Optimizing Views and Daylight Performance to Promote Human Comfort and Learning Processes in Educational Spaces: A Case Study of a Second Language Classroom

Abstract

The lack of architectural designers who create specifically for second language learners’ educational environment spaces is the main drive of this research. Psychiatric illness, specifically anxiety, is a common challenge for classroom-based students who seek to learn a second language. This challenge leads language learners to face difficulty in achieving their goals and often prevents them from realizing their educational intentions. One major component affecting students’ anxiety is their surrounding classroom environment.This thesis considers the strong relationship between a classroom’s surrounding environment and anxiety reduction, and the overall improvement of learning performance. Environmental factors such as daylight and environmental views are this research’s focus strategies to optimizing studying environments. The three steps in this research occur sequentially. First, it will determine relationships between the classroom environment, second language students, and anxiety. Next, it will study applied environmental strategies using classroom-based background research, exploring responsive strategies that help optimize daylight and environmental views in second language classrooms. Finally, it will explore the application of how classroom environment responds to architectural techniques in the base case to achieve optimized environmental factors and share findings and provide recommendations. This research is comprised of outcomes from previous research deriving from strong data regarding the classroom environment, adapting environmental factors, and the psychological state of second language students. Objective and subjective methods are implemented to improve the indoor environmental quality of the classroom. Physical measurements will be taken in the base case at first, including documenting the size of the room as well as determining the daylighting levels with a lux meter. Said measurements will be used to obtain data pertaining to the illuminance and luminance levels of the base case classroom. Next, REVIT software to build a digital model of the base case with applying data those were gathered previously. Test the digital model in the VELUX software from the daylighting aspect by comparing it to the reading from the Lux meter. Next, new strategies will be utilized to develop the optimal outcome for the proposed environmental classroom and will then be assessed with VELUX software. Finally, Improving the outdoor views and visual comfort through the questioner were given to the students. The research findings herein urge architects and designers to develop classrooms by taking into consideration optimal environmental factors that enhance classroom-based second language student learning outcomes. By implementing such surrounding environmental factors, we might achieve optimal results in the classroom and improve students’ psychological well-being.