The Impact of Proximity to Window on Satisfaction with Indoor Environmental Quality

Suyeon Bae (University of Minnesota)

Post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) measure design outcomes, help designers understand how the space impacts the users, and provide information about the performance of the building to inform future projects. The Sustainable Post-Occupancy Evaluation Survey (SPOES) developed by an interdisciplinary team at a Midwest University provides an occupant-centered analysis that directs attention to design outcomes that affect building occupants’ well-being. The SPOES is an Internet-based questionnaire administered via Qualtrics. The positive impact of proximity to window including access to daylight has been continuously investigated. This study builds upon existing literature with occupant data (N=2,275) from 30 workplace buildings. The independent sample t-test results indicated that occupants within 15 feet of a window were more satisfied with daylighting (∆M=1.69, p≤0.001), view conditions (∆M=1.63, p≤0.001), their primary workstations (∆M=0.62, p≤0.001), and electric lighting (∆M=0.41, p≤0.001). These mean differences imply that the proximity to a window has a greater impact on satisfaction with daylighting and view conditions than satisfaction with primary workstations and electric lighting. Logistic regression results also indicated that occupants who were not within 15 feet of a window were 5.65 times more likely to be dissatisfied with daylighting (OR=5.65, p≤0.001), followed by view conditions (OR=4.63, p≤0.001), primary workstation (OR=1.79, p≤0.001), and electric lighting (OR=1.48, p≤0.001). These results imply that occupants in workstations not having a window nearby may are likely to experience dissatisfaction with their workstation and IEQ factors. This study supports findings from the literature that occupants’ satisfaction with their workplace environment are impacted by proximity to a window.