Study of daylight condition in classrooms of urban primary school buildings in Sylhet with respect to visual performance

Abstract

In the primary schools of Sylhet, artificial light is found the main contributor to the visual environment, even though there is a large quantity of daylight and the entire study period is enclosed within daylight hours. Studies show that, there are significant impacts of using daylight on human health and the visual performance in terms of efficiency and productivity. This research primarily concentrates on visual performance of the students, under daylight condition, at urban primary schools of Sylhet, where the skies are generally overcast throughout the year, unlike other divisional cities of Bangladesh. The research also aimed to investigate the relationship of the physical parameters of the classrooms spaces with daylight condition. In Bangladesh, there are no studies incorporating human interaction with the visual environment, in the divisional town of Sylhet. An intensive literature study provided the knowledge base for this research. The problem was identified first, by a survey of existing primary schools, in Sylhet City Corporation area, aimed at an understanding of their luminous environment. A detailed field survey was initiated to determine the visual performance of the students which, was derived through a intensive visual performance test. The field investigation also encompasses the physical parameters of the classroom spaces, which can influence the overall distribution of daylight, and compared to international standards. The findings of the study clearly show the interrelationship of daylight and students visual performance. It is clearly demonstrated that, visual performance, measured by time taken to complete the visual test and errors made during the test, are directly related to the amount of daylight available. The possible measures and scopes for further investigation are followed from the discussion on the research findings.