The invisible
environment
Reports of
budget cuts for school building programmes have left most teachers struggling
away in the same old classroom environments.
Many existing classrooms do not offer the best conditions for teaching in
or learning. Our stock of existing
classrooms might be tired and requiring attention, but they do not need to be
second-rate environments. From an
architect’s point of view, there are several areas, which can be addressed to
improve the ‘human condition’ within each classroom. These are largely
invisible considerations, being psychological and environmental. They can add immense value to a school by
optimising classroom performance, focused specifically on teachers’ and pupils’
requirements, and they can be tailored on a budget. Instead of redecorating with the same old white
paint and buying the usual furniture, this list of 10 ways to revitalise your
classroom, presents a toolkit of coordinated ideas with which classrooms can be
refurbished to make them efficient, stimulating and enjoyable places to develop
in.
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Teachers are the heroes of the classroom and with a bit of attention the classroom environment can be revitalised to assist teaching and promote pupil's enthusiasm. |
Acoustics
Acoustic
performance is a key consideration to the design performance of a
classroom. A standard classroom might
have a reverberation time of 1.2 seconds.
This means the room might have a slight echo. The ambient noise might be slightly high and
the teacher might sometimes need to speak up to be heard over the background interference. This can result in stress to the vocal cords and
possible longer-term health issues. Speaking
with acoustics expert Sharon Baker at Ecophon,
the following considerations were noted:
- Is the classroom
ceiling more than 2.8m high? This can
add to unwanted echo.
- Is the last
row of desks more than 9m from the teacher? Consonants frame and make speech, but have
little energy and normal conversation decays rapidly beyond this distance.
- Is there
noise and interference from outside the classroom, from the playground, the
corridor or next door? Sound insulation
might be a consideration.
- When working
with children with a hearing impairment, sight impairment, autism, ADHD or
where English is not their first language, greater sound absorption should be
considered. Typically a reverberation
time of 0.4 seconds is recommended.
Acoustics can be optimised to make classrooms
more productive environments in the following ways:
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Considering acoustic treatment:
1 Acoustic ceiling panels
2 High level acoustic wall panels
3 Cork and felt lined display boards
4 Sound proofing from outside activities |
1 Soft
surfaces
Teachers need
to use the classroom to create fun and exciting learning environments. Wall space is important for display and in
primary schools the classroom facilitates lots of different activities. Measures can be taken to promote these activities
and improve the acoustic performance of the space:
- Lining the
walls with large display panels. These
can be made from MDF with a cork face, finished in felt. Cork has very good acoustic properties and
can work as a versatile pin board for display.
- Covering hard
flooring with carpet and underlay is effective for improving acoustic
performance.
- Adding a rug,
beanbag seats and soft coverings to areas like a reading corner contributes to
acoustic performance and adds to the tactility of the room (which is made in
point 10).
2 Acoustic
panels
Acoustic
panels are a very effective way of controlling noise levels in a classroom and are
especially effective at high level:
- Acoustic ceiling
panels allow lofty classroom spaces to remain high, keeping their sense of
space. They can be designed to work with
a lighting strategy (described in points 5 and 6), and can contribute to the
quality of natural light in the classroom (made in points 3 and 9).
- Acoustic wall
panels should also be considered where display space is not required. They should be applied to the front or back
walls of the classroom (not the side walls).
Acoustic
design might seem like a black art, but there are some simple checks that can be
made on the performance of your classroom.
With a smartphone decibel app, measure the noise levels during class. If the readings regularly peak at 65dB or
above, consider acoustic treatment.
Budget for acoustic treatment approximately
£2,500 to £3,500 + vat
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Natural Light
Natural light
is important for everyone’s psychological and physical well-being. It is a free resource and very valuable to
classroom design for the following reasons:
- Windows allow
light in and also offer views out. This
is important because it makes the classroom feel larger than it actually is and
pupils do not feel claustrophobic.
- Natural light
is dynamic and always changing. This
helps to maintain a lively and attentive atmosphere in the classroom, compared
to static, electric lighting.
- Where possible
natural light from above should be considered.
Roof lights are 2.5 times more effective than windows at bringing
natural light in to rooms. North lights
are especially advantageous for bringing diffused natural light in, without
direct sunlight or glare and can allow views to the sky.
However, there
are disadvantages to natural light. Direct
sunlight and glare is the main problem, especially in summer. It can be disruptive to teaching and also contribute
to overheating. By comparison, low level
sunlight (with less energy) in winter afternoons can bring useful sun light and
heat, deep in to the classroom. Natural
light can be controlled to make classrooms more enjoyable environments in the
following ways:
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Make natural light work for you:
1 External canopy or louvres blocks high energy sunlight but can bounce light in to the classroom
2 Light coloured ceilings reflect light in the room
3 Low angle, low energy sunlight can offer warmth and atmosphere
4 Consider opportunities for north light or roof lights
5 Solar control and blackout blinds control natural light levels for displays etc. |
3 Natural
light control
External
louvres work best and should be considered because:
- They prevent
direct sunlight from reaching the window, thereby lowering the chance of
overheating and glare.
- Where windows
have overhead lights, positioning external louvres below these can help bounce valuable
light in to the classroom at high level.
- Designing
them to work with the sun’s seasonal angles can benefit from the ingress of low
winter sun.
The ceiling
and the wall opposite the window should be a light colour to reflect as much
natural light as possible around the room (which relates to points 6 and 9).
Solar films
applied to the exterior face of the window to control direct sunlight are often
considered an economic solution, but they obscure views out from the classroom. They can also scratch over time, and reduce
the general light transmission of the window.
Solar control
blinds to the inside of the window can assist to reduce glare:
- Roller blinds
with darker colours work best because they transmit less light compared to
lighter colours.
- A 3% open
area to the weave is recommended to prevent glare and offer views through to
the outside.
- Dropping the bottom rail to
a height of about 1.2m above the floor in the summer allows pupils to still have
clear views out when working at their tables.
Solar control
roller blinds can be used ‘back to back’ with blackout blinds, to enable light
levels to be lowered for use of projectors.
4 Rooflights
and North light
Where
possible, consider north lights for your classroom. Although this might appear an expensive
design move, it could transform the characteristics of your teaching
environment for the better, and considerably reduce your reliance on electric
lighting. Options include clear Velux
windows, translucent lights insulated with aerogel, and light-pipes.
Budget for natural light controls approximately
£2,500 to £6,000 + vat
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Electric Lighting Design
To supplement
natural light, the lighting design of a classroom needs also to consider electric
lighting as part of an integrated strategy.
Natural light saves energy and helps the vibrancy of the class with
gently changing light levels. Electric
lighting by comparison is usually constant.
To help maintain the energy and vitality of a productive classroom
environment, the following points might be considered when establishing an
electric lighting design strategy:
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Electric lighting strategy:
1 Main lights offer even distribution of light
2 Some illumination of the ceiling adds a sense of space
3 Lighting to assist specific activities or displays |
5 Light
fittings
The
recommended lighting levels for a standard classroom are 300 lux. Recommendations
for classroom lighting include:
- The main
light fittings should be set out to give an even distribution of light across
working surfaces.
- It is
advantageous for the main fittings to give some light wash to the ceiling, to
help add to the sense of space.
- To supplement
the main lighting and add flexibility to the lighting strategy, it is worth considering
a secondary set of light fittings that can highlight special activity areas or
display walls etc.
- Light
fittings should be selected and positioned so that they do not cause glare or
shadows, with the light source as inconspicuous as possible.
- With
combinations of fittings, it is important not to create too much light contrast
across adjacent areas, which could cause eyestrain, headaches or fatigue. Lighting design needs to create a balance to
the classroom space to assist its sense of buoyancy and activity.
- The colour
temperatures of all the light fittings should preferably be the same, and full
spectrum if possible.
There is a growing
market for good quality light fittings and considerable advances have been made
with LED lighting technologies. As a
result, there is a lot to choose from between new LED and older fluorescent
luminaires, which are usually cheaper but still good quality and economical to
run.
6 Controls
and context
Depending
upon budget, lighting controls can make a useful contribution to the atmosphere
and environment within a classroom. For
a cost, your lighting strategy can include a programmable control system, which
will allow you to finely tune the lighting environment. Although controls can be expensive, the
general cost is falling with some companies specialising in retro-fitting
controls in to rooms without having to rewire existing lighting circuits. Daylight dimming is also a possibility, with
reduced electric lighting when natural levels permit.
To make a
lighting design strategy come to life, and to assist the working environment of
the classroom, it is important to consider the context in which light
works. Ceilings and walls should
preferably be a near-white to reflect as much light as possible around the
room. Light colours are much more
effective at redirecting light in a room as dark colours (point 9).
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Photo study of the lighting to the art studio at Furzedowm Primary School, London SW17. Solar control blinds block glare and offer views out. North lights bring diffused light in to the studio space. Blackout blinds control light levels for AV presentations. Perimeter spot lights assist the general lighting strategy. |
Budget for lighting and controls approximately
£4,500 to £9,000 + vat
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Ventilation
Typically
existing school classrooms have a high degree of glazing. Although this is good for natural light, it
can prove problematic for overheating in the summer and excessive heat loss in
the winter. Speaking with Malcolm Orme
at AECOM, the following points should
be considered when addressing a classroom’s ventilation and heating strategy:
- Good
ventilation can help to control overheating and improve the indoor air quality.
- If
the classroom has an overheating problem during summer, the area of glass can
be reduced or other solar control added (point 3) and the ventilation provision
increased to remove excess heat.
- Turning
off unused equipment and electric lighting costs nothing and also helps to
lessen overheating and save energy and money.
- Natural
ventilation may often be the most practical solution: Vents can be added, some
of which should ideally be positioned at high level to encourage the air to mix
before it circulates to working level. Such vents are usually part of the
window glazing system.
- Natural
ventilation provided by vents and opening windows should have a total ‘free
area’ of at least 5% of the floor area of the classroom to be most effective.
This should be equally split between low and high level to work best.
Malcolm
added that the types of system available for a new build school are generally
also available for a classroom retrofit. Ventilation can be improved in the following ways:
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Ventilating the classroom:
1 High level ventilation grilles
2 Cross ventilation with grilles or openable windows on both sides of the classroom
3 Heat from radiators tempers air as it comes in |
7 Types of
ventilation panel
Ventilation
panels can be sized and retrofitted in to existing window openings to improve the
ventilation performance of your classroom.
There are several options to consider, depending upon budget and the environmental
requirements of the room:
- The simplest
and cheapest solution is to use the high level opening windows in your
classroom, if you have them.
- Secure
ventilation panels can remain open over night in the summer to allow classrooms
to be cool and comfortable for the following morning. They usually have a set
of fixed louvres to the outside face.
Schools built with a high thermal mass (i.e. made with lots of concrete
and brick), might benefit from night-time ventilation which is when the
building cools down.
- Ventilation
panels can have an insulated door on the inside, which helps retain the heat in
the classroom when closed in winter.
- If noise from
the outside is an issue, ventilation panels can be specified with acoustic
louvres to help reduce this problem.
8 Cross
ventilation
Cross
ventilation is the most effective way to circulate fresh air in to your
classroom. Typically, side ventilation
only works up to a room depth of 6m. It
is worth investigating to see if cross ventilation is applicable to your
situation, based on these points:
- The inlet and
outlet walls should have total ventilation openings equivalent to 5% of the
classroom floor area.
- If
inlet and outlet vents are at the same height, cross ventilation works when
wind hits the school building and set up a pressure difference between the
windward and leeward faces of the school building.
- If
inlet and outlet vents are at different heights, cross ventilation is assisted
by thermal buoyancy as well as the wind.
- The distance
the air has to travel should be no more than five times the height of the room.
Budget for ventilation grilles approximately
£4,000 + vat
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Colour
Colour has a
direct relationship with energy use.
Black materials absorb 20 times more natural light energy than white,
and gains heat in the process. Light
colours generally make a room look bigger and dark colours normally make a room
look smaller. Choice of colour also plays a significant role in the
psychological balance of a classroom environment. Angela Wright, Colour Psychologist at Colour Affects has formulated sets of colour
that harmonise together and can be used to encourage peoples’ behavioural
patterns within buildings. Her Type 1 Colours are particularly
applicable for classroom environments because they instil a buoyant, active atmosphere.
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A sample of colours from the Colour Affects Type 1 range |
9 Colour
Points to
consider when using colour in your classroom:
- Don’t use
white because it is too harsh. Instead
the Type 1 colours have a set of near-whites that are much more gentle on the
eye, and work well with lighting strategies.
One match is Dulux Timeless, used in the art studio project, shown above.
- It is
recommended to keep the main surfaces of a classroom, walls and ceiling a light
or near-white colour, so to keep the room feeling calm.
- Other Type 1 colours
might be used to highlight or add emphasis to specific areas of a
classroom. These might include the
carpet, the wall behind the white board, the chairs or furnishings to areas
like a reading corner or computer terminals etc. These areas will then stand out as clear and
distinct zones in the classroom environment.
- Angela noted
that blue is the prime learning colour, intellectual in its effect. Strong blues can help to focus the mind and
soft blues aid concentration. The
optimum learning colour scheme might be a dominant blue with a secondary
yellow, or the other way round for variation.
- Do keep it simple, but a classroom
space should never be a single colour.
We all need a balance of wavelengths.
Within the
wider school context, Type 1 colours can also be used to identify subject areas
and departments in secondary schools. For
example, blue for science, purple for R.E., yellow for maths and orange for the
lunchtime canteen etc.
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Dulux timeless reads as white within a room but is not as harsh on the eye |
Budget to paint a classroom approximately £700 +
vat
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Ergonomics
Ergonomic
considerations are important to the comfort of pupils and their ability to
learn, but it is not just about purchasing quality furniture. With a bit of planning the classroom
environment can be designed to help capture childrens’ imagination on a budget.
10
Ergonomics
Teachers know
best how to set out their classroom and manage their class, but here are some
thoughts on how this might be done with ergonomic input:
- Chairs, desks
and tables all need to be of the right size for the children and work
together.
- Especially in
primary schools, furniture, fixtures and fittings can be selected to make a
classroom feel more home-like and cosy.
Moving away from a hard institutional feel can help pupils to feel more
comfortable and relax in to their work.
Soft finishes also assists acoustic performance (made in point 1 above).
- Simplicity is
key. Clearly differentiate areas with
colour (point 9) and materials such as flooring or furniture coverings.
- A classroom
space can be tactile and sensory.
Differences in light (points 3 and 5) and reflection add interest and
enjoyment to the classroom environment.
Sensory
experiences are believed to help learning and develop our perceptions. We explore, discriminate and interpret
reality through our senses, which assists in the process of constructing and
processing our knowledge. Stimulating
environments are key.
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Reading nooks, book cases and ladders to explore |
Budget for soft finishes, and new furniture
approximately £500 to £1,850 + vat
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Putting it all together
These points
are intended to promote some focused thought and discussion about existing classroom
design. If you are considering any work
to the school, please bare them in mind, and be conscious of the effect
of ‘adding to’ the classroom's working environment uncoordinated additions. The approximate budget rates, when added together
may seem a bit high, but making a significant difference might only require
implementing a few of these ideas. An
approach could be to trial a change in one classroom and then roll these refurbishments out over the rest of the school, once the benefits have been proven and as the budget allows.
Should you
wish to discuss any of these points in greater detail or request assistance
putting together a comprehensive design strategy for classroom refurbishment,
please do not hesitate to contact DesignBox Architecture.