Monday, February 26, 2007

Urban Windows: Views into People's Private Lives


Window placement and size is very important, especially in urban residences. Too large a window (without window treatments) and there is no privacy or too small a window and the space feels like a cave. The floor on which the window is situated also controls the view. In a street level apartment, privacy or safety is more of an issue with people walking by, so there usually are iron bars or curtains.
What all windows have in common is that they frame a view. Most windows are an invisible barrier that allows people to look from the inside out as well as from the outside in. In urban settings the views usually include other buildings with windows into other apartments. Apartment building windows can create a movie like setting where you can watch the daily happening of strangers. Some people choose to add window treatments to gain privacy, while some don’t mind providing entertainment for interlopers.

1 comment:

anita cooney said...

Jen - if you thinking about windows and how they frame a view , it seems like a very good idea to do a spatial analysis of a scene from Hitchcock's "Rear Window". An ananlytical drawing following by a spatial model would be key. This 2D and 3Dcan help with the development of spatial envelopes in your short stay dwelling.