Learning Environments

Lebanon Middle School, Banwell Architects

New and renovated schools offer the best opportunities for cost effective lighting design solutions when planned from early design stages.

Lebanon Middle School, Banwell Architects

Light/Space/Design provides optimized layouts and specialized skylight specs for glare-free top-lighting in gymnasiums.

Lebanon Middle School, Banwell Architects

Coordination by Light/Space/Design of daylighting design and controls and the lighting specifications is key to successful daylighting projects.

Champlain Valley High School

Re-Commissioning of lighting control systems and upgrading fluorescent lighting to LED are offered as special services. Champlain Valley Union HS/MS, lighting originally designed by Light/Space/Design.

Lebanon Middle School, Banwell Architects

Consulting withLight architects results in best daylighting results, by holding contractors to the specified skylights – or better.

Shelburne Community School

Lighting retrofits done by Light/Space/Design result in significantly better energy savings and lower costs through CAD based lighting optimization.

Champlain Valley Union HS/MS.

Light/Space/Design selects luminaires to meet specific project needs, and provides equivalent alternates prior to project bid, saving owners more than the cost of the service.

Lighting of schools is often done with great attention to initial costs. Can lighting be “high quality”, “environmentally sustainable” and cost effective all at the same time- while helping our kids do their best in school? Fortunately, this topic has received some well-deserved research in the late 1990’s, and the verdict is – Yes, under certain conditions.

The conditions include:

Most importantly, that value is placed on the performance of children and teachers in the classroom setting.
Second, that “cost-effectiveness” is based on life-cycle costs, and not only initial costs.
Placing proper value on higher quality light. Some of the least cost systems have poor visual properties that can cause headache, fatigue, or a heightened sense of environmental stress. These negatives have real negative economic implications.
Well-designed classrooms that utilize daylight effectively has been linked to improved student performance in daylit classrooms. (Heshong-Mahone, 1999) Daylighting can also be an effective way of reducing electrical energy use, particularly in hallways and large, high-ceiling spaces.
Flexible lighting and control systems enable teachers to use the classroom effectively for multiple teaching modes as well as a teaching tool.
Significant development of new direct/indirect luminaires specifically designed for schools provide excellent overall room brightness, which is perfect for typical classrooms.
Computer classrooms require a different approach, much more like office lighting. Eliminating the reflection of lights and windows in computer monitors allows teachers and students both to work better with less eye strain.
Flexible lighting is especially critical for larger assembly spaces, since lighting needs for athletic events may be quite different than weekend social functions.