A question that has confounded us for some time is the quiet war against windows. A mound of research is piling up on the benefits of natural light and views to the outside. It can improve moods, shorten healing time, reduce eye strain and help students focus. If you are interviewing users in a building that currently does not have windows, it is one of the most passionate requests, "just give me a window and I will be happy." CHPS , the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, has both access to daylight and views as possible points in the Indoor Environmental Quality section. So why when we tour and assess schools are windows most often covered? We go around the state, for that matter the region, and see this covering time and time again. High windows, low windows, north facing, south facing, interior, exterior... you name it, someone has covered them. In the attempts to understand this dichotomy of those who have windows, cover them and t...
Reflections on the built environment, how we interact with it and the process of planning and designing from someone who grew up with educators, goes on assessments and tours and facilitates the planning process for many schools and other organizations.