Windows/houses without windows

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Has anyone ever thought that living in a house/flat without windows would be more ideal? (Are any buildings ever built without windows? Anyone knows any around?)

I mean, since most housing is built alongside streets, why make it more painful and have big holes in these buildings where noise and light could more easily penetrate? Wouldn't it be more blissful if they had no windows? I'm not sure if noise will be blocked out completely, but I think it will be a drastic improvement, and only the most noisy of vehicles would be heard.

Gah, I wish this world had more regard for the filtering out of sensory rubbish.

I like having sunlight. Curtains are like an off and on switch.

I know it is illegal to rent a home/apartment that has less that a certain surface area covered by windows. Sadly I expect there would be a similar measure somewhere in the building codes.

Have you looked at getting sound insulation to add to your house.

I want to build a sound resistant chamber as well, the one at our university's physics department is great. Not incredibly practical though, the walls and door are a foot and a half thick.

Living in a house without windows would feel a little claustrophobic for me. Plus, I like to look out windows every now and then. I couldn't imagine living in a house without windows.

This is not about a house but I once heard about a school that didn't have windows until more than 30 years after it opened. They installed windows about 10 years ago. I don't think many people liked it. I was thinking the whole time I was reading the article about how great it was that they installed windows, "I don't really care one way or the other". I might have a slight preference for a school with windows, but not a strong one.

I like windows, even if they do let too much sound in. I like to peek outdoors, and see life happening. That said, I do tend to keep my windows mostly shuttered, so that nobody can see in.

I like the idea of houses without windows.

living in a basement was an interesting experience for me. it was quiet, with only the footfalls and commotion of the upstairs neighbors to deal with, whose noise i masked with a large fan in the corner. the traffic noises were distant, and in the summer, the fireworks noises were very well suppressed. oh, and it stayed nice and cool in the summers also, even sans A/C.
this put the germ in my mind, that i'd very much like to sometime be able to live in a subterannean home, which is like a basement but with no 2nd story, just earthen covering.

I wouldn't mind living in a basement, but since I don't, I appreciate having windows I can open to circulate air. I just do my best to keep the light out at the same time - Venetian blinds plus a thick blanket do an okay job.

Noise means I close the windows.

I have a love/hate relationship with windows.

I love to be able too see outside and especially let the breeze in on a nice day. When I'm rural, this is awesome. In the city, all the noises explode my head.

I also hate it when windows let too much light in, creating a bright spot that inhibits my ability to really see whatever I'm working on indoors.

I think the ideal situation, for me at least, is to have a ton of windows with 2 sets of curtains (1 pull-down opaque shield and another that swings around to dampen and diffuse the light), and also a room that has no windows and is isolated and sound-proof.

I have huge windows (8 x 4 feet), but I live on a steep hillside so everywhere except the ground floor is out of view from the roadway. We do not have curtains or blinds. I like the light (it is bright in this house even in winter) and usually use the front rooms, and sleep in a front room to wake with natural sunrise.

The back of the house is a 24 foot deep yard, so the ground floor windows look onto our own yard walls and are also out of view from the roadway. There are a lot of apartments around here with windows below pavement level, inside yards that are like wide wells.

It gives the choice of bright sunlight and noise at the front, or shade and complete silence at the back.

This.
In our old house, the noise pollution was really bad. People would come to visit and ask if we had our windows open, but we didn't. It was just that bad. But I don't think not having the windows would have helped, because the walls weren't insulated either. In our new house, it's much quieter, and I like being able to regulate the light.

Same here. "Jail cells" (windowless rooms) can offer a certain sense of security and comfort, but I like windows with curtains blocking the view and reducing bright light while still letting me know a little about what is going on outside.

I remember from History class that in England 17th Centry you were taxed by how many windows you had it you house. Therfore a lot people blocked them up to avoid the tax.

You can still find some buildings like this around today.

I'd like to live in an underground house, you save a bundle on heating and cooling, and there's no annoying sunlight.

I would hate to live in a house without windows; I get depressed without access to natural light.