Designbox competition install#

While there are times when air-conditioning must be used, there are times when air-conditioning could be minimised by using a more effective passive ventilation design (like louvres) that will allow greater fresh air and breezes through the classroom. The good news is that through sustainable initiatives both the comfort and air quality of classrooms can be improved. It’s a conundrum, isn’t it? We put students into classrooms and exam rooms that are air-conditioned for their comfort only to create the worst possible air quality for them to perform and compete against other schools in. Environments with split system air-conditioning can quickly reach these levels, especially after lunch when 30 sweaty kids re-enter the classroom after running around for an hour. In 2016, a study done by researchers at Harvard and Syracuse University found that human cognitive function declined by about 15% when indoor CO₂ reached 945 parts per million and crashed by 50% when indoor CO₂ reached 1,400 parts per million. In environments with split system air-conditioning and no fresh air intake, air is simply moved around the room but not replaced, leading to a build-up of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) throughout the day, which affects the cognitive ability and learning capability of students in the classroom.

Designbox competition install#

While many schools install air-conditioning for the comfort of students and teachers, what many people are unaware of is that the quality of air can be dramatically affected. Carbon Dioxide build up from a lack of fresh air The modern classroom model needs to allow space within the classroom inside and outside for children to use energy when they need to while still being a part of the class.

This can lead to children being fidgety, distracting others or misbehaving. Throughout our consultation with teachers, we heard time and time again that the traditional classroom layout of desks facing a teacher doesn't allow kids an outlet for their abundant energy. Yet the design of many schools and classrooms don’t allow children the opportunity to have regular times to move their body to increase their learning potential. It’s no secret that physical activity is good for our health and improves our ability to think clearly. The inability for children to run and use their energy when needed Increasing views to landscape, which can encompass a variety of natural and constructed spaces including open fields, gardens, shelters and open pavilions, reflective areas, and water bodies to name a few, can be a quick and easy way to improve student learning and wellbeing. In a study into ‘school landscape environments,’ it was suggested “that the function of schools’ landscape has significantly related to efforts of assisting the learning processes and nourishing environmental appreciation among students” (Ali, Rostam & Awang, 2015).īut unfortunately, some classrooms (even on the ground floor) don’t have adequate views to landscape.

Increasing the proportion of natural landscape within our immediate environments is key to improving both our physical and emotional health.