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Daylighting Impacts on Human Performance in School
Abstract
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.
... The pre-pandemic reviews on B/C (qualitative, systematic and experts) resulted in the selection of 23 papers (Table B1). Twenty-one papers were written after 2010 with two exceptions related to the use of daylight and electrical light dated 2002 [15] and 1979 [16]. In the experts' review, acoustic and thermal comfort categories were added into the initial review categories: energy, use of space, user behaviour, lighting. ...
... The categories were further expanded into subcategories such as energy demand/modelling/consumption; widow control/ use; occupancy detection/prediction/modelling; daylighting and electrical lighting preferences/control as well as energy savings; acoustic comfort, sound levels/control; thermal comfort, ventilation, heating, cooling control, building envelope design (Fig. A1). [20,22], shadings [23] 3. VIEWS, DAYLIGHTING -window views [32] greenery/ students' attention restoration [33] -presence of daylight/ academic performance [15] Most of the reviewed papers (20) were case studies, including on-site monitoring cases. The B/C case studies were mainly held in Europe, with only two in North America and two in Asia. ...
... The literature review results indicated that many B/C indicators relate to a specific use of spaces and school routines. The indoor quality indicators like fresh air, ventilation, temperature, daylighting [15], lighting control, access to view [32] could influence educational performance or young users' attention restoration [33]. Educational building's types and styles differ and their operational times, occupation patterns, routines, and users. ...
This paper describes the results of qualitative and quantitative literature reviews on boundary conditions within educational buildings, emphasising the users' perspective. The reviews were performed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using Scopus, Taylor& Francis, Web of Science databases. The boundary conditions understood as special characteristics for use and or precondition, determining specific features of buildings are investigated in the categories of energy, space use and user behaviour, and lighting. The reviews demonstrate that in the case of study investigations, a relation between different indicators helps define the boundary conditions. B/C are type of building/ user/ situation-pandemic / locations/ simulation inputs-values and methods-specific. The results of the papers published during the ongoing pandemic indicate that the perception of an indoor environment is changing along with its boundary conditions. This has consequences on the design, maintenance, and operation routines of educational buildings to limit the risk of transmission and contagion from airborne respiratory viruses.
... The following decade spans from 2000 to 2009, and the elimination process resulted in the presentation and analysis of ten papers and reports. Five out of the ten studies investigated classroom daylight-related aspects (23)(24)(25)(26)(27). Of the remaining papers, four focussed on the electric light (28)(29)(30)(31), and the last paper focused primarily on design elements and how they influence the students' outcomes (32). ...
... In this paper the descriptions and analyses of pupils' and teachers' health, performance, teachers' and pupils' attendance and energy efficiency were provided. Two of the presented studies focused on the effect of daylight on pupils' performance; they showed considerable development in perfromarce and increased student test scores in classrooms with high daylight intake (26,27). These studies support that efficient design can result in more optimal daylight conditions, enhance students'/pupils' performance, and result in efficient systems for energy consumption and associated costs. ...
... Two studies used on-site measurements of light levels, investigating different combinations of electric lighting and blind position in the classroom (25,31). Three more studies collected data based on tests linked to evaluation of learning processes and activities, thus including the pupils in the data collection process (26,30,32). Only one of the studies included both the teachers and students to get feedback on the lighting conditions in the classroom by using questionnaires as a form of data collection (30). ...
The present paper summarises tendencies related to research in lighting for school environments from 1980 to 2020. Methods and tools used to evaluate and analyse both daylight and electric lighting are presented. The studies in this literature review were grouped in four decades and are presented chronologically. The review suggests a shift from on-site evaluations in the early decades, both when using qualitative and quantitative research methods, to software-based research and analysis in more recent studies. during the past decade, there appears to be a general increase in both software and user-based techniques for evaluation and design of educational spaces. However, it is interesting that the lighting layout in classrooms does not show significant changes during the four decades since it follows the same grid pattern regardless of the changes in architectural, design and teaching tendencies.
... Thirty-nine studies did not report participants' age, which is important information since our J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f vision changes as we age. Five of these performed with students reported the participants' academic level [91,97,99,100,104]. ...
... Occupants' action over lighting systems and shading devices was used as a predictor in those studies grouped under the category "Lighting and blinds control" [43,80,82,86,88,105]. The category "Lighting type" embodies different types of predictors, from studies examining natural vs. artificial light to dynamic vs. static lighting [37,63,65,70,71,95]. "Window features" is a broad category, which includes studies dealing with the window view, type of shadings and glazing, window area and windowed vs. windowless rooms [30,32,43,45,51,58,62,72,[92][93][94][99][100][101]104]. A list with the labels of each category of the predictors can be seen in Appendix 2. ...
... speed, cognitive flexibility, creativity). Academic performance was analyzed in two studies using students' grades [58,104]. Questionnaires and scales were used to obtain subjective assessment of performance (self-reported performance) and perceived productivity [32,46,56,65,72,75,85,93,94], while the ability to concentrate in the classroom and the level of activity were collected through observation in two studies [95,97]. ...
This paper presents a critical review of studies addressing the effects of window views, daylighting, and lighting on occupant behavior, perception, performance, and well-being. A systematic search in the Scopus database was performed in November 2021 and yielded 515 hits. Seventy-six studies were selected according to the following criteria: i) papers presenting research results with participants' responses and ii) accounting for daylighting, lighting, or window view assessments. The study and setting features, participants, predictors and outcomes, the statistical approach, the reported significance level, and study limitations were extracted from each paper. The analysis then identified differences in the effect of the predictor on the outcome. The number of records obtained through the structured analysis was 240. A wide range of predictors have been used in indoor daylighting, lighting, and window view research to assess people's responses. The most commonly used predictors were artificial lighting features and window features -qualitative predictors - followed by some properties of the light sources, such as correlated color temperature, spectral distribution and horizontal illuminance. Differences in the methods for data collection, the used predictors, the outcomes, and the ways to measure the outcomes generated inconclusive results or results that were limited to the specific study. We extracted data from selected studies to suggest a simple model for the prediction of occupant performance from illuminance and correlated color temperature. The data points were few and scattered and the model, therefore, suffers from considerable uncertainties. Yet, it quantifies performance effects in ranges that are comparable with similar models from other indoor environment domains.
... The Building Research Establishment, a UK centre of building science, reported in 2010 that significant correlations were found between daylight and educational performance (Murphy, C, 2010). The Heschong Mahone study (Heschong et al., 2002) used the largest sample (over 21,000 elementary students) among similar studies to relate standardized math and reading test results to the lighting conditions of classrooms in the US. It found statistically significant effects of daylighting on human behavior; positive effects on students' performance relating to views outside and negative effects on performance due to glare issues (ibid). ...
... In a recent review of methods and parameters used for assessing the effects of dynamic lighting on classroom occupants, Hansen et al. (2018) identified 20 studies between 1974 and 2016 (aside from an early stage of the current study) that tackle the subject. Eleven of these explicitly included daylight in their investigation and amongst them only four studies (Ahadi et al., 2016;Govén et al., 2011;Axarli and Meresi, 2008;Heschong et al., 2002) measured an aspect of daylighting performance. Table 2.4, p. 26, includes these four studies among a list of studies that carried out in-situ measurements of luminous qualilties in their effort to assess daylighting performance and associate it with building users. ...
... Few daylighting performance studies have systematically explored quantitative and qualitative aspects of daylight in classrooms simultaneously taking a building user centred approache (Table 2. 4, p. 26). From the work of Heschong et al. (2002), who used daylight experts, to Wu et al. (2002) who used questionnaire responses and blackboard illuminance point measurements, the current work has taken a nuanced approach to exploring how students experience the classroom visual environment year round and in greater detail near the equinox period against vertical luminance measurements. The framework applied has the potential to compliment recent studies by Jakubiec et al. (2021) and Zomorodian and Tahsildoost (2019) who used questionnaire responses and simulation outputs for dynamic daylight and glare metrics in order to provide more detail and expand their qualitative scope. ...
Research confirms that daylight is important not only for vision, but also for general well-being. Little is known, however, about how real world occupied spaces perform in terms of daylight. This holds true particularly in schools, where practicalities prevent the collection of data from classrooms in use.
The framework presented here addresses the lack of daylighting performance evidence from the real world, necessary for guiding daylighting predictions for classroom design. It describes and prototypes a methodology that achieves long-term daylighting performance monitoring in classrooms in use. This methodology also enables the observation of actions the occupants take to sustain or improve their visual comfort.
Four UK secondary school classrooms were used as case studies and were monitored for up to a year. A mixed method approach was taken in order to associate measured luminance, a physical characteristic of light, to user interaction with electric lights and blinds, as well as student subjective responses.
This resulted in two novel fine-grained year-long datasets, as well as a record of student appraisals of the luminous environment. The luminance dataset contains over a trillion measurements captured on-site simultaneously for multiple (nearly 18,000,000) points in space, at a 10-minute frequency over a year, resulting in multiple (over 62,000) points in time.
Application of the long-term monitoring method was found to be robust and useful for monitoring complex multi-user spaces for at least six consecutive months. Combining fine-grained luminance mapping, records of occupant interactions with design elements and occupant subjective views of the case study classrooms provided a better understanding of the many factors that shape operational daylighting performance. This was achieved by identifying specific parameters, examining their effect across a set of the three types of evidence and highlighting the complex relationships detected between them.
The three aspect framework presented here contributes to a philosophy of research that addresses real world challenges by combining their technical, behavioural and subjective expressions. In doing so it supports the view that sustainable and thus effective solutions are those that stem from holistic people-centred interdisciplinary research.
... Changes in lighting conditions have broad effects on diverse physiological and behavioral functions, including circadian rhythm, mood, and cognition [1,2]. In humans, light therapy can alleviate depression, promote cognitive function, and relieve pain symptoms [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. It provides a solution for the treatment of brain diseases with the advantages of non-invasiveness, few side-effects, and low cost. ...
... Accumulating evidence suggests that bright light has beneficial effects on memory. In humans, brighter illumination during the day improves cognitive performance [4][5][6][7][8], and bright light therapy appears to attenuate cognitive deterioration in early-stage dementia [22,80]. In rodents, bright light has been shown to enhance fear and spatial memory [81][82][83]. ...
Light is a powerful environmental factor influencing diverse brain functions. Clinical evidence supports the beneficial effect of light therapy on several diseases, including depression, cognitive dysfunction, chronic pain, and sleep disorders. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the effects of light therapy are still not well understood. In this review, we critically evaluate current clinical evidence showing the beneficial effects of light therapy on diseases. In addition, we introduce the research progress regarding the neural circuit mechanisms underlying the modulatory effects of light on brain functions, including mood, memory, pain perception, sleep, circadian rhythm, brain development, and metabolism.
... Windows perform essential functions in the built environment, primarily giving visual access to (and sometimes direct air exchange with) the outdoors and enabling daylight penetration. Access to natural light has been shown to positively impact work performance [1,2] and occupant preference, with approximately 80% of occupants stating that they prefer daylight to electric lighting [3][4][5][6][7]. While daylight is highly desirable, it is also necessary to protect building occupants against excessive daylight and glare, and ensure that solar radiation is managed properly to reduce overheating risks. ...
... Research in environmental psychology and building science has shown the positive impacts of providing building occupants with a view out [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Known effects typically include increased workplace satisfaction, productivity, cognitive performance, stress modulation, and patient recovery time [1,9,10,12,13,[16][17][18][19][20]. In addition, views also satisfy fundamental human needs for visual information about location, time, weather, and activities outside the building [21,22]. ...
Providing adequate glare protection and a view to the outside through fabric shading devices is challenging because these two objectives require conflicting material properties for a fully lowered shading. In a semi-controlled office-like experiment involving 32 participants, we investigated four types of neutrally-colored fabrics (charcoal and gray) with Openness Factors (OF) smaller than 7% focussing on view clarity, discomfort glare with the sun in the field of view, and participants' behavior when it comes to blind control. The results show that fabrics with OF<3% could provide adequate glare protection but no satisfactory view out. The charcoal-colored fabric of>6% resulted in lower glare protection but higher quality of view out. Our results show inconsistencies with the EN14501 blind classifications for glare and visual contact (i.e., view clarity), but good agreement with the recently developed view clarity index. During the final session, three quarters of participants raised the blinds to allow an average of 10° view to the outside, reporting as primary motivations the wish for more light and view out. Despite the relatively small rise of the fabric (15% of the total shade), daylight levels and view out were significantly improved, suggesting that operable blinds should not be controlled nor described according to the "all-or-nothing" approach. The change in fabric height did not compromise glare perception. These results suggest that if the control of shading height is effectively provided to occupants, then the fabric material could be selected primarily based on glare requirements.
... In this respect, Shishegar and Boubekri [5] reviewed the current literature on daylight, and they demonstrated that health, satisfaction, attention and ultimately, the success of workers and students are enhanced by daylight. Supporting their findings, another study [57] assessed the math and reading test results of a large population of students based on the daylight conditions of their classroom with control variables such as teacher experience and the demographic characteristics of each school. The researchers demonstrated that the results from math and reading tests were up to 20% higher for students attending classrooms with daylight or skylight compared to those attending classes in a classroom with no daylight or skylight. ...
... 57 The mean of daylight availability on desks chosen by participants from various age groups who reported being satisfied with their seats ...
Millions of people migrate every year, aiming to settle either permanently or temporarily in new places. People from countries with different intensities of daylight might have various perceptions and expectations towards the climatic and indoor conditions. It might result from a previously accustomed lighting environment and other associated factors, namely individual cultural background. It is important because study outcomes may be utilised by architects and lighting professionals on how to design buildings and interior spaces depending on occupants’ perceptions and expectations to increase occupants’ satisfaction. This knowledge also can be used to save energy because the efficient use of daylight can reduce the energy consumption of both HVAC and illumination systems.
To date, few studies have explored the relationship between cultural background and daylight perception; however, they mostly focused on glare sensitivity rather than daylight intensity. Cross-cultural studies aiming to investigate lighting preferences in interior environments are also rare. What is not yet known is the importance of cultural background and its impact on daylight perception, expectation, and satisfaction. Therefore, the development of a methodology for assessing daylight perception and its application in the context of cultural background are the main objectives of this research project, in order to investigate the impact of cultural background on daylight perception.
In this thesis, three subjective evaluation methods were used to assess participants' daylight perceptions: subjective ratings, seat preference, and daylight boundary line drawings, and the perceived daylight availability obtained through these methods were compared to measured daylight availability. It was demonstrated that perceived daylight availability obtained through seat preference and subjective statement methods corresponds to some extent with actual daylight availability (p<0.01 and p =0.002, respectively). The findings obtained from both students’ seat selections and occupancy data from motion sensors in the library also highlighted the importance of daylight availability in the seat selection of students in the libraries. However, the lit area drawn by participants representing the perceived daylight conditions as part of the daylight boundary line method varied extensively from person to person regardless of actual daylight measurements. In other respects, a systematic review was conducted to create a conceptual framework of cultural background in the lit environment, and factors thought to be influencing daylight perception in the cultural context had been defined in four ways. These were ethnicity and/or physiological properties of individual eyes, the residential area, the previous luminance environment and sociocultural background.
Finally, the developed methodology based on the previous findings was applied to understand if individuals perceive daylight conditions differently due to their cultural backgrounds. Although some findings proved that culture might be an important factor in daylight perception, the study results did not provide strong evidence of a cultural background influence on daylight perception. However, the number of participants in this study (N=193) was limited, and this unique topic requires additional research with larger sample size.
... Overall, evaluation of visual comfort becomes more important than ever before, yet most of the research carried out is focused on educational buildings or office buildings. A study by Heschong et. al. (2002) investigated the effects of natural lighting in educational settings and the effects on students' performance and wellbeing. The findings showed that daylight quality and quantity were correlated to improved vision in students, improved student and teacher morale and performance, and finally better memory retention in students [8]. Anot ...
... al. (2002) investigated the effects of natural lighting in educational settings and the effects on students' performance and wellbeing. The findings showed that daylight quality and quantity were correlated to improved vision in students, improved student and teacher morale and performance, and finally better memory retention in students [8]. Another study focused on office environments and examined the effect of window-to-wall ratio and possible correlation to workers' task performance and energy consumption. ...
This research investigates the daylight performance of a typical healthcare patient room, focusing on a design direction putting in the first place the visual comfort of a patient. Furthermore, the research examines the impact on the energy efficiency of each design option. The main scope of the study is to investigate whether it is possible to design daylit spaces that improve the health and well-being of patients without though creating a high energy-consuming building. The methodology used is based on computer simulations using the plugin Climate Studio in the software Rhinoceros. Climate Studio has implemented the widely validated simulation engines of EnergyPlus and Radiance, which are used for thermal and daylight simulations accordingly. For this research, the most widely used healthcare in-patient room is investigated, the double room. The parameters under study are eight room orientations, six different window configurations, and eight types of glazing with different characteristics. Various dynamic annual metrics are used for the daylight performance such as the Useful Daylight Illuminance, the Spatial Daylight Autonomy, and the Annual Sunlight Exposure. The findings show that even if the building design process focuses on healthier indoor environments and adequate visual comfort, there are still options that do not compromise the energy efficiency of a building.
... La aplicación de ambos instrumentos se realizó considerando las recomendaciones del uso adecuado y ético de pruebas psicológicas (International Test Comission, 2000;Bracken, 2007) y trabajos previos realizados en instituciones educativas (Küller y Lindsten, 1992;Heschong et al., 2002;. La participación de los niños y niñas fue voluntaria mediante asentimiento verbal, y autorizada previamente por un familiar directo -padre o madre-. ...
Los modelos neurocognitivos actuales definen a la atención como un sistema de control cognitivo responsable de la activa- ción y organización jerárquica de los procesos encargados de elaborar la información. La atención juega un rol clave en el desempeño cognitivo infantil y en el aprendizaje escolar. Por ello, resulta importante disponer de instru- mentos de evaluación, válidos y confiables, que permitan valorar con mayor precisión el desempeño atencional en niños y niñas. El propósito de este trabajo es analizar las propie- dades psicométricas del Test de Anillos (TA), un nuevo instrumento diseñado para evaluar atención visual en niños.
El TA se ha construido utilizando el opto- tipo C de Landolt y sigue la estructura triestí- mulo propuesta por la prueba de percepción de similitudes y diferencias (CARAS). Es una prueba de papel y lápiz que se compone de 60 bloques de estímulos. La muestra estuvo conformada por 86 escolares entre 8 y 10 años de edad. Para el estudio de las propiedades psicométricas se analizó la validez convergente entre el TA y el Test CARAS y se examinó la estabilidad temporal para analizar la confiabi- lidad del TA. Los resultados indicaron que el TA es un instrumento válido y confiable para la medición de la atención visual en niños y niñas. Presentó adecuados valores en validez convergente y una satisfactoria estabilidad temporal entre la primera y la segunda evalua- ción. Se concluye que el TA constituye un aporte a los instrumentos neuropsicológicos existentes para la evaluación de la atención visual en población infantil.
... Daylighting is a critical factor that affects students' visual acuity [7]. Classroom luminous environments with daylighting affect students' vision, learning efficiency, and physical and mental health [8,9]. ...
This study explored daylight glare evaluation for Prism Daylight Redirecting Fenestrations (PDRF) with young adults. HDR photography was employed to calculate daylight glare indices, and subjective response was measured by continuous and discrete scales. The statistical results showed that Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) correlated strongly with subjective glare perception and was more robust than Daylight Glare Index (DGI) with PDRF systems. In addition, subjectively estimated glare tolerance time was proposed, and the research results revealed that subjectively estimated glare tolerance time strongly correlated with subjective responses. Vertical eye illuminance as a daylight glare index for PDRF was also investigated. Three Ev thresholds of different glare perception levels were determined based on the confidence intervals analysis. Three Ev values on four categories of perceived glare levels with PDRF for young adults in classrooms under subtropical skies were identified as 2300 lx, 3000 lx, and 4300 lx, corresponding to the thresholds of imperceptible-perceptible, perceptible–disturbing, and disturbing-intolerable, respectively.
... Classroom luminous environments with daylighting affect students' vision, learning efficiency, and physical and mental health [8,9]. ...
Graphical Abstract: Abstract This study explored daylight glare evaluation for Prism Daylight Redirecting Fenestrations (PDRF) with young adults. HDR photography was employed to calculate daylight glare indices, and subjective response was measured by continuous and discrete scales. The statistical results showed that Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) correlated strongly with subjective glare perception and was more robust than Daylight Glare Index (DGI) with PDRF systems. In addition, subjectively estimated glare tolerance time was proposed, and the research results revealed that subjectively estimated glare tolerance time strongly correlated with subjective responses. Vertical eye illuminance as a daylight glare index for PDRF was also investigated. Three E v thresholds of different glare perception levels were determined based on the confidence intervals analysis. Three E v values on four categories of perceived glare levels with PDRF for young adults in classrooms under subtropical skies were identified as 2300 lx, 3000 lx, and 4300 lx, corresponding to the thresholds of imperceptible-perceptible, perceptible-disturbing, and disturbing-intolerable, respectively.
... It is the best metric to describe annual daylight sufficiency in a space (Heschong, Wright, and Okura 2013). It was proposed by IES Committee as the percentage of the tested area that gets the accepted illuminance specified for a space for a specified percentage of occupied hours per year (IES, 2012). ...
... Windows in a workplace environment are desirable for their many proven physiological, psychological and economic benefits such as provision of daylight, access to outdoor views and increasing the rental value of the space [1][2][3]. Daylight from windows can also help in improving health, productivity, and overall well-being [4,5]. However, daylight could also be responsible for discomfort glare which can cause occupants to block daylight out by closing the blinds for instance Ref. [6]. ...
While the influence of a glare source's spectrum on sensitivity to discomfort glare has been demonstrated repeatedly under electric light conditions, it has not yet been studied under actual daylit conditions. To investigate the influence of spectral alterations of the sun disc on glare perception when seen behind a colored glazing, we performed a cross-evaluation of occupants' visual comfort in a space either daylit through blue-tinted electrochromic (EC) glazing (20 participants) or through color-neutral glazing (55 participants), having selected two types of glazing that are widely employed in commercial buildings. Under both types of glazing, participants experienced four glare scenarios presenting different glazing transmittances (from low to extremely low) in which the sun was the only glare source visible. Comparing the participants' responses to glare, we found that participants experienced discomfort more often in blue-tinted glazing compared to color-neutral glazing, even though glare metrics would have predicted higher levels of discomfort in these latter cases. This indicates that participants basically tolerated glare better under color-neutral daylit conditions compared to blue-colored conditions. To explain our findings, we considered four spectral discomfort glare sensitivity functions that have previously been proposed to replace the standard CIE V2°(λ) and applied them to the DGP and CGI glare metrics. However, none of these adjustments to glare metrics made any difference to our findings, which consistently showed an increased glare sensitivity under shorter wavelengths, indicating that its cause should be sought elsewhere. Some hypotheses are formulated at the end of the paper in this regard.
... In buildings, façades act as a buffer and connector between indoors and outdoors (Knaack et al., 2014) and affect building energy consumption and occupant multi-domain environmental comfort (Luna-Navarro et al., 2022). In particular, façades can affect occupant satisfaction with the thermal environment (Carmody et al., 2004), acoustic (Tang, 2017), air quality (Izadyar et al., 2020), daylight, and view out (Boyce et al., 2003;Heschong et al., 2013). ...
Several studies performing building simulations showed that the automated control of façades can provide higher levels of indoor environmental quality and lower energy demand in buildings, in comparison to manually controlled scenarios. However, in several case studies with human volunteers, automated controls were found to be disruptive or unsatisfactory for occupants. For instance, automated façades became a source of dissatisfaction for occupants when they did not fulfil individual environmental requirements, did not provide personal control options, or did not correctly integrate occupant preferences with façade operation in energy-efficient controls. This article reviews current evidence from empirical studies with human volunteers to identify the key factors that affect occupant response to automated façades. Only twenty-six studies were found to empirically investigate occupant response to automated façades from 1998 onwards. Among the reviewed studies, five groups of factors were found to influence occupant interaction with automated façades and namely: (1) personal factors, (2) environmental conditions, (3) type and mode of operation, (4) type of façade technology, and (5) contextual factors.. Overall, occupant response to automated façades is often poorly considered in research studies reviewed because of the following three reasons: (i) the lack of established methods or procedures for assessing occupant response to automated façade controls, (ii) poor understanding of occupant multi-domain comfort preferences in terms of façade operation, (iii) fragmented research landscape, on one hand results are mainly related to similar contextual or climatic conditions, which undermines their applicability to other climates, while on the other hand the lack of replication within the same conditions, which also undermines replicability within the same condition. Lastly, this paper suggests future research directions to achieve a holistic and more comprehensive understanding of occupant response to automated façades, aiming to achieve more user-centric automated façade solutions and advanced control algorithms. In particular, research on the impact of personal factors on occupant satisfaction with automated controls is deemed paramount.
... The importance and influence that daylighting can make to an educational environment is critical towards the performance of a student. When looking at the energy savings that can be utilised by advocating for proper daylighting tools within architecture, a significant impact can be made through the reduced need for not only electric light, but cooling needs too (Heschong et al, 2002). ...
The global sustainability movement has developed a variety of new design and building methodologies. Regenerative Design (RD) focuses on understanding the dynamic relationship between people, a place and ecosystems. By weaving together the natural and social systems, RD maximises humans' and nature's creativeness and abundance. Projects are not seen as an end product but rather as the beginning of a process that will continue to evolve long after completion. RD approaches to building are receiving increased attention in industry and academia. In this context, developing a clear shared understanding and evaluating the practical implications of this new approach remains an open issue. This critical review attempts to fill this gap by reviewing the concept, its aims, the existence of any performance measurement criteria, design methods and the expected outcomes of the RD approach to design and building. A summary process workflow diagram and an Assessment Methodology (AM) for evaluating RD project progress are proposed. The AM is presented as a series of questions to be answered qualitatively and quantitatively to aid track progress through time. Both diagram and AM may become valuable tools for further discussion about the methodological implications of RD project delivery for the architecture profession and for upgrading architectural education accordingly.
... View and non-visual aspects of daylight are strongly corresponding to occupants' health and wellness in buildings [1][2][3]. In schools, providing sufficient daylight in classrooms is essential for enhancing students' wellbeing and improving study efficiency [4][5][6][7][8]. In addition, maximizing the usage of daylight can reduce energy consumption, contribution to the global target of reducing carbon emissions. ...
Visual comfort within a classroom determines students’ concentration, productivity and well-being. The existing glare-based metric (e.g. Daylight Glare Probability, DGP) cannot reveal the visual comfort level when students look at notes written on the blackboard in a daylit classroom. Contrast-based metric has been proven as a more appreciate method for evaluating the vision within the area of a blackboard. The aim of this article is to explore the applicability of a contrast-based metric in evaluating classroom daylight design. The contrast-based metric was proposed based on the statistical results of a previous study on disturbing reflections on a blackboard. The evaluation method using contrast ratios within the blackboard area was established based on RADIANCE simulation and validated against experimental measurements. Bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF) data was used to model the complex fenestration systems (CFS) in the studied classroom. The validation results show that the error of simulated contrast ratio is within 17%. When using the contrast-based metric for assessing the studied classroom with different fenestration designs, the simulation results indicate that applying vertically placed daylight redirecting louver can significantly improve the contrast performance while maintain the daylight availability, providing design guidance for fenestration systems of classrooms. The simulation also illustrates that using DGP in a classroom leads to an underestimation of the glare level. This study contributes to expanding the knowledge on visual environment evaluations of classrooms, demonstrating the capacity of using contrast-based metric on determining disturbing glares in a classroom daylight design.
... In buildings, façades act as a buffer and connector between indoors and outdoors (Knaack et al., 2014) and affect building energy consumption and occupant multi-domain environmental comfort (Luna-Navarro et al., 2022). In particular, façades can affect occupant satisfaction with the thermal environment (Carmody et al., 2004), acoustic (Tang, 2017), air quality (Izadyar et al., 2020), daylight, and view out (Boyce et al., 2003;Heschong et al., 2013). ...
Several studies performing building simulations showed that the automated control of façades can provide higher levels of indoor environmental quality and lower energy demand in buildings, in comparison to manually controlled scenarios. However, in several case studies with human volunteers, automated controls were found to be disruptive or unsatisfactory for occupants. For instance, automated façades became a source of dissatisfaction for occupants when they did not fulfil individual environmental requirements, did not provide personal control options, or did not correctly integrate occupant preferences with façade operation in energy-efficient controls. This article reviews current evidence from empirical studies with human volunteers to identify the key factors that affect occupant response to automated façades. Only twenty-six studies were found to empirically investigate occupant response to automated façades from 1998 onwards. Among the reviewed studies, five groups of factors were found to influence occupant interaction with automated façades and namely: (1) personal factors, (2) environmental conditions, (3) type and mode of operation, (4) type of façade technology, and (5) contextual factors.. Overall, occupant response to automated façades is often poorly considered in research studies reviewed because of the following three reasons: (i) the lack of established methods or procedures for assessing occupant response to automated façade controls, (ii) poor understanding of occupant multi-domain comfort preferences in terms of façade operation, (iii) fragmented research landscape, on one hand results are mainly related to similar contextual or climatic conditions, which undermines their applicability to other climates, while on the other hand the lack of replication within the same conditions, which also undermines replicability within the same condition. Lastly, this paper suggests future research directions to achieve a holistic and more comprehensive understanding of occupant response to automated façades, aiming to achieve more user-centric automated façade solutions and advanced control algorithms. In particular, research on the impact of personal factors on occupant satisfaction with automated controls is deemed paramount.
... This factor causes sleepiness among students and undermines their performance (Takahashi et al, 2001) (Belia et al, 2013. In this context, Heschong (2002) showed that children performed better and learned faster in the classrooms with good daylighting (Ahadi et al, 2016). Also, Karemera (2003) has found that student performance is significantly correlated with satisfaction with academic environment. ...
... Most of this research focuses on schools and office buildings and study how lighting could affect students' and employees' performance. Studies show that daylit classrooms in schools can improve students' vision, due to higher illumination levels and reduction of flicker effect, better student and teacher morale and performance, while also improve memory retention [10]. A study carried out at the Endrup school in Copenhagen, Denmark, suggests that by using roof windows, therefore improving illuminance levels, the students' overall satisfaction increased [11]. ...
It is generally accepted that access to daylight and sunlight can have a positive impact on people's health and well-being. This study aims to carry out a research on natural lighting performance of the most common typologies used for in-patient units. A preliminary investigation identifies the typical in-patient rooms in a number of healthcare premises in Cyprus. At the same time, the current study presents a review of the existing literature on lighting assessment in healthcare facilities with an emphasis on the impact of daylighting on patients' health. Moreover, natural lighting analysis simulations were conducted with advanced software tools, i.e. Radiance IES implemented in IES-VE 2017. The research study aims to evaluate the correlations between the room's orientation and geometrical parameters, (i.e., dimensions, height, window to floor ratio), and the daylighting performance in the spaces under study. For the daylighting assessment of the in-patient spaces, a number of widely used indicators were employed including Daylight Factor (DF), Uniformity Daylight Factor (UDF), Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA), Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) and Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI). The research study discloses significant differences in the levels of natural lighting metrics for different geometrical configurations and for different orientations, thus indicating the importance of the appropriate architectural design in achieving high daylighting performance of the spaces under study, as well as the need for further systematic research in the field.
... Many researchers have shown that health and wellbeing of people is strongly influenced by the presence of daylight. Several studies have reported that people with sufficient access to daylight experience less stress, have a higher productivity, and are more alert (e.g., Heschong et al., 2002;Heschong, 2003;Boyce, 2003). However, daylight is largely variable and is limited in time and space. ...
... Lighting can affect occupants' behaviour in schools, kindergartens, and daycare centres (Tab. B.1), and influences their healthy growth and educational progress [48]. Electrical lighting, daylight, and how users perceive and react to these are parameters to consider for establishing B/C. ...
Background and objective
This paper aims to review the boundary conditions (B/C) in specific categories (energy, building use, and lighting) within non-residential buildings to pave the way to a better understanding of users’ requirements and needs of the built environment. For this paper, B/C are understood as unique preconditions, specific characteristics for use, determining specific features of buildings, enabling an accurate understanding of non-residential spaces concerning energy use, user behaviour, and lighting.
Methods
This paper describes the results of an overall quantitative (1st method) review and a systematic review (2nd method) of boundary conditions and their factors within different types of non-residential buildings from the users’ perception. Followed by a qualitative experts’ literature review (3rd method) on B/C within offices, schools, and hospitals chosen by a team of international experts working together on Subtask A: User perspective and requirements, Task 61 IEA (International Energy Agency): Solutions for daylighting and electric lighting. .
Results
The first review method led to the selection of 21 papers. The second method resulted in the selection of 7 papers out of 93,143 found in Scopus; during the 3rd review, experts collectively chose 74 additional papers focussing on the main and users factors contributing to specific B/C. The scope of this paper is limited only to offices, schools, and hospitals. Based on the findings, the authors recognise a broad definition of boundary conditions from specific values, and conditions to interconnected factors, user profiles, functions of the building types, and operating hours.
Conclusions
This paper provides an overview of B/C factors found in the literature that can help explain the occupants’ behaviour and the use of spaces. B/C are often type of building/user/location/situation/simulation input-values and method-specific. Therefore, they cannot be widely applicable but offer patterns and help to understand the correlations between various factors shaping the built environment. A better comprehension of the reasons for identifying B/C and their factors can help in developing a deeper knowledge of how we use buildings to find optimal ways to design them.
... The effects of light are varied, and are not limited only to the effects we have mentioned above; in fact, we can go on to say that the effects that light and lightness can have on learning environments have been a topic of research for some time. For example, three studies conducted in Sweden (Küller and Lindsten, 1992) and the USA (Heschong, Wright and Okura, 2002) have demonstrated the importance of the presence of windows and natural light on students' psychophysiological well-being and performance. Two of them also demonstrated that these positive psychophysiological and performance effects are absent in windowless classrooms. ...
As human beings, we are continuously exposed to stimuli that modulate our psychological functioning and behavior, presumably through the influence exerted on our emotions. In literature, among others, the feature of color, mainly as related to the three attributes of hue, chroma, and lightness, represents one of the most explored topics. By the way, the multidisciplinary lens through which it has been investigated and the partial lack of methodological rigor make it difficult, thus far, to unify the research evidence while being able to disambiguate the single contribution of each color's attribute. The current review aims to provide an overview of the most recent literature, focusing on evidence that highlights the role of the perceived lightness of color, in its function as well as aesthetic properties, in influencing psychological functions and behavior. Practical implications and future directions in this research area are outlined.
... Natural light increases the esthetic quality of interiors, rendering the objects with their true color and creating contrast between surfaces [3]. Studies prove the benefits of daylight in working and educational environments, improving workers' satisfaction and productivity and students' learning performance [4][5][6]. The importance to provide buildings with adequate quantity of sunlight is underlined by the studies investigating appropriate daylight levels and new metrics [7,8], by the daylight and solar access requirements in building regulations of most countries [9], and by the research investigating new design workflows and building solutions [10,11]. ...
Exterior static shading devices of buildings, if correctly designed, can control sunlight and daylight to reduce glare while guaranteeing interiors' natural illumination and connection to the outside which increase occupants' physiological and psychological wellbeing. The shadings can also control solar radiation, which has strong influence on buildings' energy use. Most of the existing research investigated the effects of static shadings on either energy use, or daylight availability and distribution or glare using single-view assessments. A number of studies integrated the analysis of two or the three performances. Very few analyzed the effects on view out. This research investigates through simulations the potential of exterior static shadings in reducing disturbing glare, and the effects on daylight provision, view out, and energy use in two classrooms in the northern city of Tallinn, Estonia. The novelty resides in the integration of the four performances analysis through a multi-objective optimization workflow, allowed by a spatial glare assessment method. Results showed that, for the building type and location, static shadings reduced visual discomfort by up to 89.8% while reduced primary energy use by up to 29.1% and provided adequate levels of daylight and view out. The most performative shading types and detailed results are presented and discussed.
... The nonphysical aspect (e.g., temperature, light, sound) of the learning space collectively represents the "feel good factor" concerning the setting for learning. If properly kept, these aspects can determine the level of comfort which, according to studies (Tao et al., 2019;Johnson & Lomas, 2005;Heschong, 2002), generally influence the students' behavior, productivity, stimulation, and concentration. As per the participants, redesigning the SLS and CLS in the context of improving users' comfortability is generally attributed to maintaining the rooms' critical nonphysical components, such as optimal temperature, appropriate lighting, and good soundscape. ...
Approaches in strengthening learning-place nexus need not be radical as schools align their adopted learning principle with learning environment. This descriptive study examined the school stakeholders' perspectives of a learning space which became the basis for redesigning the Science and Computer classrooms in De La Salle University-Dasmarinas Senior High School. Qualitative data gathered through focus group discussions from purposively sampled participants representing the administration and teachers and students from the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Information and Communication Technology strands were processed using sentiment and thematic analyses. Results show participants' collective positive sentiment for the current classrooms in the High School Complex which should be redesigned following four defining features, namely spatial flexibility, innovative furnishing, technology integration, and comfortable environment. In consideration of the cited features, the FlexITeCS (Flexible, Innovative, Technology-friendly, and Comfortable Space) Design Idea was proposed to guide the decision in redesigning the Science and Computer learning spaces. Its application should be in reference to the attainment of three specific design goals, such as: creating a flexible space with innovative furniture, integrating technology-friendly solutions, and maintaining users' comfortability. The result of the present study is hoped to contribute to the existing literature on the importance of building learning environments that compliment teaching and learning particularly in Senior High School.
This paper designed and developed a tropical daylight-mimicking lighting system based on photometric, radiometric and International Commission on Illumination (CIE) standard melanopic performances from natural lighting cycles in Thailand. Spectral power distribution (SPD) during daylight in summer and winter were recorded to create a dynamic artificial lighting system that best matches the natural daylight characteristics. Two set-ups light emitting diode (LED) (LED-A and LED-B) were screened, developed, validated and compared with different chromaticity layouts of the correlated color temperatures (CCTs) allocated on Planckian locus and later converted to x-y co-ordinates in a chromaticity diagram. Based on CCT and Duv deviations between two developed setups, LED-A could mimick circadian points on the chromaticity diagram better than LED-B did. CCT and Duv values of LED-A (dCCT=3.75% and dDuv=17.36%) can match closer to the daylight than those of LED-B ( d CCT=5.0 % and d Duv=56.84%). For CIE-standard melanopic performances (melanopic efficacy of luminous radiation (mELR), melanopic equivalent daylight (D65) illuminance (mEDI) and melanopic daylight efficacy ratio (mDER)), LED-A is suitable to use indoor with averages of 1.16 W×lm-1, 236 lx and 0.84, respectively, while LED-B is good to use outdoor with averages of 1.53 W×lm<sup>-1</sup>, 266 lx and 1.06, respectively. The proposed design can be used as a guideline to establish a daylight-mimicking LED lighting system from actual measurement data.
By definition, green buildings focus on minimizing environmental impacts through reductions in energy usage, water usage, waste production, and CO2 emissions. Less widely recognized is the fact that green buildings also address human health through the design of healthy indoor and outdoor environments. Indeed, the paradigmatic shift from health as the simple absence of disease to a state of physical, mental, and social well-being has broadened the disciplinary domain of health to the field of architecture and urban environment. The awareness of the effects of the built environment on well-being has emphasized the importance of adopting a transdisciplinary and salutogenic approach in rethinking urban fabric and indoor environments. To this end, it is crucial to assume healthy, sustainable, and environmental aware architecture as the only possible one, in line with SDG 3, 7, 11, 13, and 15.The paper intends to examine the state of art on building design that focuses on indoor environmental quality and human health and to identify best practices, through a comparison of existing projects, brought about by a review of case studies. The objective of our review is to provide an overall knowledge framework and identify invariants and relevant strategies to be adopted in any context to ensure the user’s well-being. Thus, the case studies are identified in different geographical and climate contexts, and are selected by virtue of their degree of pertinence to a performance-oriented and salutogenic design approach.Moreover, a limitation of the research is the reliance on indirect, lagging and subjective measures of health. To address this, the case studies are selected according to direct, objective health performance indicators, deduced from significant contributions of up-to-date literature. What stands out is that in all case studies, healthy spaces represent a catalyst capable of embracing cultural, social, environmental, and ecosystemic issues.KeywordsCase study reviewPerformance oriented designHealthy indoor environmentSalutogenic designTransdisciplinarity
This paper aims to study college students’ feelings about the indoor daylight environment of the library. Taking a university library in Beijing as an example, a combination of questionnaire and illumination measurement was used to investigate students’ choice of library seats and the time period when they were satisfied with the daylight environment in different seasons. In addition, the daylight simulation on illuminance was also used during the study. It was found that students have specific expectations of the daylight environment and the daylight environment influences their seating preferences and comfort in different seasons. Throughout the year, students preferred seats with adequate sunlight. However, the degree of satisfaction decreased with a too high level of illuminance. The range of the illuminance that most students are satisfied with is 900–1050 lx.KeywordsLibraryDaylight environmentSunlight illuminanceSatisfactionSimulation
Previous studies have shown that access to a satisfactory view to the outside with sufficient daylight is essential for building occupants' health and well-being. It has also been suggested that certain features of visual content improve view-out quality, such as horizontal stratification, natural landscapes, distant features, and diversity of visual elements. Additionally, having movement and changes in viewing content has been shown to further strengthen building occupants’ engagement and connectivity to their surrounding environment. The objective of this paper is to review the literature on the dynamism of the view content and the inclusion of this criterion in the current metrics of view evaluation. Our review revealed a need for further research on view dynamism, especially focusing on testing different types, speeds, and scales of movement on view quality assessment. It also showed that more comprehensive view evaluation frameworks should be developed to accurately preserve the dynamic qualities of window views in experimental settings. While many view rating metrics have acknowledged the importance of movement, this criterion is to date ignored or only poorly included in existing metrics, which further highlights the need of learning more about this topic.
Background:
High school students are at an increased risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) due to significant pressure to achieve academic success.
Aim:
Although it is known that a school's physical learning environment can influence students' GAD, there is limited research examining this relationship. To fill this knowledge gap, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 230 students from two high schools in China.
Methods:
A survey questionnaire captured students' GAD self-evaluations (dependent variables), perceptions/preferences of their school physical environment (independent variables), and social and personal conditions (confounding variables). Bivariate analysis showed that students' GAD scores were associated with multiple factors related to the learning environment, physical activities, and personal characteristics. The multivariate analysis examined the relationship between GAD scores and physical learning environment variables while controlling for confounding variables.
Results:
The results indicated that adequate lighting (B = -0.154, p = .029) and perceived effectiveness of using self-service cafeterias in reducing anxiety (B = -0.138, p = .044) were significantly associated with GAD scores.
Conclusions:
These findings provide evidence for the importance of designing high schools with students' mental health in mind. Specifically, school administrators and designers should consider how to improve the physical learning environment by incorporating natural light, a self-service cafeteria, and spaces for physical activities to promote students' mental well-being.
Biyofilik tasarım insanlarda stresi, öfkeyi ve kaygıyı azaltmaktadır. Aynızamanda üretkenliği ve yaratıcılığı geliştirmekte, refah seviyesini iyileştirmekteve insanların iyileşme sürecini hızlandırmaktadır. Biyofilik tasarıma sahip binalar ve yaşam alanları, insanları doğaya daha fazla yaklaştırmaktadır. yapılan araştırmada insan yaşamının yaklaşık %90’ının inşa edilmiş ortamlardageçtiği ve inşa edilmiş ortamların üçte birinin de iş yerleri olduğu ifade edilmektedir. Bu nedenlerle ofisler biyofilik tasarım prensipleri doğrultusunda tasarlanmaya başlanmıştır. Çalışmada öncelikle biyofilik tasarım kavramı açıklanacak ve biyofilik tasarımın kriterleri incelenecektir. Ofis yapıları bu kriterlere dayanarak değerlendirilecektir. Daha sonra ofis yapıları kavramı, ofis yapılarının tasarımı ve mekânsal düzenlemesi ile ofis yapılarında çalışanların yaşadığı sağlık sorunları ele alınacaktır. Ofis yapılarının biyofilik tasarım kriterlerine dayanarak değerlendirilmesiyle ortaya çıkan bulgular biyofilik tasarım kapsamında incelenen ofis yapıları adı altında ele alınacaktır. Son olarak ofis mekânları ve çalışma alanlarına biyofilik tasarım öğelerinin kolaylıkla yerleştirilmesine dair öneriler geliştirilecektir.
Children's visual perceptions are critical for their comfort and health. This review explores the impacts of school indoor visual environment on children's health outcomes. A systematic search yielded 5704 articles, of which 32 studies were reviewed. Five environmental themes were identified: lighting, access to nature, window characteristics, art/environmental aesthetics, and ergonomics/spatial arrangement. Results affirm that visual environment affects children's health. There are disparities across environmental themes, with more extensive evidence for lighting and access to nature, but relatively limited in other areas. This study suggests a need for multi-disciplinary collaboration to develop a holistic perspective.
Achieving a well-lit classroom that meets the standards of visual comfort and high daylight quality is a real challenge, so to achieve this goal, several variables must be combined, including the quality of the glazing and the shading device provided, a particularly difficult task in semi-arid climates. Therefore, this paper proposes an analytical approach to the parametric components of day-lighting and visual comfort of a classroom in order to achieve an accurate estimate in a short time frame. A specific dataset is generated from parametric modelling developed in grasshopper for Rhino and daylight simulations were conducted using ladybug tools for Grasshopper, sDA-ASE values were applied for daylight and visual comfort assessments. The proposed solutions for mitigating solar gains and controlling the day-lighting distribution is the installation of interior light shelves on the south windows with material reflection of 90 % and glass of 80% transparency, An acceptable day-lighting performance can be achieved also when the classroom has on the south windows exterior louvers with different sizes (mostly have similar performance to each other) with an angle of rotation of 0 0 associated with interior light shelves. With material reflection of 90 % and glass of 80% or 65% transparency on the south glass windows and 80% on the north one.
The presence of daylight reflections on blackboards in classrooms can be disruptive to students and negatively impact their visual comfort and learning efficiency. A novel window system with switchable blinds has been specifically designed to balance daylight availability, visual comfort, and adequate window view in classrooms. This study aims to develop a validated simulation method to assess the daylighting performance of the novel window system in these three domains. Radiance-based simulation using bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF) data was developed and validated against experimental measurements in a test room. Daylight autonomy (DA) was used as the criterion for daylight availability, while the contrast ratio on the board was used to evaluate the disturbing light reflections on it. The simulation results show that, regardless of the classroom orientation (south/east/west), the novel window system with switchable blinds can: a) successfully meet the LEED requirements for spatial daylight autonomy (sDA) > 55%; b) reduce the low-contrast areas on the blackboard by adaptively switching the blinds, and c) maintain a satisfactory openness of the window with a clear image of the exterior. The studied window system with switchable blinds can provide a sensible balance between daylight availability, visual comfort, and view. The method of rating visual comfort in classrooms using contrast ratio on the blackboard was demonstrated to be feasible and applicable.
Climate-sensitive school buildings can enhance students’ learning performance and reduce the building’s overall energy consumption. This paper reports on a post-occupancy study of contemporary school buildings in Malaysia, assessing problems of solar heat gain. The research aims to propose retrofitting measures based on passive design principles adapted specifically for the Malaysian tropical climate to strengthen the resilience of local school buildings in a global climate emergency. On-site measurements in two different schools provided the empirical basis for the design modifications. The monitoring procedure included site observations, extended temperature and humidity measurements, and daylight analysis. A virtual classroom model was generated based on the on-site measurements, and a parametric simulation study was conducted to evaluate the proposed retrofit measures’ effectiveness. The model variables were evaluated and compared to identify the passive design elements that significantly impact heat gains and thermal comfort. The results showed that increasing roof overhangs to 1500 mm for additional shading, sensitive selection of roof materials and colours of white-painted zinc roof, and reduction of window-to-wall ratio by 30% to the operable windows helps to reduce solar gains by 6% to improve comfort conditions within the classrooms. Overall, the study provided evidence of how passive solar building design would benefit the climate resilience of Malaysian schools.
Purpose
A building's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has a direct impact on the health and productivity on its occupants. Understanding the effects of IAQ in educational buildings is essential in both the design and construction phases for decision-makers. The purpose of this paper is to outline the impact air quality has on occupants' performance, especially teachers and students in educational settings.
Design/methodology/approach
This study aims to evaluate the effects of IAQ on teachers' performances and to deliver air quality requirements to building information modelling-led school projects. The methodology of the research approach used a quasi-experiment through questionnaire surveys and physical measurements of indoor air parameters to associate correlation and deduction. A technical college building in Saudi Arabia was used for the case study. The study developed an artificial neural network (ANN) model to define and predict relationships between teachers' performance and IAQ.
Findings
This paper contains a detailed investigation into the impact of IAQ via direct parameters (relative humidity, ventilation rates and carbon dioxide) on teacher performance. Research findings indicated an optimal relative humidity with 65%, ranging between 650 to 750 ppm of CO 2 , and 0.4 m/s ventilation rate. This ratio is considered optimum for both comfort and performance
Originality/value
This paper focuses on teacher performance in Saudi Arabia and used ANN to define and predict the relationship between performance and IAQ. There are few studies that focus on teacher performance in Saudi Arabia and very few that use ANN in data analysis.
High-technology glazing panes are designed to meet the need for natural light, while optimizing key functions such as reducing solar heat gain in spaces and/or redirecting daylight to the rear of the spaces. However, the actual performance in terms of both illumination and glare protection of these glazing systems is often unknown. This study aims to compare the visual comfort performance of four complex fenestration systems by means of point-in-time measurements under real sky conditions and for different seasons. The tested systems included: two glazing types with embedded seasonal solar protection, namely, MicroShade™ and Coolshade™, one prototype of daylight redirecting glazing with embedded micro-mirrors (GEMM), and one clear glazing. We conducted our tests in side-by-side nearly identical spaces in the NEST building in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Results showed a higher daylight provision for clear and daylight redirecting glazing. Discomfort glare assessment from daylight showed that MicroShade™ was substantially more efficient at addressing glare due to sunlight for high sun angles when compared to Coolshade™. The performance of the GEMM prototype was highly dependent on the glazing pane used and one pane provided a promising performance when it comes to mitigating glare risks for high sun positions. However, none of the systems were able to provide an adequate glare protection for lower sun positions. The performed measurements provide a basis for the calibration of simulation models.
Human performance is influenced by lighting in many situations. Many studies have
investigated how lighting impacts academic performance, focus, and motivation. The issue of color rendering and temperature is becoming increasingly important as high efficiency lamps and government regulations are enforced. For decades, fluorescent lamps have been used in educational systems to provide high-quality, efficient lighting. Fluorescent lamps can negatively affect the built environment as well as the surrounding environment. Several studies have been conducted to show that LED lamps have positive effects in the built environment. Several studies show that LED lamps with high color temperature correlation affect perceptions and actions positively in the classroom and workplace. In the workplace and in school, it can increase engagement and on-task behavior. This study develops experimental research for effects of LED, fluorescent, and full spectrum lighting on classroom’s children. To assess various effects related to classroom lighting on children between the ages of four and seven, an online survey was developed.
During the Mother's Day morning tea celebration, a survey was conducted among three
classrooms of Victoria International School's Early Learning Center. Results of the study
indicate that 5000K or higher LED lighting has a significant impact on perceptions of attitudes and behaviors associated with alertness, focus, and performance in a classroom. Further experimental studies are required to evaluate attitudes as well as behaviors related to classroom illumination and how dynamic lighting affects students.
The state of blinds and lights affects children's visual environment and comfort, however, there is a significant gap in research on the factors leading to the operation of blinds and lights in primary school classrooms. This study identifies and categorises the main drivers of operations on blinds and lights and investigates optimal light levels for children in primary schools. The study collected measurements of environmental variables, observations of operations on blinds and lights using forms and time-lapse cameras and visual sensation questionnaires in 31 naturally ventilated classrooms in the UK for one year. Results suggest that operations on blinds and lights are influenced by a range of contextual, occupant-related and building-related factors. Behavioural models of blind and light operation in primary schools are developed using the data collected. With regards to children's visual comfort, in the current study, at 730 lux, 80% of the children were satisfied with the light level in their classroom. The findings and models presented in this study could be used by designers of schools to achieve more visually comfortable classrooms. For example, the results suggest that vertical blinds rather than roller blinds may be a better design choice for classrooms as their slats can be adjusted to control direct sunlight but also allow ventilation. The research concludes with a range of strategies for managing the visual environment through operations on blinds to both reduce lighting energy consumption, as well as increase the quality of the visual environment thereby improving school children's health and productivity.
Energy consumption and visual comfort are issues worthy of concerning in the teaching buildings. To improve the light and thermal environment in the classroom, structural dimension parameters of shading system are optimized by the multi-objective genetic algorithm based on the lighting, energy consumption, and visual comfort in this study. The 3D parametric modeling of the classroom is performed by using the Grasshopper and Rhino software, and the quantitative impact of the integrated external sunshade and perforated external shading panel on the lighting, air conditioning and heating energy consumption, and visual comfort of the classroom are analyzed by the Radiance, Daysim, and EnergyPlus calculation engines. Subsequently, the optimal structural dimensions of the composite shading system in the east, west, south, and north orientations in Nanchang area are determined.
The optimized results show that the optimal dimensions (width of the vertical shading board W; overhang length of the horizontal shading board L) of the integrated external shading boards in the east, west, south, and north orientations for the established classroom model are (0.3; 1.8), (0.6; 1.2), (0.4; 0.8), and (0.5; 0.7), respectively, as well as the optimal structural dimensions of the perforated shading panels (perforated panel to window ratio – perforation percentage – holes arrangement) are 71.5%−30%−crossing arrangement, 70%−50%−crossing arrangement, 90%−30%−crossing arrangement, and 65.6%−70%−matrix arrangement, respectively. It is found that total annual energy use intensity is reduced by 4.5% to 18.8%, the lighting quality in the near-window region (region I) is improved by 25% to 37%, the visual comfort in the classroom is improved by more than 30%, and the solar irradiance of the window is reduced by at least 27%. The proposed design approach of the classroom external shading system can not only greatly improve indoor lighting quality and visual comfort but also reduce total annual energy use intensity.
El presente trabajo aborda la problemática de la iluminación natural en edificios educativos, enfocándose en el estudio de estrategias de iluminación natural que contribuyan a alcanzar niveles recomendados de confort lumínico dentro de las aulas,
correcta distribución de luz y reducción de deslumbramiento. Se analizó, en ese marco, un edificio del campus de la Universidad Nacional de Villa María, Córdoba, Argentina, en
el que se evaluó el comportamiento de iluminación natural usando modelos de simulación y mediciones in situ. La labor se complementó evaluando el índice Daylight Glare Probability (DGP): verificando ocurrencia de deslumbramiento. El diagnóstico mostró exceso de iluminación en puntos cercanos a aberturas, iluminación insuficiente en puntos lejanos a las mismas, niveles bajos de uniformidad en la distribución de iluminación natural y umbrales intolerables de deslumbramiento. Consiguientemente, se propuso un nuevo ordenamiento del aula, incorporando elementos para la redirección de la luz solar y se verificó su desempeño. Los resultados de la propuesta evidenciaron importantes diferencias. Se consiguió una importante reducción de niveles de iluminación, alcanzando niveles de confort visual para aulas (300-500 lux promedio), mejoras en la uniformidad de luz natural, con su consecuente verificación según los estándares y una reducción significativa de niveles de deslumbramiento por penetración solar directa.
Daylighting is an optimal illumination of building using natural sunlight . The utilization of daylight can significantly affect building aesthetic , energy efficiency, as well as occupant’s comfort,productivity and health.Another purpose of day lighting is to save energy by reducing artificial lighting. In this study existing daylight pattern in school building is studied. Few retrofitting strategies like introduction of skylight, windows alteration and redesigning of the interior space are suggested to get the benefit of optimal daylight. Evaluation of daylighting after retrofitting is done by using Ecotect simulation .After retrofitting considerable increase in daylight performance is observed. Retrofitting suggested here also provides better ventilation with minimized energy consumption. However it should be noted that though retrofitting improves internal illuminance, surrounding structures limits the solar penetration .
Sunlight is a free energy sources and many architectural masterpieces in the world and in Iran have been created using this resource. The purpose of this study is to get the most out of the daylight through Study of the features and position of classroom window with the aim of daylight efficiency in Ahwaz city. The research method is considering a basic model and examining the six type and features of the window located on the south facade, with and without a canopy, which was simulated using Velux software. By obtaining the results and compared with standard values and analysing the amount of light received on the graph, model A1 had the highest amount of illumination (473.4 lux) and model A3 had the lowest amount (166.94 lux). Also, in A1, the highest amount of light reception was 5.9 (DF) and the lowest was in A3 with 2.2 (DF). Finally, by comparing the obtained results and considering the standard values approved by the Iranian Institute of Standards for classroom lighting, the features of the model A5 with amount of illumination 333.93 (lux) and daylight factor 4.3 (DF) were close to goals and theories, which is a combination of sub-ceiling windows and wall windows and attach the horizontal sunshade between two types of windows helped to receive optimal light. Because daylight and the quality of light in an educational environment have a great impact on standard educational factors, including: the amount of learning, positive and negative effects on students' mood and growth rate.
With the exponential growth in population and commensurate increased density in urban cities, access to daylight and views to nature is being severely curtailed in buildings. In parallel, increasingly urgent demands to sharply reduce building energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions are being made to mitigate climate change. There are many challenges and performance tradeoffs associated with the building facade (i.e., daylight and view versus solar and glare control); increased prioritization of health and well-being as a fundamental human requirement could adversely affect building energy-efficiency. Given the current state of knowledge on the effects of daylight and view on health and well-being in buildings, we identify critical needs in research, tools and technologies that if satisfied may enable more effective use of daylight and view in buildings within the constraints of climate change. Lack of knowledge regarding the complex causal mechanisms of window views on human factors is a severely limiting factor in forward progress. Current models and methods to derive bidirectional scattering distribution functions (BSDFs) will need to be modified. Developers of energy-efficient window technologies will need more guidance to shape product development. Advanced window technologies and integrated design can enable attainment of both health and well-being and net zero energy goals, but considerable work will be needed to make such options turnkey and broadly available.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the energy savings in the indoor environment, using strategies that adopt the characteristics of nature, called biomimetic solutions. This research designed a biomimetic window system to bring daylight into interior spaces in educational buildings where daylight cannot be reached. Specifically, this study assessed how the daylight that was achieved via a biomimetic window system would affect energy savings using an energy simulation method.
Design/methodology/approach
This study explored how biomimetic methods would affect the building environment and which biomimetic method would involve the building's energy saving with daylight. The research intended to develop a novel biomimetic window system that can bring daylight to the basement floor of an existing building on a university campus to find out how much the biomimetic window system would affect the energy savings of the building. Referring to the existing building's layout and structure, energy simulation models were developed, and the energy consumptions were estimated.
Findings
Simulation models proved that the biomimetic window system has sufficient performance to bring more daylight to the basement floor of the building. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the use of the biomimetic window system for the building could reduce energy usage compared to the actual energy usage of the current building without biomimetic windows.
Research limitations/implications
First, this study was adopted as a computer-designed simulation method instead of using a real-world system. Although this study designed the biomimetic window system based on previous studies, it should be considered the possibility of other problems when the system is actually built in. Second, it is necessary to predict how much an initial budget is required when the system is built. It means that this study did not calculate the lifecycle cost of the biomimetic window system. It will also be necessary to compare energy consumption to the required initial budget. Lastly, this study was simulated based on weather data in cold regions, and it did not compare/analyze different climate regions. Different results may be predicted if the biomimetic window system is built in different climatic regions.
Originality/value
This research showed new practical ways to capture and transmit solar heat and light using a biomimetic solution. Furthermore, using the proposed novel biomimetic window system, the amount of energy reduction can be calculated, and this method could be applied in the interior non-window spaces of academic and related types of buildings.
A survey of visual problems in typical secondary school classrooms of China showed that poor legibility on the blackboard caused by reflections is the most reported issue that disturbs visual tasks in class. Studying the correlations between variables and the legibility of chalk writings on the blackboard, accessing the borderline threshold of contrast and revealing the effects of other variables are the priority assignments to address the problem. Based on the findings from the questionnaire survey and on-site contrast measurement, an experiment of legibility assessment was settled in a mockup classroom scenario, in where the subjective rating study about disturbance level of reflections and clarity level of texts on blackboard was carried out. 210 trials were conducted during the 10-month test, more than 3,300 sets of data were collected totally. Category rating results show that 63% of all ratings could sort as disturbed. Four variables including luminance contrast between white and black portions of the board, vertical eye illuminance (EV), etc. are analyzed against the ratings of clarity level. It can be concluded from this study that: 1- Disturbance level of daylight reflections has a linear correlation with the legibility level of the texts on the blackboard. 2- The seat far from glazing and in the front row is the most disturbing position in a typical secondary classroom. 3- The dominant factor of legibility is luminance contrast, and the borderline threshold of good legibility is 1.30. 4- No evidence shows EV has a strong correlation with legibility level of then contents on a blackboard.
The report starts with the introduction, chapter 1, where the main objective of the work is formulated, namely, to
examine how the public buildings are used regarding lighting; both daylight and electric light is considered.
In the chapter 2 a review of codes and requirements has been done. It starts with a discussion about general
aspects of codes (subchapter 2.1) and presentation of international standards CEN and ISO (2.2) and follows with
description of CIE reports and other internationally recognized guidance books (2.3). Then national
recommendations are also presented (2.4). Finally, the impact of codes on architectural design is elaborated based
on the interviews with architectural offices (2.5).
Chapter 3 presents the studies of buildings usage based on the extensive literature review. The following public
building types are included: offices, schools, university buildings, hospitals, commercial buildings, industry buildings
and libraries.
Chapter 4 focuses on occupancy and use of lighting systems. It starts with a discussion of the occupancy
simulations and their usefulness in the current project context. Then, it follows with occupancy registration and use
of lighting in chosen buildings located in different European countries. It includes registration in an office building in
Italy, a primary school building in Norway, a university building in Poland and one industry building, also in Poland.
The research method used in registration consisted of simultaneous registration of occupancy and use of
(day)lighting with the help of a self-report diary, and light-technical measurements. The diary registration and the
measurements were performed at the same day, in most cases in February/March 2020, that is just before the
pandemic lock-down in Europe. Then, the use of electric light had been compared with the occupancy and (day)light
level indoors/outdoors. The registration was carried out in each of the buildings for one day only. As such, it should
be considered a form of stick sample to check the findings from the literature study presented in the chapter 3.
Computer simulations were done for school and university buildings to estimate the light level during the whole
year.
The registration confirms a pattern of occupants’ behaviour found in literature. In general, occupants consider the
visual environment at the workplace when they enter or leave the room. It happens mainly at the beginning
(adjustment of blinds and switching on the electric light) and at the end of the working day (switching of the light).
The use of lighting follows occupancy pattern, and not daylight level outdoors, something that indicates significant
potential for energy saving.
Chapter 5 Conclusions conveys general results regarding codes and more specific results regarding use of the
different building types.
Daylighting from skylights provides a highly valuable, if variable source of illumination, that is dependent on local climate and skylight and building design. When skylights are properly sized and designed, excellent lighting conditions result, and the energy savings from reducing electric light usage through lighting controls can greatly outweigh the energy impacts on heating and cooling of the building. In order to integrate this daylight source into a lighting design, the designer should be able to predict illumination levels throughout the year and understand the energy impacts of design choices. SkyCalc, an Excel spreadsheet application, was developed to provide this information. Three levels of input allow the designer to describe a skylit building, its lighting, and its operation, simply or in great detail. Inputs include lighting system and control logic and operation schedules. The program then uses local hourly weather files generated by a DOE 2 simulation to calculate and graph average hourly daylight illumination inside of the space for each month and whole-building energy impacts. Results from many SkyCalc skylighting simulations are presented to illustrate how design considerations (climate, skylight glazing material, building type and operating schedule, and lighting control system) affect optimum sizing of skylights for whole building energy performance (lighting, heating and cooling energy use). For example, dimming and switching control systems were found to have very different performance based on the interaction between target illumination levels and local climate conditions. This paper will report on both methodology imbedded in the tool and the analysis of the results.
The aims of the study were to assess the effects of light on the production of stress hormones, classroom performance, body growth, and sick leave, of school children. About 90 children were investigated in their school environment for a duration of one school year. The children were situated in four classrooms differing in respect to the access to natural daylight and artificial fluorescent light. The results indicated the existence of a systematic seasonal variation with more stress hormones in summer than in winter. The children situated in the one classroom lacking both natural daylight and fluorescent daylight tubes demonstrated a marked deviation from this pattern. High levels of morning cortisol were associated with sociability, while moderate or low levels seemed to promote individual concentration. Annual body growth was smallest for the children with the highest levels of morning cortisol. Possibly, the production of cortisol had some influence on sick leave. It may be concluded, that windowless classrooms should be avoided for permanent use.