Our Smart City Introduces Smart Windows
Known as a living lab where companies and entrepreneurs can test new ideas and products, Lake Nona is dedicated to finding innovative and sustainable solutions that benefit our community and the broader population. Lake Nona’s latest collaboration with View, Inc., is introducing smart window technology to numerous existing buildings including Canvas Restaurant & Market, Dockside event venue, and Laureate Park fitness center as well as new office and hotel projects under construction. View Smart Windows predictively tint in response to outdoor conditions, reducing energy consumption while also improving people’s health and wellbeing.
“View was built on the understanding that natural light and connection to the outdoors is required to live a healthy and productive life,” said View CEO Dr. Rao Mulpuri. “We recognized that ordinary windows are far from optimized, and it’s estimated that we spend more than 90% of our time indoors. Why can’t a building improve our health instead of hurting it?”
When the sun shines, a coating between the double panes of glass within the View Smart Windows will darken, similar to self-tinting sunglasses. This reduces glare (which can cause eye strain, headaches, and drowsiness) and heat gain (which may require turning up the air-conditioning and increasing energy use), while maintaining natural light. Without a need for blinds or shades, View Smart Windows boost productivity and happiness by providing access to natural light with an unobstructed view of the outdoors.
Creating Healthy Spaces
View’s smart technology provides an optimal balance of natural light year-round to keep people comfortable. With View Smart Windows, building occupants get all of the health and productivity benefits of natural light without the consequences of uncontrolled sunlight-like glare.
View is working to make every indoor space a “healthy space,” designed to improve quality of life while also making buildings more functional in the 21st century.
“Together, with thoughtful partners like Lake Nona, we’re proving that smart technology has the power to drive change for everyone,” continued Dr. Mulpuri. “By designing sustainable, energy-efficient buildings that connect us to natural light and views of the outdoors, we can unleash our true potential.”
For office buildings, increased exposure to natural light creates positive impacts on the energy and work-related performance for the employees inside. The absence of natural light and outdoor views have been shown to hurt the employee experience by decreasing the ability of the eye to relax and recover from fatigue. A recent case study by Alan Hedge at Cornell University found that natural light optimized by View Smart Windows can reduce eye strain by 51%, headaches by 63%, and drowsiness by 56% – dramatically improving health and productivity.
By prioritizing controlled daylight in an office setting, employees are able to work more comfortably.
Investment in Sustainability
One of the fastest-growing trends in sustainable building, View Smart Windows can improve a building’s energy efficiency by up to 20%.
“We’re excited to align with another forward-thinking company like View to bring this new technology to Lake Nona,” said Tavistock Development Company senior vice president of innovation Juan Santos. “Reducing energy consumption and creating environments that improve health are top priorities for our community and our company as a whole. We are investing significantly into this groundbreaking infrastructure, in both new and existing buildings so that the benefits can be realized immediately.”
View Smart Windows are also programmed to tint on demand from a mobile device. Building managers can create schedules, choose zones, and control the windows with an easy-to-use mobile app.
“More than a decade of development and $2 billion of investment later, View has installed more than 65 million square feet of smart window glass in buildings across the globe,” said Dr. Mulpuri. “It’s the first step of a longer journey to bring the next level of intelligence and personalization to building spaces and continue to improve people’s health and wellbeing. We’re just getting started.”
