no plant stops growing at some magical height ... so.. sooner or later.. you will be pruning ...

how about a pic of the spot.. so we can understand the situation ... how wide and deep?

also.. soil type and a bit more specific location might help ...

-15 =5 degrees F .. not a problem ....

im thinking about beautyberry ???

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=beautyberry+shrub&biw=926&bih=745&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiGgvvagurOAhVHKiYKHdm-BGAQ_AUIBygC&dpr=0.9

OP wants an evergreen, so not Beauty Berry.

Ken, beautyberry, Callicarpa is not the slightest bit evergreen. And grows rapidly to a pretty substantial size!

I would have to say that -15C (5F) does have somewhat of an impact on the possibilities. That translates to a zone 7 here and is kind of the lower limit for the broadest range of BLE's. If you have moist, acidic soil I'd consider Skimmia japonica. The male plants (you need both male and female for the berries) have especially attractive flowers that offer a nice fragrance. And they never get very tall - 3-4' max.

Other possibilities would be sweet box, Sarcococca species, that bloom in winter with an intoxicating, jasmine-like fragrance or winter daphne, Daphne odora, which is very shade tolerant. Neither of these will grow tall enough to warrant any serious pruning.

Rubinola, may I ask why you can't use blinds, curtains, or shades on the windows that can be opened so that you can look outside when you want to or when you want some natural daylight?

Chinese Holly

Camellia

Burford Holly (if climate permits)

Zhou Zhou loropetalum (if climate permits)

Nandina 'Firepower'

If you have acid soil, one of the smaller Kalmia, perhaps a Pieris or there are probably many rhododendrons that will stay within your desired size range such as some of the Yaku series which may need pruning in 10 years, but probably not before then since they are slow growers.

No plant that I know of will give you complete privacy all of the time, so I'd recommend window coverings of some kind that can be drawn when needed.

i missed the evergreen part .. please forgive me ... ken

I have not read all the suggestions.

But I wonder if Viburnum davidii or Skimmia japonica might work where you live. I like the Sarcococca idea too. There are many varieties in a range of sizes.

I live in a carriage house with bedroom windows at absolute ground level so I understand the need. Make sure that the evergreen you choose will stay evergreen on the side that receives no sun (the house) or you will be looking at ugly brown dieback. That's how the junipers the previous owner planted looked. The yew she planted looks fine from inside and out. I have a guest room (former horse stall) with a casement window next to the bed that is the same level as the bed. To me, I planted a fragrant rose on the side of the window and datura outside it, imagining my guests would fling open the window and enjoy the waft of fresh air. Except for my mother, who at 93 knows what matters in life, everyone pulls the shade! So now I'm thinking that the solution may be to plant a low groundcover for about five feet and then a high enough shrub or hedge to give people the privacy and sense of enclosure they apparently need to sleep by an open window. It doesn't help to tell people there's no one around to look in, because they know I get up at 5 and am apt to be taking an early stroll..

The rhodies are a good suggestion. I have some outside a window and they look nice from inside all year round. They are open enough in habit to not be oppressive but dense enough to be private. Best idea so far here IMO.

Viburnum davidii is a good choice, David :-) Forgot about that one!

FWIW, rhododendrons would be at the bottom of my list. They are a pretty featureless shrub for 11 and a half months of the year (very short bloom period) and are planted heavily in my area when any more creativity in plant choices is lacking. And few offer much in the way of fragrance.

Ha ha, whereas in my area, where deer have made them rare, an unmolested rhodie is a beautiful thing to behold.

Interesting...........here where rhododendrons are omnipresent, deer seldom ever bother them. There are probably 20 large established rhodies in my inherited garden and the deer visit regularly. They munch on all manner of other plants, but never touch the rhododendrons. Or azaleas.

Never had deer problems with azaleas, just roses and daylilies. I like the suggestion of pieris. I saw some at walmart the other day for $10. Most rhododendrons (like we have in my area) get too big for the OP's situation.

There are a great many rhodies which stay quite small--not found at big box stores.

Yes, and here is our regional variation again. I had to look high and low to find a nursery with a LARGE rhodie (i.e., a rosebay) because (they all told me), no one buys them anymore because of the deer. Same with Hicks yews... Yet arbs are everywhere, despite being deer candy...

wonder if OP will ever come back ... how much ground space is there ....

i am picturing a building.. a sidewalk with all the people .. and a foot or two of earth to work in ....

if so.. a window film might be the best solution .. fastest ... and in the meantime.. you plant and grow out a plant ....

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=window+film&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjax7XTnO7OAhXFyyYKHXSvC-gQ_AUICSgC&biw=934&bih=745&dpr=0.9

Yes, rosebay rhododendron is very common around here. I planted one a few years ago and it has grown tremendously.

OP is back ;-)

I appreciate all the answers I've gotten and I realize that I didn't give you enough to work with. In the first picture, you see the spot. The distance between the house and the hedge is 5 feet and 9 inches.

The room (behind the window) is going to become our bedroom. The window sits rather low (knee-height) and it gets very dark here in the winter (from 3.30pm to 8.30am), so when the lights are on, we'd feel rather exposed :-(

Blinds would be ok, but I'd also like some kind of plant outside the window that together with the hedge would make it less easy to see every little detail in our bedroom when the lights are on and the blinds open.

I'm afraid I have no idea whether I have acidic soil... I'll look up the suggestions you've all given me, but please feel free to share your opinion now that you have more information.

Blinds would be ok

==>> i hope you saw the link on window films ... they can be very transparent.. while blocking the view ...

ken