Windows and Doors

Myers and Rollings investigated the consequences of living in a university dormitory in which bedrooms do not have windows (Munger Graduate Residences at the University of Michigan).  After collecting data from people living in Munger and at other locations, the researchers reported that Munger provides “residential units containing shared living spaces for six or seven residents who each receive their own private bedroom and bathroom. Of the building’s 631 bedrooms, 87% do not have windows. . . .

Abdelwahab and Altomonte probed how electrochromic (EC) glazing on windows, which switches between being clear (bleached) and being tinted, influences task performance, particularly on cloudy days.  They report that they “investigated the impact of spectral composition of daylight filtered through a 6-pane EC façade on visual task performance and visual perception. . . . subjects were exposed to five setting scenarios of the EC façade (fully bleached, mixed setting after fully bleached, fully tinted, mixed setting after fully tinted, and user-controlled). . . .

Gomez-Sirvent and teammates’ research confirms the value of nearby windows to spaces outside a structure, with this team particularly probing their presence in music practice spaces.  The investigators report “a virtual replica of a real conservatoire classroom was used to investigate the effect of window size and views through windows on the perception of the built environment. . . . participants’ responses to environmental changes while playing their instruments were studied.