Minimum distance from window for dryer vent

Can a dryer vent be installed in a window soffit above a window? One architect has told me that it is ok as long as it is 2 feet above the operable window. Another architect says that a dryer vent must be at least 10 feet away from any window. Our apartment is on a lower floor so it is not possible to vent through the roof and we do not have 20 feet of blank wall space to locate a vent 10 feet from a window. Is it possible to vent a dryer through a window soffit? Does it make a difference if it is a electric vs gas dryer?