(Ebook) Towards appreciating the importance of windowscapes: Evaluation and suggestion for improvement of New Zealand Building Code by Dr. LEILA MIRZA , Dr. HUGH BYRD

(Ebook) Towards appreciating the importance of windowscapes: Evaluation and suggestion for improvement of New Zealand Building Code by Dr. LEILA MIRZA , Dr. HUGH BYRD

Rapid intensification of Auckland has made our visual awareness of the outdoor
environment (windowscapes) more confined and restricted. The recent changes of
Auckland’s windowscapes have made the shortcomings of New Zealand Building Code
more apparent. This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of windowscapes in
urban dwellers’ life and suggest some changes to current building code to provide
healthier and liveable indoor environments. First, evidence from the literature on the
impact of views on building occupants’ wellbeing will be reviewed. Then, New Zealand
Code Clause (G7 Natural light) and its Acceptable Solution will be critically analysed
to identify areas that require improvement.
Our literature review indicates that private views are more relevant for health and
wellbeing than building and planning legislation in New Zealand currently considers
them to be. Hence, this paper suggests that windowscapes should become an essential
part of future building codes and standards. This paper concludes that providing strict
requirements regarding windowscapes is essential to building a healthier indoor
environment.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2018) 2(1), 55-65.
https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2018.3656