Hmmm... I get the drift, but I think the writer may have been referring to a static view.
When your view changes with the weather or the season or the traffic - or even the time of day, it is a source of long-term interest. Even Heidi always loved the effect of sunset on the mountain peaks.
Even just a static view of greenery will always provide eye relief.
What some people do however is crave openness above all else, to the detriment of practicality. You end up with unrelenting blandness.
I find that a balance between competing needs is best - an all-out view from one place that you're never resting/seated in (such as a staircase or hallway), and moderate/enclosed views from seated locations indoors.
Personally, I'm not a fan of louvres. Even when 'perfectly' aligned across the direction of the view or light source, they obscure a fair proportion of it. My personal preference is for retractable blinds or moveable shutters, though they are subject to mechanical breakdown and weathering at a higher rate than fixed building elements.
As for garden design, though Durie has some very good ideas, I'm more of a Capability Brown fan - less of the contrivance is visible. Then there is Japanese garden design... no straight lines, light and dark, enclosure and openness.
Posted Tuesday 5 Oct 2010 @ 3:47:17 am from IP
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