belonging. Attention and concentration were measured with the d2-revision test. Social density, wall color, and degree of classroom decoration were controlled for. Students (n = 785; 8–11 years old; all 4th graders) reported less stress and were more focused on a task in classrooms with more natural window views, i.e., in rooms where more natural elements could be seen outside. Natural interior views, and thus the number of plants in a classroom, were not significantly associated with the tested variables. Children’s nature connectedness (measured as their time spent in nature and on plant care) was positively associated with feelings of comfort and learning satisfaction in school. Time spent in nature was also associated with less perceived stress and fatigue, and with more attentive behavior during lessons. Performance in the d2-revision test was not associated with the naturalness of classroom views, but was lower for children who perceived stress in school.
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