A window is our lens to the outside world – of weather check-ins, smiles from our neighbours, or sunrays that play hide-and-seek behind an urban sky-rise. The importance of this lens became even more evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, as a consoling source of connection in isolating times. Many sought to see and feel life around them, craving lost context for multiple identities, roles and relationships.
Having to work and live in the same space during the pandemic, my curiosity fuelled an evidence-based exploration of how people’s connection to their surroundings was influenced by confinement. This resulted in uncovering the psychology associated with living and working in a single space, but even more so it led to the exploration of a significant feature of our homes – windows. The pandemic enabled, or rather compelled many to reshape their living spaces and experiment with recreating connections to the outside world.
For many of us, staying connected with the world meant adopting more frequent use of communication technology. While it up-skilled life and created opportunities for some, for others it blurred work-home boundaries, reduced job satisfaction and induced work-related anxiety and depression. The stress and related health concerns from excessive engagement with technology are called ‘techno-stress‘ and ‘techno-overload‘2,3. Windows in our confined spaces might have potentially offered relief from whatever may be happening inside of us and directly around us – be it overstimulation from technology, chaos from interpersonal conflicts, or other experiences that impact our well-being negatively.
How might windows have offered relief in confined spaces?
Through initial discussions with others, I found diverse perspectives. For some, their story was personal and reflected deep processes that they experienced in challenging times:
“I enjoyed getting to experience the ways the sun rays on my curtains gave the rooms a tinted glow at different hours of the day”1.
“Before lockdown, I didn’t get to spend the day in the house. I loved seeing the sun rays seep into the bedroom in the morning”1.
As a health professional, when I reflect on the role of a window in my life it goes something like this-
“As a child I would observe the night sky through the window with a specific intention in mind which was to check for the presence of stars. The resulting interpretation for a child was simple – if there were stars at night that would mean the following day would be clear, sunny and humid, which I wasn’t fond of. However, if stars were absent it would mean the following day would be comfortable and pleasant! I connected the views of night skies as personal navigators for the days ahead. While none of my family pondered the relevance of windows, growing up and moving to different places for my studies, I found myself emphasising having the presence of windows in my living spaces. This may be because I was particularly sensitive to weather patterns and relied on windows to provide the needed context!”.
Windows have been found to provide contextual clues about time of the day and weather conditions6. This information plays a role in anchoring ourselves across time and space6.
Dr Esther Sternberg is a renowned expert and researcher in the Science of healing and illness. In her book, The Science of Place and Well-Being, she states that as we watch the world outside through a window, our bodies enter a “meditative state”, whereby, we can experience a sense of relief and tranquillity4. Similar experimental findings by Roger Ulrich, who himself, is a pioneer in the realm of windows and well-being states, “patients with a window required fewer severe to moderate dosages of medication and were released earlier from hospital in comparison to patients without a window view”4.
If the first sign of recovery is considered to be when a patient turns their attention outward on the physical world from the attention within self4, then,
How significant are windows for our health and well-being?
Some specific roles that windows play for our health and well-being include-
Perceived temperature and thermal sensations
A window can help us experience cooler thermal sensations. In a randomised crossover experiment, at the University of California’s Environmental Chamber, participants were exposed to working in two controlled conditions, that is, working in a windowed and windowless room5. Despite identical temperatures being maintained for both rooms at 28° celsius (C) , the participants working from the windowed room reported the thermal sensations to be cooler by 0.74° C, 12% more pleasant and comfortable. The improved thermal sensations were attributed to the ability to shift attention between the outside view and the inside environment which made participants much more relaxed and tolerant of existing warm temperatures. Participants’ tolerance of temperature was also reasoned to the windows being a compensatory presence5. There were, however, no significant differences noted for skin temperatures, across both the conditions. People working from a windowed room reported reduced thermal discomfort as well5.
Circadian rhythm
A circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock, responsible for experiencing optimal sleep, hormone release cycles (for instance-melatonin, insulin), metabolism, body temperature and energy levels. A balanced circadian rhythm enables us to stay alert and focused during the day and relaxed at night. When a circadian rhythm is disrupted it can be an underlying factor behind most mental health disorders19.
Its normal functioning is essential for the neurobiological systems to regulate emotions and stress well19. Existing literature points out that the “circadian disruptors” in densely populated urban areas influence the adoption of lifestyles that cause delayed sleep or an excessive engagement with digital devices that emit blue light. These disruptors inhibit adequate melatonin secretion – a hormone required for a good quality sleep19.
So, how might we as health professionals help balance circadian rhythms through design?
Enabling Daylight
An essential natural stimuli required to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm is daylight. Architecture can, for instance, prevent circadian misalignment by enabling more daylight into buildings through design6. Introducing windows that allow not just adequate daylight but can also contextualise the mood and time of day might be ideal to correct the circadian misalignment and get it back to its 24 hour cycle6,21.
How much daylight is healthy enough for a space?
A daylight factor is a percentage of indoor natural light compared to outdoor light on a horizontal surface8. It is measured as-
Daylight Factor (%) = (Indoor Illuminance / Outdoor Illuminance) X 100
The daylighting recommendations for buildings include the daylight factor levels to be between 2% to 6%. This recommendation is well founded for overcast skies that create stable daylight conditions8. For changing natural light conditions, further considerations are required to address other issues such as glare, for example. People working from a windowed room with adequate daylight report better satisfaction with lighting conditions6.
Windowless spaces can increase a person’s risk of experiencing mental health disorders. As an example, literature on deprived exposure to daylight states damages to monoamine nuerons (responsible for memory, emotion, and learning), depressive phenotype in rats, and experience of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in humans8.
Eyesight
Daylight from windows stimulates the release of a retinal neurotransmitter dopamine that inhibits elongation of the eye’s axial tissue. The elongation of eye’s tissue is called myopia or short-sightedness6. These conditions are a rising epidemic in East Asia, due to lack of adequate daylight exposure6 making architecture play a critical role in their prevention.
Some daylight glare can cause mild eye discomfort, however, it is much more tolerable than nighttime glare and this tolerance is attributed to a window’s presence6. A window better affords control over the amount of light to be let into a space. Window views that overlook open space enable eye muscles to relax in dense urban areas and relieve tightness of eye muscles6 . In one study, people who worked from a windowed room reported fewer eye related problems, such as eye dryness, blurred vision, compared to people who worked in a windowless room5.
In other findings, people preferred to work in daylight, especially the occupants living in the tropics, because it mitigated the effects of glare, supported visual speed in processing information and enabled better discrimination of fine details in visual acuity (that is, sharpness of vision at a distance). Good colour discrimination for three-dimensional tasks was also possible due to daylight6.
How do windows influence other body functions?
The current literature on windows’ influence on the body and senses mostly focuses on its effects on visual and thermal senses. Although vision is a large part of our experience of spaces, it does not encompass the total experience5,9. There are studies that investigate windows’ effects on outdoor influences of heat, smell and sound6 , but more research is needed to uncover the effects of windows beyond immediate sensory experiences.
Sleep
Sleep is a physiological response which is influenced by the presence or absence of windows. Boubekri et al.8 found that day-shift workers in windowed workplaces had better sleep quality and also slept an average of 46 minutes longer in comparison to workers in windowless workplaces. Higher light exposure from windows meant longer sleep time during workday nights.
Stress
Findings on the effects of windows on stress are mixed. Although one study found no difference in perceived stress in people working from windowed and windowless rooms5, other studies suggest otherwise.
To understand impacts of a window view of nature, the heart resting rate, physiological stress responses were measured amongst male floorball players7. Players with a window view had a 39% faster heart rate restoration, reduced physiological stress and increased parasympathetic activity7 . Increased parasympathetic activity means that the body is able to switch off its fight/flight/freeze reactions and return to a relaxed state. This is supported by Ulrich’s Biophilia Theory (1993). The theory states that upon exposure to natural environments, autonomic arousal, blood pressure, heart rate and respiration can be lowered. Further findings state that such environments can also lower stress hormone levels and support the anabolic energy recharge for physiological arousal and behaviour7. This adds to the evidence that having a window of nature can enable a faster physiological recovery6 .
These discrepancies might be related to the view from the window rather than simply the presence of a window. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between the presence of windows, the view from windows, and their effects on stress.
Safety and Security
Windows can be used to enhance a sense of control and safety in indoor environments by providing information on “enclosure, privacy, safety and escape via safe routes”6 .
The Prospect-Refuge theory (Plleton, 1975) suggests that people prefer window views which offer information of clear routes of surroundings (prospect) and spaces to hide or shelter (refuge)10. This helps people assess potential threats and have a sense of control over their environment10 . Interestingly, people felt unsafe, when features of window views appeared complex, difficult to navigate, regardless whether the view overlooked the natural or a built environment10.
Sense of safety is also activated when people are exposed to views of savannah-like environments10. Such studies cite an innate affinity towards savannah-like elements such as open spaces, and water that gives a hint of resource richness10. Experiencing the needs of safety and security is essential for people to be able to focus on higher order needs such as social, cognition, self-actualization and move towards a state of improved health and well-being22.
How else do we experience windows?
Cognition
There is significant evidence that humans are inclined to find certain natural views from windows cognitively restorative and appealing.
In a study, the cognitive performance of people working in a windowed room was better than in a windowless room. Specifically, there was a 6% increase in working memory and a 5% improvement in concentration performance5. There were no differences, however, observed for divergent thinking or creative ability scores, short-term memory and planning5.
Therefore, to understand whether windows with views of nature could elicit cognitive restoration, another study measured choice reaction time, eye-hand reaction, attentiveness, processing speed and digit span forward and backward task7. Findings indicated that the choice reaction time improved by 9% for students with a window view, compared to only 2% improvement in students without. These findings align with Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART) (1995)7, which states that cognitive restoration occurs through activation of soft involuntary attention. This attention comprises fascination and enables thoughts of one’s purpose and desire, both of which are activated due to changes in environment7.
To understand these findings, we might inquire as to what specific features of a natural view leads to better cognitive restoration. Humans welcome urban expansive views overlooking mountain tops or skyscrapers but report themselves to be disoriented, lost and fearful when views overlook dense, crowded urban areas10. This was because these views were reported to be complex, with illogical features that felt difficult to navigate. Views overlooking wide, open space were also found to free the cerebral cortex from processing information thus, enabling better cognitive relaxation6 .
In intensive therapy units in hospitals, the presence of windows was a positive influence on health in patients. One such study conducted across two hospitals in the UK reported that patients in the windowed unit had more accurate memory on the length of their stay, better orientation to time and experienced fewer hallucinations and delusions6,16.
Restoration and Creativity
Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART) states that views of nature enable soft fascination to occur instead of hard fascination12. Soft fascination leads to experiences of creativity from nature because of its renewed ability to direct and control attention13. Meanwhile, hard fascination leaves less room for peripheral mental activity and instead forces one’s attention. Soft fascination meanwhile, captures attention effortlessly, loosely and leaves space for unrelated thoughts to emerge12.
Although soft fascination and mind-wandering can be complementary and mutually reinforcing for creative thinking, they are also mutually distinct from one another13. To start off, soft fascination in the natural environment enables the restoration of attention control, allowing for a more strategic and persistent search for creative solutions after the incubation period13. Whereas mind wandering supports creativity through the formation of new associations between previously unconnected ideas13. Mind wandering is spontaneous, self-generated and is an inwardly directed behaviour essential to future planning and simulations, personal problem solving, decision making, creative thinking and learning, where the frontal lobe plays an influential role14. It is worthwhile to explore what qualities of window views foster soft fascination and mind wandering and in turn how these processes might lead to a state of complete health and well-being.
Workplace Satisfaction and Productivity
Window views can impact an employees’ emotional well-being and job satisfaction. According to Kaplan (1993), a window view provides a micro restorative experience, wards off frustration, and enhances enthusiasm for one’s job11,10. Windows that offered a clear view of surroundings and spaces to shelter in a built environment were associated with reduced emotional exhaustion, reduced turnover intent and lesser apprehension in jobs, as people felt more in control of their job surroundings10.
Windows can reduce anxiety and improve job satisfaction by providing views of nature or green space in offices. The Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) by Ryan and Deci (2001) supports this, stating that natural views induce positive emotions and relaxation while blocking negative thoughts11. Incorporation of windows overlooking savannah-like environments, such as open spaces, water and structure can provide a sense of resource-richness, which in turn can contribute to feelings of well-being and satisfaction in jobs10.
Working from rooms with windows that bring in natural light and views of natural elements, such as trees, vegetation, forest and foliage, has a positive impact on employee well-being, job satisfaction and productivity. Specifically, research5,15,17 suggests that working in windowed rooms can:
- Reduce intention to quit
- Buffer negative impact of job stress
- Increase positive emotions such as happiness and satisfaction
- Decrease negative emotions, such as drowsiness and sadness
- Promote physical activity, particularly during morning hours
These findings suggest that incorporating windows in workplaces can be a valuable consideration for organisations looking to create a healthy and supportive work environment.
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
IEQ comprises lighting, acoustics, indoor air quality, ventilation, amongst other spatial qualities18. Maintenance of IEQ became prominent during the Covid-19 pandemic and windows played an important role wherein, they enabled ventilation, provided adaptable lighting conditions and fostered a sense of connection to the outdoors5.
Windows are a crucial aspect of design for health and well-being and their placement can impact the overall quality of a space. A well-designed window can bring in natural light, improve productivity and reduce energy costs6. But badly placed windows can be susceptible to heat glare and expose views that don’t offer the same potential benefits. To get it right, designers would have to consider window orientation, size and view quality.
Given that windows are often a financial consideration in design because of high costs, understanding their influence on health and well-being should influence design decisions and where to invest a budget.
The findings reviewed in this article suggest that the quality rather than quantity of windows are important to consider. Windows that bring in adequate natural light, offer open views, and views with natural elements are more likely to impact health and wellbeing, positively.
Some future directions for exploration for health professional researching the impact windows, include-
- What role does a window play in enhancing social health?
- Did windows contribute to the collective sense of social inclusion and humanity during Covid-19 pandemic? If yes, then what can we learn from this experience?
- What features of window view enable experience of positive emotions, such as joy, hope?
- How can the placement of windows foster a sense of safety and security?
- Can windows combat heat discomfort from the Urban Heat Island effect ?
- Is accessibility to windows related to our sense of agency in everyday life?
I leave you with a question- based on the Solution Focused Brief approach developed by Steve de Shazer & Insoo Kim Berg21 – that I often ask myself in explorations of design solutions:
“Imagine waking up in your bed to see a window with a view that makes you feel positive and energised- what would it look like, and what would it overlook?”
References
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