Lighting impact on architecture student experience in higher education buildings in Egypt

Abstract

To highlight the essential role of lighting in higher education buildings, this field survey was conducted to explore students' subjective assessments of daylight utilization within the drawing halls in the architectural departments of higher educational buildings that located in Cairo, Egypt, and the surrounding areas. With 854 participants, the primary objective was to explore the participants’ evaluation of the lighting source impact on students' satisfaction, preferences, moods, wellbeing and behavioral states. Additionally, it sought to measure the significance of daylight as a design factor. The research findings reveal that the importance of the provision of daylight is equal to that of achieving thermal comfort, an imperative consideration in Egypt's hot climatic context. It was found that daylight significantly enhances students' satisfaction within drawing halls. Moreover, it exerts a positive impact on students' moods, and behaviors, notably reducing the occurrence of psychological and physiological symptoms, such as stress and headaches, while promoting greater cooperation and interaction among students. This study highlights the fundamental role of daylight in the design of drawing halls, not only for its aesthetic qualities or energy conversation potential, but also for its profound impact on the well-being and students’ satisfaction. It advocates for the strategic integration of daylight in educational facilities to create environments that are conducive to learning and holistic development.

Keywords

• Daylighting
• Higher educational building
• Student satisfaction
• Student preference