A Simulation-Based Study of Daylight Performance in School Classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2026v5iS226-35Keywords:
Daylight performance, School Classrooms, Visual comfort, Daylight AutonomyAbstract
Daylight is one of the few architectural elements that operates simultaneously at physical, cognitive, and emotional levels of human experience. It especially affects children in school. For example, it can have direct effects on the visual comfort, posture, attentiveness, emotional stability, and the ability to stay engaged in learning. The classrooms often require artificial lighting due to closely packed buildings, deep corridors, and limited sky exposure. There is a gradual disengagement from learning as well as restlessness, reduced focus as a response to visual strain.
The idea of this research is to understand daylight as an active spatial and environmental condition. It is not a passive by-product. The objective is to evaluate the performance of daylight in urban school classrooms and identify how design variables influence indoor light quality. This study focuses on warm-humid climatic conditions and classroom typologies accommodating 40-60 students.
The research methodology is analytical and simulation-based. The software used is DesignBuilder v2025.1.1. Selected classrooms are documented for spatial parameters such as floor area, opening size, sill and lintel levels, visible transmittance, room height, and shading devices. Simulations are conducted using metrics such as Daylight Autonomy and Useful Daylight Illuminance. The outcome of this research is a clearer understanding of how daylight performance varies with design decisions in dense urban contexts. The findings aim to inform design strategies that improve indoor daylight quality in schools. Future scope lies in applying these insights to early design stages, expanding to different age groups, and integrating daylight with thermal comfort and energy performance.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Kavya Ramakrishnan, Anand Achari
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