The purpose of this study was to explore the
relationship between windows and interior design
preferences in enclosed office spaces. The research
sample consisted of forty executives from NASA. Subjects
were asked to plan the interior design of an executive
office space (simulated with a scale model) in response to
four different window types and then asked to choose one
of the four window types for the space. Subjects'
reactions were observed and questioned throughout the
experiment, to study the relation between windows and
interior design preferences. Window functions and
configurations, subjects' age, sex, country of origin,
activity, and interaction levels were investigated as
independent variables influencing the dependent variable perception
of the relation between windows and interior
design preferences. The data was analyzed by means of
descriptive statistics and in—depth theoretical analysis
of individual responses.
Subjects' consciousness of the relation between
windows and interior design preferences increased as
activity and interaction levels increased. Window
configurations and functions influenced interior· design
preferences, especially furniture arrangement and color
selection preferences. Interior design preferences
influenced the choice of a window type to a considerable
extent, perhaps as much as view and daylight. An overview
of the study indicates that windows and interior design
preferences are parts of a cyclic inter-relationship where
each factor influences the other and therefore should each
be considered with equal importance by both architects and
interior designers.
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