Daylighting in K-12 Schools at AIA 2022
At the 2022 AIA Convention in Chicago, IL, Dan Weissman collaborated with Lisa Heschong, Margo Jones, and Rand Ekman on an invigorating panel in which the group presented a series of case studies and research into Daylighting in K-12 Schools.
Good daylighting design must meet multiple objectives. Windows, in particular, often have competing code and programmatic requirements—including safety, security, maintenance, energy performance, visual, thermal, and acoustic comfort—in addition to health and well-being. Designers are often forced to focus more on problems and liabilities, rather than the many benefits. This is especially true in K-12 schools, where building performance and cost control pressures can both be intense. This panel discussion will help architects better maintain a balance while preserving the many benefits of daylight in classroom and campus design.
Lisa Heschong, acclaimed Daylighting researcher and author, discussed recent findings of the effects of daylighting and views on children in schools.
Margo Jones, a seasoned Architect of many schools, presented three case studies from her firm’s recent work and discussed managing client expectations and programmatic requirements across 3 K-12 projects.
Dan Weissman presented the use of state-of-the-art analysis tools to optimize the design of an elementary school executed in collaboration with Jones’s firm, Jones Whitsett Architects, culminating in submission for the daylighting credits within CHPS (Collaborative for High-Performance Schools).
Rand Ekman served as moderator for discussion and Q&A among the panelists, challenging them to address ways that these various perspectives and approaches may conflict with or reinforce each other. A variety of solutions are possible, depending on how the various issues are prioritized.
The Presentation:
Share
