An Office You Love to Work In: Getting the Windows Right

Whether you work in business premises or a home office, the window has a direct impact on comfort, concentration and wellbeing. Here is how to design and arrange it for a pleasant workspace.

Daylight first

Daylight improves visual comfort and mood. To make the most of it:

• place the desk perpendicular to the window, so light comes from the side;
• avoid having the window behind you, which causes screen reflections, or in front of you, which dazzles.

Control glare and heat

• Adjustable indoor or outdoor blinds to tune the light throughout the day.
• Solar-control glazing for very exposed west and south façades.
• Brise-soleil or shutters to limit summer overheating, a real issue in small attic offices.

Quiet for concentration

An office overlooking a busy street benefits greatly from acoustic glazing, asymmetric or laminated. Sound gaskets and well-adjusted sashes complete the sound insulation, a real comfort for video meetings.

Easy ventilation

Fresh air limits end-of-day fatigue. Tilt-and-turn windows ventilate from the top without strong draughts or papers flying. In homes with mechanical ventilation, trickle vents must stay unobstructed.

The view, an underrated asset

Being able to look up at a tree or the sky rests the eyes after long hours on screen. Slim profiles and a sill that is not too high encourage this connection with the outdoors.

Ideal orientation

• North: soft, constant light without glare, great for screen work.
• East: lovely morning sun to start the day.
• South and west: bright, but needs protection from afternoon heat.

Security

For a ground-floor office holding IT equipment, burglar-resistant glass and a key-locking handle are sensible precautions.

In short

A well-placed window, protected from the sun, quiet and easy to open, turns an office into a place where you work better. It is an investment you feel every day.