Western architects of the Modernist era customarily addressed exterior views with huge walls of glass.
This method of framing a view, known as a panorama, relied on the vastness and breadth of the view for impact.
Modernists favored the panorama because it created a near-invisible transition between indoors and out.
The ultimate example of this concept is the house that architect Philip Johnson built for himself in 1950–a rectangular box with walls made entirely of glass.
In recent years, however, the traditionally Western concept of the panoramic view has been severely constrained by energy conservation laws such as California’s Title 24, which limits glass areas to a fraction of that commonly used in Modernist architecture.
In effect, we’re no longer able to build glass walls to bring in the scenery.
Fortunately, there’s another way to wring drama out of a view.
In the Orient, and particularly in Japanese architecture, a beautiful view has traditionally been treated as something to be savored in small quantities, not gorged upon.
This concept, known as the vista (or, if you like, the “Zen view”) treats a beautiful view like a jewel, placing it in a small frame-like window which can be best appreciated from a particular spot, rather than from any point in the room.
The designer thereby controls the exact viewing angle, allowing him or her to compose the view seen through the window exactly as an artist might compose a landscape painting.
Concealing the view from portions of a room has the effect of renewing our appreciation for it.
We’re not constantly exposed to the same scene, so we don’t become desensitized to it.
It’s a subtler way of treating a thing of beauty, just as a painting is subtler than a wall mural.
Better yet, the vista concept dovetails nicely with today’s attitudes on energy conservation.
Because windows lose heat about 10 times faster than walls do, reducing their size reduces heat loss and cuts down fuel consumption.
Smaller windows help to conserve energy while still showcasing a good view.
In all, you have nothing to lose in aesthetics and much to gain in efficiency by designing with vistas rather than panoramas.
Here are a few hints for capitalizing on vistas:
– Before committing a design to plans, make a careful “view inventory” of the site.
Figure out the exact angles at which views are visible; don’t leave it to chance or count on moving windows later during construction.
There’s no reason that the location of a view window can’t be determined within a few inches of its final position before any plans are drawn.
– Conversely, determine the location of unattractive views.
If there are telephone poles, the neighbor’s garage roof, and the like, arrange the windows so that these views are screened off by walls.
If it’s imperative to have windows in these areas, provide them with opaque glass, or hang translucent art-glass pieces in them.
– Consider the “station point,” or position, from which people will most often glimpse the view.
The scene framed by the window should ideally be composed from this point in the room so that it has an intentional impact on the viewer.
