Influence of design elements on reaction to window views

This article focuses on the respondents’ reactions to window views in dense urban environments. A representative sample of multistorey buildings in residential neighbourhoods in close-up window view was observed. To test the respondents’ reactions to window views and the influence of various architectural features, the data was collected with an online questionnaire. The respondents were selecting a reaction to an individual window view, evaluated features and defined causes for their decisions. Results were analysed with descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test was used to analyse the relationship between the variables. The research indicates that window views in densely build urban environments that restrict the building from the context of the space received predominantly negative reactions, but due to various features and causes. As a general rule, the restricted window views increase importance of architectural details, increase importance of surface treatment of façades and decrease importance of the façade geometry. Specifically, the research indicates that the age of the respondents and the way they spend their day does not significantly influence their tolerance to unfavourable window views.