Windows are often simply thought of as holes in the walls where daylight can get in.  Not only is natural light important to psychological well-being, views from windows also play a significant role.  This column won’t deal with the daylighting, but will look at the placement and detailing of windows and their effect on a space and its occupants. 

    Windows are one of the largest single financial investments in your home.  They are also a feature that has perhaps the strongest architectural appeal.  Consider each window individually when planning your new home or renovating an old one. There are many theories about window placement and, as such, there are no hard and fast rules.  However, being aware of some general principles will make the most of your windows.  For example, placing windows on a least two sides of a room will reduce glare and shadows and therefore make a room more appealing. 

    I have noted in my years of design and construction that even slight adjustments in the placement of windows can make a large difference.  When I design conventional homes, I suggest that the final size and placement of windows not be determined until the floor deck is completed and you can see the specific views and note the effect of each window on the interior space.  With log homes, such fine-tuning may not be possible.  However, with some methods of construction it may be possible to size and configure the windows after placement of the log walls.  Even a few inches in any direction can make a significant difference.  If you don’t have this luxury, then lay out your house on the site and stand where different rooms will be located.  Although you won’t likely be at the right height, it can still be helpful.  I also occasionally take a step ladder on to the site and get up to the proper elevation in order to get an accurate appreciation of the view potential.

    In addition to placement; size, configuration, sill height and other details also are significant.  Take into account the specific function of the room, the natural lighting desired, and the view.  Where there is a view, the prevailing theory seems to be to put as much glass as possible in as large as panes as possible.  Contrary to popular belief, large windows may not be the best way to highlight great views.   If you eat your favorite food everyday for a year, it is very possible that you will grow very tired of it and no longer appreciate it in the same way.  Similarly, if a window is too large, the view can seem to become part of the building and its significance may depreciate over time so that it becomes just part of the wall.  Unique special views can best be highlighted, in some cases, by small windows at logical transition areas in your home.  Each time you pass the transition area, you are reminded of the uniqueness of the view and can appreciate its beauty.  For example, at the end of a hallway or on a stair landing, a view can be witnessed almost as if by surprise over and over again, like a good dessert.  This is sometimes referred to as a Zen view, in that is both simple and powerful.  The view doesn’t even have to be spectacular to be effective.  In a favorite house of mine, the architect placed a round window in the wall next to a small sitting platform on the side of the house that had no views.  Outside the window, he placed a bonzai tree, perfectly framed by the window.  In this way, the tranquility and timelessness reflected by the Bonzai was drawn into the room.

    It is easy to see from this example that windows should not simply be viewed as openings in the wall to let in light and expose the view.  An artist, whether a painter or a photographer, takes a scene and, through carefully framing, turns it into a piece of art, Careful window placement and treatment can do the same.  As such, it may be helpful to regard windows and doors as picture frames.  By framing the view in correct proportion, a window can make a wonderful scene more spectacular.    In this way, the use of smaller panes of glass, rather than breaking up a large view, actually creates many smaller views, each different and each standing on its own.  And from different vantage points in a room, different framed views are created.

    Not only do windows frame views, enriching our perception of the outdoors, they also directly connect us to it.  The windows themselves draw us towards the outdoors.  We can use this to establish the focus of a room.   But first we have to be fully aware of the function of the space.  Typically, sitting is a primary function of many rooms.  Combine the function of sitting with a focus on the windows and it is easy to see why bay windows and window seats are so popular.  They allow us to relax comfortably and still enhance our connection to the outdoors. In this way, the window is very much a central feature of the space.  The sitting area has to be distinctly identifiable as part of the window space or there can be a conflict between the sitting area and the window space.

    Window sill heights are also crucial to maintaining this link.  The lower the sill, the closer the relationship to the outdoors.  The view is brought closer to the viewer and the experience of the view is more direct.  It is generally better to see the ground outside the window, or even better, flowers or other foliage.  On the second floor, it is less important: a slightly higher sill gives a greater feeling of security.  This is closely related to another interesting phenomenon:  wanting to view life outside yet be slightly removed from it.  This is the second reason window seats are popular.  We can watch life unfolding near us, yet maintain a sense of security.  They allow us to have a higher vantage point yet be part of a defined space.  It is the same reason that European balcony windows are so endearing.  Because of this, in window spaces I recommend casement windows that open outwards fully.  Double hung windows often end up with the horizontal sash at eye level and, like sliders, only offer a partial connection to the outside.  Casement windows also catch breezes to bring in the freshness and smells of the outdoors.

    It is important to take into account the effect of glare when placing windows, particularly when they receive high sun exposure.  In the same way that our eyes have trouble adjusting when a light is turned on in a dark room, looking too quickly towards a window can produce the same result, particularly near the transition area of the wall, where the wall will appear darker, and the window, brighter.  Cutting the logs on an angle back to the window frame can help reduce the glare as it will reflect some of the brightest light and create an intermediate transition area.  This is also enhanced by deep reveals, placing the windows further away from the interior surface of the log walls.  If the window is part of a window space, as opposed to a window that is usually viewed from a distance, then having a wide sill functions as a place to put flowers or items that relate to the space.

    As I have shown, the placement of windows and doors are an integral part of any home planning.  They are an important link both to the interior spaces of a room and the landscape beyond your home.  Careful thought to this crucial role they play in your home will yield rich rewards in terms of aesthetics and enjoyment of your home.

© Murray Arnott