Conference Agenda

This study proposes a simulation framework that integrates geometric and physiological models to assess the neuro-visual impact of building window components and configurations on the view access potential from indoor spaces. By employing graded visual field analysis and visual cortex projection analysis, the framework quantitatively evaluates how façade details—such as window-to-wall ratio, window size, depth, and frame layout—affect physiologically-weighted view access. The results indicate that window configurations, particularly obstructions in the central visual field, strongly affect weighted visibility.

This study validates residential visual comfort metrics through in-situ experiments across 6 New York City located residential properties, across 14 units, and 36 views. Twenty-five participants evaluated daylight, view quality, and visual privacy while comprehensive physical measurements were conducted. Simulation metrics (Residential Daylight Score, Spatial Daylight Autonomy, Useful Daylight Illuminance, Mean Illuminance, LEED-view, EN17037-view, View Quality Index, Viewscore, Privacy Satisfaction Index) were compared against participant satisfaction ratings using Spearman's correlation analysis. Results demonstrate that occupant-centric metrics, particularly Viewscore-Overall (r=0.71), strongly predict satisfaction, outperforming geometry-based standards. This research establishes the first empirical validation of visual comfort simulation tools in residential spaces, providing evidence-based thresholds for integrating occupant well-being into façade design.

Natural ventilation (NV) is recognized for improving indoor air quality, occupant well-being, and energy conservation. However, its effectiveness often depends on manual window-opening behavior, influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Here, extending such work, we explore the impacts of window type and view on VR-based stated window-opening preferences using a within-subject experimental design. Thirty undergraduate students were immersed in 12 virtual reality (VR) classroom scenes and reported their preferred window status under different window and view conditions. Results showed that natural views inspired greater preference for window opening than urban views, motivated by desires for fresh air, privacy, and alertness; additionally, awning and casement windows were preferred over sliding windows, providing insight into strategies for human-centered NV design.

Visual comfort is strongly influenced by windows and the quality of views they provide. This presentation will demonstrate how ViWin, a proof-of-concept view and window analysis tool, enables designers to assess window placement and properties earlier in the design process and provide actionable insights to support occupants' visual comfort. Current building performance tools mainly focus on the energy performance of the windows opening in the building, along with the daylight and glare analysis. Architectural design applications often lack a practical feature to evaluate what occupants see through a window, leaving designers to rely on guesswork or ignore the visual comfort evaluation until post-occupancy evaluations. ViWin is a computational Revit Plug-in, designed to integrate Building Information Modeling (BIM) data, satellite imagery, and environmental design datasets into a framework that addresses this gap and generates actionable outcomes for alternative window size, placement, and geometry.

During the session, ViWin will be run on a sample project, and through this interactive demonstration, feedback for refinements and future validation will be collected from participants. An end-to-end workflow of the application will be presented in eight modules: (1) extracting windows and project information from the BIM model, (2) processing the geospatial context based on project location, (3) detecting environmental features in the context, (4) classifying environmental features and site attributes and assigning properties to the detected features, (5) computing view geometry (field of view, depth, etc), (6) evaluating the predicted view based on View Content, Clarity, Access, (7) generating visualizations/rendering, (8) generating reports. The demo will emphasize when and how the tool might be used during schematic design and early design development to support informed design decision-making.

Following the demonstration, participants will join a guided focus group discussion to provide qualitative feedback on clarity, workflow fit, and barriers to adoption. To complement this qualitative feedback, participants will complete a short usability questionnaire to share their insights regarding the perceived usefulness and integration potential.

This presentation is intended for researchers, building simulation tool developers, and individuals interested in enhancing design decision-making and occupant-centered design strategies. The expected outcome is to collect a set of prioritized improvements and research directions from the SimBuild community to support development of practical tools that focus on optimizing design quality and building performance metrics related to visual comfort and overall occupant wellbeing.