In the 1960s and ‘70s, some may have believed that windows in schools only served to distract occupants, but today there’s a consensus among many architects that the natural light windows afford is beneficial to students, helping improve learning and attentiveness, instilling positive moods, and even supplying added Vitamin D. Of course, daylighting doesn’t mean haphazardly adding a curtainwall or window.
Often, “the biggest oversight is glare,” says Jeffrey Murphy, a founding partner of MBB. “We recommend careful sun simulation studies that can inform the design and orientation early on.” When planning elementary school PS330Q, for instance, his firm conceived upper hopper panels with white-fritted Pilkington glass in the south-facing classrooms to combat glare. Matte finishes for millwork surfaces, floors, and furnishings and a brise soleil by Architectural Louvers further mitigate the harsh reflections and light.
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