Windowlessness and Well-being in Off-Campus Housing at the University of Texas at Austin

In this thesis, I take a multifaceted approach to addressing the following research question: What effect does a lack of natural light in bedrooms in off-campus student housing at the University of Texas at Austin have on well-being? To address this question, I frame windowlessness as a mental and physiological epidemic and use a historical lens to analyze how cities and governments have adapted to fight past epidemics. I explore how scientists and architects have transformed the way we view illness and have reshaped the way we build our cities. I explore the history of Austin’s West Campus neighborhood and the creation of the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO). By analyzing these design guidelines, I demonstrate the human-focused design of the district. I explore the emergence of windowless bedrooms in the UNO, detail my methods and methodology, and explain my survey instrument, an original survey created for this study. I then analyze the survey data, present findings, and share student experiences.