The construction of our project Educational Campus is progressing, and hardworking hands are building growing walls.
To ensure when classes are held in the school building, hopefully soon, there is both enough air available to the students and natural daylight coming into the classroom, the size and position of the windows must be properly designed. In advance daylight studies simulated on the building model make the lighting conditions in the space visible.
Since the position of the sun changes not only during the day, but also – noticeably in Ghana – during the course of the year, the studies help to map the amount of light entering the room for each hour of a day throughout the year. This makes it possible to see when and where a spot in the room would be undersupplied, for how long, or whether there is too much sun, despite the roof overhang.
Theoretically, remedy for too much light could be achieved by moving the windows higher up so that the roof overhang shades more. However the combination of the roof overhang and the thickness of the adobe walls ensures that not too much direct sunlight shines into the school. Plenty of light would also allow the use of mosquito netting or metal screens, which “swallow” about half of the incoming light but have the added benefit of keeping out unwanted “visitors.” The studies show that the sinking sun penetrates the building a little too much only on the west-facing narrow side. A simple solution here is offered by natural shade providers outside the windows: trees. With trees as permanent sunshades, there is no need to interfere with the harmony of windows and facade.