Impact of "view out" on wellbeing in affordable housing
Project summary
Properly designed windows play a significant role in improving the wellbeing and comfort of building occupants by allowing sufficient daylight, naturally ventilating the building, and providing a visual connection to the outside. The outdoor views provided by windows has been shown to positively impact recovery, cognitive performance, emotional wellbeing, and overall satisfaction with the built environment. This project explores the impact of view out on the wellbeing of elderly residents in an affordable housing building in San Francisco Chinatown.
Driving questions
What specific elements of outdoor views are most associated with positive experiences of window views among elderly residents in affordable housing?
How do elderly residents perceive the quality of their window views, and what role does cultural and contextual relevance play in shaping these perceptions?
What framework can be developed to assess the quality of window views in residential settings, incorporating both subjective resident experiences and objective environmental metrics?
Project team
Dr. Sneha Jain, Post-doctoral scholar, CEE
Prof. Sarah Billington, CEE
Andrea Green, PhD student, CEE
Flora Xu, PhD student, E-IPER Program
Deland Chan, PhD student, Sociology, Oxford University