A field study on determination of preferences for windows in office environments

We aimed to determine the preferences for windows in office spaces and discover the underlying reasons which may affect design decisions. We conducted a field study on office buildings in Izmir–Turkiye. The research findings indicated that majority of users (48.6%; n=107) have preferred firstly window-wall, which has the largest window area, secondly horizontal window (35%; n=77) and thirdly square window types (10.9%; n=24) for their own workspaces. Although having equal surface areas in the preference scale, square-shaped windows have been preferred much more than the rectangular and round shaped ones and horizontal shaped windows than the vertical ones. The window type, gender, quality of office job and quality of view created significant differences in determining prior factors behind window preferences.