IMPORTANCE OF VIEW
Although listed last amongst the environmental factors, the question of
view is of special importance. The view out from the window is our
contact with the world outside; it provides the information, which for
reasons already mentioned, allows us to experience the time of day,
changes in the weather, sunlight and the seasons.
At one level, a view satisfies the physiological need for the adaptation
and readaptation of the eye to distance, providing a visual rest centre. For
this reason any view is better than no view, whilst clearly some views will
be better than others. At a different level the importance of a view has
been recognized in research to show that a patient in hospital will recover
more quickly where a window with a view is available.
The content of a view is clearly of importance, and it is the information
it provides which will determine its success. A view out to a blank wall
may be better than nothing but a view out to open countryside, or a
garden will be a different order of experience.
Various views have been analysed in terms of the information
obtained, depending upon the height of the window. In tall buildings
the view may consist entirely of the sky when seen from the interior of
the space, whilst at lower levels the experience of the ground scene
becomes of more importance.
The quality of the exterior view will depend upon the surroundings of
the building, and the height at which it is experienced, but it is of
importance that where a view is available it should be exploited. There
will be instances in large building complexes where internal views from
one part of the interior to another may be had; these will provide the
visual rest centres to satisfy the physiological requirement, but unless
there are views to daylit areas they will lack the amenities of change,
variety and modelling which inform the natural scene outdoors.
The architect should take the question of view into consideration when
planning his building, and when planning the location and detail of the
windows. Some of the finest windows were those of the eighteenth
century in Britain where the refinement of detail of the glazing bar
ensured that the daylight was captured by the bar, led round it, not
impeding the view. This is less necessary today since the size of glass
available is such as to allow large areas of see-through glazing, with no
need for horizontal obstruction.
Environment 15Field of Rape, Hertfordshire. Natural colourDP Archive