‘Scoring’ a good view: Researchers create tool to optimize window views and building design

CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE

FOR RELEASE: Sept. 8, 2025

Kaitlyn Serrao

607-882-1140

kms465@cornell.edu

‘Scoring’ a good view: Researchers create tool to optimize window views and building design

ITHACA, N.Y. - ViewScore.io, a new software tool created by Cornell University researchers, can simulate and score window view scenarios, helping building designers optimize these views along with energy efficiency. The technology could also be used to inform green building standards, and to help consumers decide which home to rent or hotel room to reserve.

Leveraging surveys, interviews and machine learning, ViewScore.io offers the first systematic approach to predicting satisfaction with window views, the researchers say. Validated through New York City case studies, the software generates view scores based on 23 factors, including window size and glazing; perceived privacy; and the presence and proximity outside of ground, trees, sky, buildings, people and infrastructure.

“Architects and developers often want to make panoramic views because people like to see out, but from a sustainability perspective, windows are a weakness in buildings,” said Jaeha Kim, a doctoral student in the field of systems engineering and lead developer of ViewScore.io. “With a score that captures how good window views are, or how valuable, we think we can help architectural designers improve building facades and floor layouts for human-centered design.”

Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors, making indoor environments important to physical and mental health. Sustainability concerns are pushing designers to make windows smaller, thicker or less transparent – but how those changes impact occupants is unknown. And poor views can yield up to 6% less in net rent and often make properties more difficult to rent or sell, reducing their value and potentially wasting resources.

Evaluating 35 New York City apartment buildings with more than 10,420 total rooms, the Cornell team’s analysis showed that “visual comfort” – including access to daylight, view satisfaction and privacy – increased with floor height. That shift likely corresponded to property values, raising social equity questions, the researchers said.

A second New York City case study, focused on an apartment block in Queens, similarly found privacy suffered on the ground floor and was affected by the heights of neighboring buildings. The findings suggest that uniform window patterns and floor layouts across all floors may not be the best design approach.

Kim said possible future applications could incorporate view satisfaction scores into real estate listing sites such as Zillow or Booking.com, to help consumers assess property values or quality; and could help policymakers plan retrofits of older buildings to improve efficiency.

For additional information, read this Cornell Chronicle story.

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