Sponsor: Velux Commercial

VELUX Commercial is a division under the VELUX brand. We offer daylight solutions for commercial buildings including schools.

Children spend up to 90% of their day indoors, with much of that time spent within a classroom. It’s understandable, then, that the design of these spaces matter. Studies show, in fact, that when daylight and ventilation are key components of classroom design, they can have up to a 15% impact on students’ learning abilities.

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 The impact of daylight and fresh air in classrooms

The influence of daylight and ventilation on student performance cannot be overstated – impacting every aspect of a student’s life from concentration levels and cognitive function to behaviour and how well they sleep.

Several studies from across the world have shown a positive correlation between the size of classroom windows and how well students perform on mathematics, logic and reading tests. Poor indoor air quality due to lack of ventilation has also been shown to seriously inhibit concentration and overall performance, as well as increasing absenteeism due to illness.

Students that had a well-designed skylight in their room improved 19-20% faster than those without a skylight.

Skylights, in particular, are uniquely able to provide natural light and fresh air to deeper layouts, such as classrooms, lecture halls and common areas, where the size and shape of the space does not allow for adequate lighting through façade windows alone.

Designing the ideal learning environment

When utilised in combination with façade windows, skylights allow body heat and exhaust air to rise and escape upwards as part of a natural ventilation process. The addition of blinds, solar shading, glazing or light diffuse will also provide an energy efficient way to maintain cooler temperatures.

In terms of sound insulation, skylights have also been shown to be far more effective than regular façade windows. When compared to a street-facing façade window, a skylight on the same side showed noise levels that were 8 dB lower. A skylight on the side furthest from the street showed noise level that were almost 15 dB lower.

Find out more about VELUX Modular Skylights https://commercial.velux.co.uk/

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Daylight Design for Schools

Mark Ellson, Director at Holmes Miller Architects discusses their approach to early years design