Reviews of Technical Reports on Daylight and Productivity
... The priority is to create optimal conditions for visual performance, in a specific working environment, so that visual comfort is maximized. Daylight is certainly not a special light source for vision, and the link between improved performance cannot be reliably shown (Boyce, 2004). Lighting design for office buildings has focused largely on providing sufficient light for visual performance, minimal glare, good colour rendering and energy conservation (Figueiro, M.G., Rea, M.S., 2014). ...
... Guth VCP calculations result in an index that describes the percentage of the people occupying a certain position. An acceptable value is usually 70% value (Wienold, J.;2004). ...
Natural daylight is a vital element in our life and it is very important at work. Providing natural daylight into the working environment is one of fundamental importance for the comfort, efficiency and safety for the people in that environment. This paper deals with visual comfort evaluation in administrative building, in office spaces. The human eye is able to perceive light at the moment it occurs. It cannot accumulate or move it in the human body for future use. Light perception is a complex process that is described by photometric quantities. It is important to work with variables in the theory and practice of daylight, enabling the creation of a healthy and safe environment for people to work and relax, and for the energy efficient management of buildings. One case study is presented in this contribution. It was measured in real situation an also calculated by the Radiance simulation program and Velux Daylight Visualizer.
... Not reported is whether the classrooms were sidelit, toplit, or both, affecting the amount of daylight on the tasks. Additional limitations of this report are discussed in a critical review (Boyce 2004). ...
... This is particularly true when we consider that Americans – for instance – on average spend about 90% of their waking hours indoors[38]and are often not exposed to very robust light-dark cycles[39][40]. Increase in distance from a window, and therefore a decrease in the amount of daylight exposure, has been linked to a decrease in productivity and higher absenteeism in the workplace[41]. On the other hand, the introduction of high correlated colour temperature (CCT) fluorescent lamps into an open-plan, daylit workplace improved subjective measures of performance, sleep and productivity[15]. ...
The importance of light not only as a therapeutic tool but as an essential element of healthy living has been highlighted by the recent discovery of a specialized photoreceptor in the eye responsible for synchronizing our internal circadian pacemaker. This pigment, melanopsin, differs from visual receptors in several characteristics, here simplified into a blue-shifted spectral sensitivity and a dose-response curve established from night-time studies. While a vast range of tools has been developed to simulate the amount of light in lux or lumens falling on a static, horizontal surface, corneal exposure estimates are needed for modelling the biological responses to light in space, which require a vertical sensor that can rotate and translate as a human eye does. This paper examines the effects of housing design upon the amount of daylight available for maintaining synchronization of the human circadian system considered in conjunction with human movement, using historic Boston row houses as a case study. Based on a series of simulations taking into account the two above-mentioned characteristics of the non-visual system, this paper proposes a preliminary workflow for suggestions regarding lighting restoration and opens new perspectives on future variables to include. This study found that even modest renovations like painting the space a lighter colour have a noticeable impact on the light received by a moving sensor. More aggressive design choices, such as not using the basement floor of the house for apartments, raise the amount and timing of light received to nearly the level of the best-case scenario.
... Th e study looked for a correlation between the amount of daylight provided by each student's classroom environment and test scores. Close examinations of the fi ndings indicate a very small eff ect and one that cannot be justifi ed as reliable (Boyce, 2004). Th ese results could not be replicated in a subsequent study. ...
The positive impact from changing the environment of a school as a way of improving the quality of education is often overlooked by educators. This book shows how to create more effective schools through a design process that involves teachers, students, parents, administrators, and architects. The design process creates school environments that develop the whole child, instills enthusiasm for learning, and encourages positive social relationships. The practical methods detailed show how to link behavioral objectives to spatial needs; achieve spatial efficacy without compromising education; match children's developmental needs to facility requirements; promote greater variety in physical facilities to accommodate various teaching and learning styles; and gain more valuable feedback from teachers, parents, students, and local citizens on building performance. Additionally discussed are how relatively minor design modifications can significantly improve school performance; and the cost-effective ways a design can change students' spatial behavior, increase interaction with materials, decrease interruptions, promote more substantive questioning, and improve academic achievement. (Contains 158 references.) (GR)
... " Concerning daylighting, some researchers claim that students in daylit classrooms demonstrate enhanced scholastic achievement, better sociability, higher concentration levels, and lower sick leave rates as compared to students in windowless classrooms (Heschong et al., 2002; Heschong Mahone Group, 1999; Küller & Lindsten, 1992; Nicklas & Bailey, 1997). However, other researchers contend that some of these studies suffer from methodological flaws or are statistically unreliable (Boyce, 2004; Evans, 2006). Reviewers of daylight research have concluded that " because of inconsistent results and the small number of well-designed studies, there is insufficient evidence at this time to determine whether or not an association exists between daylighting and student performance " (National Research Council, 2006, p. 40). ...
High school students today are experiencing unprecedented levels of school-related stress. At the same time, a growing body of research has linked views of nature with restoration from mental fatigue and stress reduction. How important are such views for students while they are at school? This study investigated 101 public high schools in southeastern Michigan to examine the role played by the availability of nearby nature in student academic achievement and behavior. The analyses revealed consistent and systematically positive relationships between nature exposure and student performance. Specifically, views with greater quantities of trees and shrubs from cafeteria as well as classroom windows are positively associated with standardized test scores, graduation rates, percentages of students planning to attend a four-year college, and fewer occurrences of criminal behavior. In addition, large expanses of landscape lacking natural features are negatively related to these same test scores and college plans. These featureless landscapes included large areas of campus lawns, athletic fields, and parking lots. All analyses accounted for student socio-economic status and racial/ethnic makeup, building age, and size of school enrollment.
... Americans, on average, spend about 90% of their waking hours indoors [11]. Increase in distance from a window, and therefore amount of light and the corresponding subjective and objective alertness, have been linked to a decrease in productivity and higher absenteeism in the workplace [12]. Light clearly has a profound effect upon human health. ...
This paper examines the effects of housing design upon the amount of natural light available for cuing of the human circadian system. It further assesses whether the conditions present in historic Boston row houses, when considered in the context of human moving around, can be adapted to provide sufficient light to maintain occupants' circadian rhythms. While software has been developed to simulate the amount of light in lux or lumens being received on a sensor point, these programs have generally been used to calculate the light received on a static, horizontal surface, such as a desk or other workspace. For the sake of determining a room's circadian potential, however, the sensor used must be vertical, as is the human eye during the day, and must be able to both rotate and translate - i.e. it must move forward and backward in a room and turn to face different viewpoints, as a human user does. Based on a series of simulations which take into account these factors it is possible to offer suggestions for both restoration and future design.
The present study was analysed with the relationship between the condition of school's infrastructure facilities, learning environment and students' outcomes. The data were collected from the respondents to know the measure of schools' practices; management, utilization and planning of infrastructure facilities and its' effect on students' outcome. This study was conducted between Februarys to July 2014; close ended questionnaire was designed to expose the results. The sample size was taken proportionately from 3125 numbers of secondary school. The selected districts were Sindhupalchok, Kavre, Makwanpur, Kathmandu and Chitwan. From the universe, 40 schools were taken by using proportionate stratified random sampling. Respondents were taken equally from community and institutional schools. Respondents i.e. 4 students and 4 teachers were selected from each school. As whole 320 respondents were selected from 40 schools. Analysis of data was done by using the SPSS version 20. The multi regression test was applied to analyse the data. Keywords: Relationship, school, infrastructure facilities, learning environment and students' outcome 1 BACKGROUND A good Infrastructure facility always supported the educational enterprise. Research had shown that clean and good air quality, good light, a small, comfortable, safe environment, building age and condition, quality of maintenance, temperature, and colour, could affect student health, safety as well as a sense of self and psychological state. Policymakers should be concerned about the relationship between school Infrastructure facilities and student learning and achievement, not
Light is essential to the very existence of life, although much of the time we take it for granted. On a day-to-day basis, light impacts quality of life significantly and through different pathways. Light is often used as a means to create atmospheres and can powerfully influence mood and emotion. Moreover, light impacts alertness, vitality, and performance, entrains our biological clock, regulates sleep and hormonal processes, and is a crucial determinant of both physical and mental health. The design of environments that maintain and foster human wellbeing thus requires careful consideration of both visual and non-visual pathways through which indoor light – both natural and artificial – impacts quality of life for its inhabitants.
First study of how daylighting in elementary school classrooms is associated with improved test scores. Includes analysis from over 9000 student records in three school districts.
This paper reports on a study of the effect of daylighting on human performance. In this project, we established a statistically compelling connection between daylighting and student performance. The methodology used to conduct this research is described and the results are presented and interpreted. For the schools study, data sets of student performance on standardized tests were correlated with information about the demographic characteristics of the students, the operation of the schools, and the physical conditions of classrooms. Each classroom was assigned a series of codes indicating the size and tint of its windows, the presence and type of any skylighting, and the overall amount and uniformity of daylight expected. The analysis included data on over 21,000 students in three distinctly different school districts. The three districts have different curricula and teaching styles, different school building designs and very different climates. A supplemental follow-up study explored the question of teacher bias in classroom selection The findings of this study indicate better student test scores in daylit classrooms, and suggest that there is an important relationship between daylight availability in buildings and human performance. Possible causal mechanisms are discussed, along with limitations of current findings and future research directions. The paper also presents an important methodology that may be applicable to other areas of lighting research.
This paper reports on a study of the effect of daylighting on sales performance. In this project, we established a statistically compelling connection between skylighting and retail sales. The methodology used to conduct this research is described and the results are presented and interpreted. For the retail study, average sales for 108 stores of a retail chain were compared, controlling for age and size of store, hours of operation and location. The stores were very similar with the same products, the same approach to merchandising and the same management. Two thirds of the stores were equipped with skylights that provided general illumination, and which included automatic photosensor controls to reduce electric lighting when there was sufficient daylighting. The remaining third of the stores had conventional electric lighting with no skylights. The findings of this study show significantly higher retail sales in the stores with skylights, and they suggest that there is an important relationship between daylight availability in buildings and human factors that affect sales performance. Possible causal mechanisms are discussed, along with limitations of current findings and future research directions. The paper also presents an important methodology that may be applicable to other areas of lighting research.
Re-Analysis Report: Daylighting in Schools
- Heschong-Mahone Group
Heschong-Mahone Group (2001). "Re-Analysis Report: Daylighting in Schools." Fair Oaks, CA:
Heschong-Mahone Group.