A Quantitative Method for Evaluation of Visual Privacy in Residential Environments

Buildings

Heyi Wei¹  Bo Wu²  He Zheng²  Jinbiao Yan²  Jianfeng Zhu³ 

[1] Geodesign Research Centre, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China;School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China;School of Geomatics and Geoinformation, Jiangxi College of Applied Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China;

关键词: visual privacy;    visual exposure;    Potential Visual Exposure Index (PVEI);    quantitative tools;    assessment;   

DOI  :  10.3390/buildings11070272

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

With the rapid expansion of high-rise and high-density buildings in urban areas, visual privacy has become one of the major concerns affecting human environmental quality. Evaluation of residents’ visual exposure to outsiders has attracted more attention in the past decades. This paper presents a quantitative indicator; namely, the Potential Visual Exposure Index (PVEI), to assess visual privacy by introducing the damage of potential visual incursion from public spaces and neighborhoods in high-density residences. The method for computing the PVEI mainly consists of three steps: extracting targets and potential observers in a built environment, conducting intervisibility analysis and identifying visible sightlines, and integrating sightlines from building level and ground level to compute the PVEI value of each building opening. To validate the proposed PVEI, a case study with a sample building located at the center of Kowloon, Hong Kong, was evaluated. The results were in accordance with the common-sense notion that lower floors are subjected to poor visual privacy, and privacy is relatively well-preserved in upper floors in a building. However, residents of middle floors may suffer the worst circumstances with respect to visual privacy. The PVEI can be a useful indicator to assess visual privacy and can provide valuable information in architectural design, hotel room selection, and building management.

【 授权许可】

Unknown