Identifying the Therapeutic Components of Daylight in the Educational Spaces of Sama Schools of Bojnord Azad University
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: This study explores the therapeutic dimensions of daylight in architectural design of educational spaces, specifically within Sama Schools of Bojnord Azad University. The study aims to assess how natural daylight contributes to students’ psychological well-being, cognitive function, and physical health. The primary goal is to identify key perceptual and physiological daylight components that can be integrated into future design strategies for educational environments.
Methods: Adopting a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative modeling. First, expert interviews and literature review were used to extract conceptual indicators of daylight’s therapeutic effects. Second, involves confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test reliability and validity of the proposed model. Finally, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize subcomponents based on expert evaluations. Data were collected from 208 architecture professionals using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.
Results: The results revealed nine therapeutic components of daylight, with serotonin production, sleep cycle regulation, and SAD treatment were most significant. The model exhibited a strong goodness-of-fit (GOF = 0.92) and high factor loadings (0.733–0.945), validating the model’s structure. Serotonin production held the highest weight (0.14), demonstrating the highest sensitivity in outcome scenarios.
Conclusion: Study concludes that daylight has measurable therapeutic value in educational settings, supporting student well-being, mood, and performance. The proposed model offers a reliable framework for architects and policymakers.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright owner / Copyright holder:
Authors retain unrestricted copyrights and publishing rights. The author has complete control over the work (e.g., retains the right to reuse, distribute, republish, etc.).
Copyright Notice:
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which allows others to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format;
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See: The Effect of Open Access).