Artificial Lighting in Schools

How education is organised in societies is subject to shifting views and approaches. In the Western world, many traditional teacher-centred models have been replaced by more contemporary models that emphasise the individuality of pupils. Such changes, often informed by dedicated research around the topic, have had a profound effect on educational architecture.

In Denmark, where a significant reform of primary education took place in 2014 (1), school environments are assumed to play an active role in new learning, rather than merely being shells that host it. They now need to facilitate diversified activities, collaborative and individualised modes of learning, and support a broad palette of pupil preferences and abilities. Accommodating new learning requires flexible schools that adapt to the actual needs of teachers and pupils. Schools should also support the well-being of pupils to further enhance their learning abilities.

Architects have responded to these challenges, for instance, by providing for flexible spatial arrangements and adaptable furniture layouts that support variability. Optimisation of the indoor climate for better occupant well-being has also received attention. But where benefits of fresh air, acoustics, temperature and daylight for occupant well-being have been well studied, the potency of artificial lighting has been less so.