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Blinds are far less expensive than windows. It doesn’t make sense for a company to put windows everywhere but then not be able to afford some cheap window cover

Blinds are far less expensive than windows. It doesn’t make sense for a company to put windows everywhere but then not be able to afford some cheap window coverings. Every window-covered office I’ve ever worked in has had roller shades that were very effective at controlling glare. They’re even electronic so they can be automated. It’s not difficult or expensive. As a counterpoint, I worked at a company where the engineering manager thought all engineers wanted to work I dark caves, so that’s what we got. Except most adults don’t want to work in dark caves so a lot of us ended up working from the common spaces to be exposed to some natural light. Eventually we ended up working from home because there was no way I could last in a dark cave every single day. > When I was in college, I would have killed for a simple room where I could close and lock the door and have no external light pollution. Blocking out light is easy. Put up curtains or a sheet. But you can’t go the other way. There’s no way to add natural light, exterior views, and opportunity for fresh air after the building has been constructed. With windows, everyone can choose. Without windows, there is no choice.

treis 5y ago
There's a limited amount of exterior wall space. If you give the bedrooms windows then that pushes the living space to the interior and makes it window less. That's how my freshman dorm was. Moving exterior to interior it was bedrooms, study space, and then a shared living room. The result was windows in the bedroom, where they were mostly covered with blinds, and no windows in the living area. That's the wrong compromise. You want the light in the living areas where people are spending their days. Of all the different trade offs windowless bedrooms is 100% the right call.
- postingawayonhn 5y ago
  > There's a limited amount of exterior wall space. If you give the bedrooms windows then that pushes the living space to the interior and makes it window less. Or maybe you just make the floorplates smaller to increase the ratio of exterior walls to floor area like most residential buildings.
- michaelt 5y ago
  > There's a limited amount of exterior wall space. So add courtyards. Or build an E shaped building. Or build multiple smaller buildings. You know, the things we do for other large institutional buildings like hospitals and dorms.
  - treis 5y ago
    Sure, but those all come with increased construction cost and less efficient land usage.
    - DemocracyFTW 5y ago
      Someone who can afford to invest one point five billion US dollars into a single student's dorm is under little pressure to be efficient, one would think.

treis 5y ago

There's a limited amount of exterior wall space. If you give the bedrooms windows then that pushes the living space to the interior and makes it window less. That's how my freshman dorm was. Moving exterior to interior it was bedrooms, study space, and then a shared living room. The result was windows in the bedroom, where they were mostly covered with blinds, and no windows in the living area. That's the wrong compromise. You want the light in the living areas where people are spending their days. Of all the different trade offs windowless bedrooms is 100% the right call.

postingawayonhn 5y ago
> There's a limited amount of exterior wall space. If you give the bedrooms windows then that pushes the living space to the interior and makes it window less. Or maybe you just make the floorplates smaller to increase the ratio of exterior walls to floor area like most residential buildings.
michaelt 5y ago
> There's a limited amount of exterior wall space. So add courtyards. Or build an E shaped building. Or build multiple smaller buildings. You know, the things we do for other large institutional buildings like hospitals and dorms.
- treis 5y ago
  Sure, but those all come with increased construction cost and less efficient land usage.
  - DemocracyFTW 5y ago
    Someone who can afford to invest one point five billion US dollars into a single student's dorm is under little pressure to be efficient, one would think.