Natural Light Boosts Test Scores

Studies in recent years have shown that natural light, if it is allowed to stream into schools and workplaces, is correlated with higher test scores and happier and more productive workers. So it's worth noting an experiment in Salt Lake City, where a new $16 million middle school is opening.

One of its principle architectural achievements is the promotion of natural light, according to a story in today's Salt Lake Tribune. That a reporter could describe a traditional classroom as a "windowless tomb" ought to be evidence enough, but there's more.

• Test scores increased as much as 26% among students who learned in classrooms filled with natural light, according to a study by Heschong Mahone Group of Sacramento, Calif. that looked at 20,000 California, Colorado and Massachusetts in 1998 and 2002.
• Sales were boosted 40% in a Kansas Wal-Mart at registers situated under skylights, according to a 1995 study by the same firm.
• Companies that have invested in new natural lighting retrofits to existing facilities have seen worker productivity jump between 13-16%, according to Greening The Building And The Bottom Line, a report it produced with the Rocky Mountain Institute.

All this, and the traditional reason for using more natural light has been to save on energy bills -- because the more natural light that streams into interiors, the less electricity needed to keep light bulbs lit. So when it comes time to build a new school in your community, remember the benefits of natural light, and make sure your school board understands too.

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