Lighting in Kindergartens: Towards Innovative Design Concepts for Lighting Design in Kindergartens Based on Children’s Perception of Space

Abstract

Light is the foundation of the visual perceptual process that initiates the evaluation of the surrounding area. Linked to various aspects and rhythms of the body, light connects us to both the natural environment and the interior space. The process of perceiving and assessing space for children and adults with different viewing heights and viewing perspectives as well as the role of light to facilitate this are the key elements of this study. The paper describes general lighting design strategies for kindergartens, specifically developed to create an environment that takes into account the children’s scale and cognitive processes. The objective was to discuss environments that support the child’s spatial perception along with shape and object recognition by means of lighting design, for example by creating distinct, well-placed shadows. The proposed strategies are informed by a literature review on the concepts and interrelations of light, human physiology and the perception of scale and space. In addition, our process also included visits to kindergartens to observe and analyse existing lighting as well as the use of simulation programs to test lighting scenarios and their patterns/distribution of light and shadow. The outcome described in this paper is a proposal and strategy to take into account children’s vantage points when designing lighting in kindergartens that is still open to practical interpretations in real-world sites.

The Evaluation of Rural Outdoor Dining Environment from Consumer Perspective

“…The kinds of children’s play spaces in a rural ODE that can better allay parents’ concerns about safety in order to improve consumer satisfaction with the environment are subject to further research. Moreover, children are extremely sensitive to the physical environment, especially the light environment [ 64 ]. A reasonably good light environment can elicit positive emotions and a desire to explore, [ 65 ] has similar findings to our study, and we believe that suitable restaurant lighting environment has a certain appeal and competitive advantage for parent–child groups.…”

The Future of Interior Lighting Is Here

“…The Special Issue, entitled "The Future of Interior Lighting Is Here", addressed several subjects on interior lighting such as architectural lighting, daylighting, Human Centric Lighting (HCL), the impact on human health, lighting design, sustainability, and social impact and wellbeing. A total number of eleven articles, ten research papers [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] and one review paper [34], were published. In terms of the geographical distribution of the affiliations of the 34 contributing authors, contributions originated from ten countries, including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Korea, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, and UK.…”

“…An educational building constitutes a unique type of building, and the lighting parameters affecting students' performance are the illuminance, uniformity, visual comfort, glare, and light sources-correlated color temperature. Angelaki et al [24] described the general lighting design strategies for kindergarten students. Their objective was to identify environments that support each pupil's spatial perception.…”

Color, Form, and Light: Recommendations for Design of ECE Classrooms Based on Group Structure and Activity Type

“…Ata et al (2012) highlighted the importance of how lighting affects children's mental attitude. Angelaki et al (2022) studied the literature on spaces for kindergartners' perception of space relating to lighting design. They synthesized the literature focuses on 3 design concepts:…”