While most people in the world now spend the majority of their lives indoors, physiologically we remain an essentially outdoor species. Although this fundamental contradiction has been shown to have had a range of negative impacts on human health, however, the trend toward increased indoor living—and particularly in high-rise urban contexts—only seems likely to continue. This pilot study examines how building design might help resolve the conflict between our outdoor physiology and our increasingly indoor lives. It suggests that one potential solution may lie in encouraging the occupants of high-rise buildings to spend more time on the outer perimeter of indoor spaces, where there is better access to natural light and external views. Two design strategies are proposed for encouraging this change: (1) relocating a range of everyday activities to an edge zone, and (2) expanding this zone into a distinct space in its own right, in between interior and exterior. Three types of enclosed perimeter space are examined as a potential means of achieving this goal: the enclosed loggia, the oriel window, and the alcove window. The effectiveness of each in connecting occupants to outdoors is compared, together with their capacity to accommodate a range of everyday activities. The alcove window is found to offer the most cost-effective solution.
Kevin Nute (Thu,) studied this question.