They are a very specific design element for a modern home. I would not want them as I would want to control the light and the horizontal lines would drive me nuts blocking my view. Further, as you can see from your own pic posted, they do not provide privacy.

How would you clean the window.......not to mention the dirt accumulation on all those horizontal surfaces. And even if the did go up and down...who would want to go outside to do it? Pretty but not practical.

Is that the max-security-prison look?

I do like the look of slats on modern homes -- whether horizontal or vertical .... I do see the point above -- you can see through those proposed slats .... and I would want more privacy than those can offer ....

But here is a collection of pins of photos from around the Web -- collected on Pinterest -- that might give you some more ideas ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinterest -- pins of horizontal slats

This is called Brise Soleil and the slats are often set at an angle that shields hot summer sun and allows winter sun to enter. It's sometimes done with masonry.

In Europe, where they don't have the same rules about egress, this has been taken to extremes.

Bessacourt, France:

Oh I love the one in Bessacourt. It looks like it would be light filled inside!

On that house, they do open. If you could open the screens for cleaning or open the windows for cleaning, I think it would be interesting and save money on utility bills.
The house was published in Dwell and is owned by a family named Witzmann.

After looking at some of the pinterest pics, I'm not quite so turned off by the look, but I still don't think I would like them. Apparently the angle can be controlled just like with interior shutters. But if I'm angling the slats to maintain privacy, then the only thing I'll see through my window is a wall of wood (not to mention the cleaning issues). One problem is the MB shower, which currently is part of a large span of window on the 2nd floor. If I can't use interior window treatments because of the shower, what options do I have (house is modern) -- frosted glass?

I love that look, and it gives you the privacy you need without the architectural distraction of interior shutters and without the visual clutter of window treatments. Can you view a home in person that has this feature? I think it looks perfect with the style of the house in the first photo, very clean and lovely.

While I like the look of the blinds in the OP's picture, instead of looking like a home, it looks like commercial space. Not my idea of a place to call home.

I have visions of spider webs, dust, etc. stuck on those.
Diane

I think it's cool, but I'm a HUGE fan of modern design.

Why have large windows only to then partly block them and obscure the view. I feel the same way about plantation shutters. I don't like having "bars" on my windows.

Thank you all -- I truly appreciate all of the comments.
So what are my options to provide privacy. The window in the master bath is practically floor to ceiling, spans the width of the bathroom and includes the shower and tub. It's on the 2nd floor but faces the street. I can't do a window treatment inside the the shower. What would you all do with that window for privacy with a modern house style?
I'm not too worried about the other 2 relevant windows. One is a 1st floor window facing the street in my daughter's bedroom (we can solve that with regular window treatments) and the other is a small 2nd floor bathroom window in my son's room (it's hard to see that window from the street, so we could either frost the glass or do an interior treatment).

Let's see:

-Additional ideas for outside the horizontal slat wall:
a)Perhaps add a garden with tall rectangular plain white concrete planters of bamboo outside the bathroom window area? Or a tall "wall" fountain?

b)Do a decorative design of frosted panels on the outside of the window .... or perhaps add a panel of frosted outdoor glass with mid-century motifs -- check with the stained glass artisans on Etsy ......

c)Could your architect find a wood artisan to create a more solid screen section -- similar to the style of a Moroccan screen OR a mid-century screen???

Here's a pin board of photos of bamboo in planters .... just for more ideas ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinterest -- bamboo in planters

You may actually want to rethink the entire window. It is going to have to be almost fully covered when the bathroom is in use, and in a contemporary house this is problematic because many treatments aren't all that contemporary and these will have to be huge (say like a large top down shade.The pulley mechanism will be hard to operate)

The better alternative Is probably the one suggested by your architect: louvers that tilt Up toward the outside, allowing you to see out and light to come in, but blocking the view In from below on the street. Or on the inside, some sort of motorized shade (which won't work in the shower).

There are a number of houses with entire walls of glass in my neighborhood, and it seems rather pointless to see them covered almost 24 hours a day with curtains or venetian blinds. Particularly cheep curtains or blinds because the windows are so big the homeowner can't afford proper window treatments on all this windows and to pay the mortgage. Some of them are little better than sheets hanging in the window and it really cheapens the look of a $1M + house .

Brillant tall wall fountain ......

Here is a link that might be useful: Tall wall fountain -- in from Pinterest

A few years ago we rented a contemporary house on the beach in Santa Monica with floor to ceiling windows everywhere. The bathroom window had the glass that turns frosted when a switch is flipped. I found a website with a similar product to show what I mean.

Here is a link that might be useful: electric frosted window

A fountain like this one .... but wider and taller .....

This is just an example from Bellacor ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Bellcor -- example of a tall wall fountain

Here's a wonderful idea from Pinterest ..... fence with sections of vertical gardens ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Pin from pinterest -- fascinating modern garden wall