Window View Quality: Why It Matters and What We Should Do

We lack consensus on a unified definition for window view quality that is applicable across occupancies and building types. In addition, while this is a topic of growing interest, there is limited research underway due to its complex nature, insufficient funding, and a lack of coordinated effort to move the field forward. In response to these problems, some of the authors of this editorial participated in a workshop on window view quality on October 28, 2021 at the University of California, Berkeley, which was complementary to a Virtual Symposium on Research and Design Practice Related to Window Views (“Symposium on Research and Design Practice Related to Window Views” 2021). This position statement started to take shape during this workshop. The symposium aimed to enhance interest and understanding among stakeholders regarding the benefits, complexities, and assessment methods for window views. The workshop aimed to engage the building science and design communities in this growing field, reach a consensus on the primary components of window view quality, and identify research gaps in current view assessment methods.