Mimicking Windows

Due to the underground positioning of the community, it is impossible to locate real windows within most of the apartments. This is mainly because the dwellings are directly next to each other and occupants would be looking into their neighbours dwellings. 

For this reason all apartments are fitted with mimicking windows. The mimicking windows create an illusion that allows the occupants of a dwelling to programme a 'view' into their window. This 'view' is used to help people adjust to the underground living lifestyle and to live in a more familiar or comfortable environment. 

Rather than occupants having to look at the concrete walls of their neighbours dwelling, they programme a view of of a location that makes them feel more comfortable. An occupant may choose to programme a beautiful vegetated landscape or a seaside view into the window, or perhaps they programme in a view they would experience everyday in their old house; a backyard, a paddock or a neighbouring house. 

The advancement in screen and illusion technology creates an ultra realistic view that creates the life like illusion from any angle within. The windows can also be programmed to create regular natural occurrences outside like rain and storms. The mimicking windows also project light, and from the inside the light received feels just like it would above ground from a real window. 

The windows themselves are a thin screen sitting within a window frame and window style. The frame, style and size is chosen by the occupant before they move in. The screen and frame sit in a small cavity in the concrete wall and a concrete wall separating two dwellings can have a mimicking window on each side. The mimicking windows can be seen within the 1:50 section on most of the concrete walls (The occur within every dwelling, however the thickness of them is quite thin and therefore slightly difficult to see).

As there are  very few real windows within the underground community, natural ventilation through windows is a problem. To combat this their are service and ventilation shafts that run across the front and rear walls of every dwelling. Depending on the wind direction outside, the breeze will either be directed into the front and out the rear or vice versa, constantly moving fresh air throughout the whole community. 

The wide pathways and concrete square cut-outs  allow for very good ventilation across and throughout each level, while the very large vertical light shafts  allow light to enter and move around the spaces constantly. Within the stair and lift shafts at each corner there are also ventilation shafts that allow wind in from any direction on the street level above. 

With the layout of the city above there are constantly wind tunnels moving through the main streets. The shafts within the lifts and stairs capture this wind movement and direct it into the underground community below.