Daylighting as a design determinant : an elementary school in Hamilton, Ohio : [an honors thesis (HONRS 499)]

Abstract

This project provides a new elementary education facility to replace the current Harrison Elementary School in Hamilton, Ohio. The student make-up of this school is primarily low income children from families surrounding the area. This project produces a quality environment which facilitates learning for all of the primary use classrooms. Daylighting, an issue which greatly contributes to the success of students in the educational environment, is the primary focus and overall design determinant.Natural lighting is one of the most important aspects of any building, especially educational facilities. “In a typical study (Kleiber, 1973) testing differences between full-spectrum lighting and cool while fluorescent lighting commonly used in institutional settings, it was mood that physiological measures indicated that most subjects showed less fatigue after a study session in natural light than in a traditionally illuminated instructional environment.” Dr. Lackney also describes various other studies which have been done in order to determine the effect of lighting and learning ability and performance in his article, the Relationship between Environmental Quality of School Facilities and Student Performance. According to a study done by Herschong Mahone Group, Daylighting in Schools, it was discovered that, overall, “students in classrooms with the most daylighting were found to have 7% to 18% higher [standardized test] scores than those in rooms with the least.” Not only did the test scores improve, but overall attendance improved and the number of sick days decreased when natural light was combined with improved air quality.BOORA, a multidisciplinary architecture firm in Portland, Oregon, was able design and build three sustainable educational facilities in rural and suburban areas, which have for long periods of time, been deficient on funding. BOORA creates both sustainable and cost effective solutions for these facilities. In order to accomplish this, they used two simple daylighting techniques: proper orientation and window placement.BOORA not only was concerned with bringing light in, they also wanted to keep heating and cooling costs down for the money-strapped school districts. In order to accomplish this, they had extensive use of light shelves which reflects summer sun, washing the lightly colored ceiling surface with light, creating one large, ambient-light fixture. These light shelves block only summer sun, reducing heat gain and therefore cooling costs, but allow winter sun in, which reduces heating costs.Finally, BOORA used daylight as a design feature to create a quality space. At Ash Creek Intermediate school, “the combination of techniques has created light that goes beyond usefulness: it is stunningly pretty. Quality of light is usually analyzed in hard numbers, but on a sunny winter 'Thursday, Ask Creek seems the brick-and-mortar answer to Tuscany.” School district superintendent Forrest Bell says “look at this... this is beautiful light.”