Effects of the Window View on Evaluations of a Room's Interior Atmosphere

Abstract

This study examined how the view from a room window affects evaluations of the room's interior atmosphere by using the Semantic Differential Method. Participants rated the interior atmosphere of room images, which were in combinations of four different living room styles (classic, south European, Western, and Japanese) with five different window views (a business district, seashore, natural surroundings, housing estate and rice fields). Factor analysis was conducted on the ratings. As a result, three factors - of “comfortable feeling,” “luxuriousness,” and “lightness” - were found as the interior atmosphere of the rooms. The calculated factor scores revealed that the difference in window view changed the degree of “comfortable feeling” and “luxuriousness” in some room styles. Through these findings, the psychological value of considering the window view when designing rooms were discussed.