Are there more and more buildings with screenless windows and/or doors? If so why?

In the 80’s we moved into one of the houses in the development that supposedly inspired Malvina Reynolds to write the ticky tacky song “Little Boxes”. The house was on a high hill overlooking the city and had the most spectactular views of the town. There were often days when there were brilliant blue skies above us, but below was nothing but a carpet of cloud with the city invisible beneath it. The folks beneath the clouds called it fog. Anyway, the house was a good 5 miles inland from the very visible ocean, and the prevailing winds brought salty ocean air directly to the house. There were no screens on any of the windows, but a flying bug in the house was a great rarity. In fact, if you left the front door open to create a draft, birds would sometimes fly through the house confusing the huge picture window visible from the front door as through passage. The lucky ones would make it through the open portion of the window. The unlucky ones would either be ambushed by our amazing cat who would literally bat them out of the air, or they would fly full speed into the glass—smack! The bugs that flew in would likewise be dispatched by the cat which would kill anything that moved in the house.

Screens are ugly and many commercial buildings do not have windows that open.

A lot of people need them, they live low enough for flies, etc., the commercial building probably have AC, so need for opening the window. And considering the health problems, I don’t know about the esthetics thing.

I don’t know why there are no screens on windows in many buildings, but a few reasons come to mind. Windows that can be opened pose a security risk. If one is accidentally left open, it costs more to heat or cool the building. And I think architects like the “polished look” of glass without screens.

But there’s a serious health risk to enclosed buildings. It’s due to the lack of fresh air.
https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/asthma-and-allergies-4/asthma-news-47/sick-building-syndrome-is-your-office-making-you-sick-646729.html

@snowberry But the no screen feature increases the security risk doesn’t it?
I left out the no in my last post “the commercial building probably have AC, so no need for opening the window

I was referring to the residential building in my OP, I didn’t mention that because commercial buildings never had (to my knowledge anyway).

I agree re the health risk for people in enclosed buildings.

@flo if a building has no windows that open, there’s no reason for screens. And seriously, screens are good at keeping out bugs, not burglars. Screens are also safer if there are small children in the house, but they are easily damaged, and if that happens, they don’t protect little kids much at all.

@snowberry
There is no need to even refer to buildings that don’t open, when addressing screen or no screen, right?

-And of course screens keep out the vast majority of the burglers, (since they have to have a tool to cut it out make noise etc.,)

-Screens reduce the effects of allergy from pollen etc., link in my detail OP.

- Thanks for bringing up protects kids thing, which is even more important. “Screens are also safer if there are small children in the house, but they are easily damaged, and if that happens, they don’t protect little kids much at all. Yes, but if any product (screen or absolutely anything else) is of bad quality, it just means better make sure the quality is good, or switch to a good one, not go with no screen, don’t you think?

And for anyone who cares about the esthetics:
“Retractable screens are sliding door screens that roll into a pocket when not in use. These screens virtually disappear when you don’t need them. They usually have a built-in dampening system for smooth, easy retraction—they won’t slam shut if accidentally released.”

https://www.milgard.ca/learn/understanding-windows-doors/components-windows-and-doors/window-screens