Reference photo of Hertsedlund school, and not part of the actual classroom design.
Classroom lighting got a renewed focus globally when the smart boards were introduced about ten years ago. But most solutions were crude and basic due to available technology. Today, many schools are realising how dynamic lighting can boost both the learning environment for the students and the working environment for teachers.
As Albertslund currently evalutes their newly implemented lighting solution for Herstedlund school – we asked awardwinning lighting designer Merete Madsen at Sweco about her own learning experience.
What were some of the new conditions and opportunities with this particular project?
“The possibility to get input from the researchers at Aalborg University from hte latest knowledge in this field, and being able to analyse how lighting was used in the classrooms and the challenges that went with it.”
What were the main challenges?
“The biggest challenge was to ‘translate’ the evidence based research results into a homogenous and implementable lighting design concept within the projects framework, including the development of dynamic scenarios without having any concrete requests or wishes, while at the same time complying with relelvant lighting guidelines.”
How do you think the students will perceive/react to the new lighting design?
“I think, and hope, that teachers and students alike will experience that the new possibilities to vary the light will allow for a more varied school day, and thereby less fatigue, and that the variation scenarios we have programmed – 3 special scenarios + 1 standard scenario – will be used for macthing suitable lighting conditions with the relevant activities. I also hope that the teachers eventually will create their own scenarios through an optional manual mode, and use it more actively in their teaching, allowing the researchers at AAU even more data input for evaluation. Although the manual mode is likely to require additional training for the teachers.”
In your view – why is this project important?
“It is important because we – thanks to the collaboration with AAU & Lighting Metropolis – get documentable evidence on how these scenarios are being used, and which effect it will have as a teaching tool.”
The new lighting solution at Herstedlund school in Albertslund is currently being evaluated by teachers and students. Please follow us to find out the eventual result, and key learnings.
You can read more about the project here.
