Window View Satisfaction Assessment Method: A Comparison of Physical Space, Virtual Reality, and Digital Image

Window view quality influences occupants’ health, well-being, work performance, and real estate value. However, there is a lack of validation for view satisfaction assessment methods and no broad consensus on experiment protocols. Therefore, it is difficult to compare and combine experimental data from different research, hindering research advancement in the view quality assessment field. In this study, we compare widely used window view display techniques with actual window views in physical spaces to investigate the suitability of these techniques for evaluating view subcategories: content, access, clarity, privacy, and overall view satisfaction. Participants evaluated their satisfaction with these five subcategories using identical window views presented through three media: physical space (PS), virtual reality (VR), and digital images (IM). Additionally, we compared different rendering techniques of window views, including HDR photos, collages, images of 3D models rendered with a ray tracer, and different camera orientations. Statistical analyses showed no significant differences in PS-VR and PS-IM comparisons for assessing content, privacy, and overall, suggesting that VR and digital images are suitable techniques for evaluating window view satisfaction subcategories in lieu of physical space experiments. However, IM and VR might not be appropriate media for assessing clarity. No significant differences were found in comparisons of PS-HDR photos and PS-collage images. However, entirely computer-generated images introduced bias, and thus, we recommend photos or collages in view experiments. Based on these method validations, we proposed a standardized window view experiment protocol to facilitate the accumulation of qualitative window view evaluation datasets.