A daylit school goes beyond the use of skylights and atriums. It virtually turns the roof itself into one big diffusion screen. Proponents say the design yields a more even, full light throughout the classrooms. Innovative Design was recently hired to work with Chapel Hill architects Corley, Redfoot, Zack, on the new middle school slated to be built on a 45-acre university owned tract on Homestead Road. Nicklas said he has become a true believer in the benefits of sunshine, which provides light in a much broader spectrum than artificial lighting systems.
Daylight is about one-third cooler than the florescent lighting most schools have.
In the South, where a major cost is in cooling the building, that can make a big difference in energy efficiency, he said. But it wasn't until Bailey and Nicklas read over a set of studies from Canada that the other benefits of full-spectrum lighting became clear. The Canadian studies, which examined the physiological effects on children in daylit schools, were impressive, Nicklas said. Kids grew an average of a centimeter more per year and had 900 times fewer cavities. Plus, schools attendance was up.