Work

Environmental Assessment for Sustainable Educational Spaces: Optimizing Classroom Proportions in Taif City, KSA

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sustainable development in educational environments requires a holistic approach to architectural design, balancing multiple environmental functions to optimize student well-being and energy efficiency. According to architectural standards, rectangular classrooms typically have a shallow proportion, meaning the external facade is longer than the internal sides. While this design ensures adequate natural lighting, essential for classroom visual functions, it may not fully align with the sustainability goals in regions with diverse environmental characteristics. This diversity can lead to shortcomings in other aspects of human comfort or environmental performance, as optimizing one function may negatively impact others, while the environmental efficiency of architectural spaces should not be judged solely on a single comfort criterion. A holistic study should evaluate common architectural shapes and proportions to ensure they align with the Green Architectural principles for specific locations. This manuscript compares eight rectangular classrooms with different external-to-internal wall proportions and window-to-wall ratios (WWR) to determine their suitability for Taif City, KSA schools. The case studies include variations in window sizes (10.5 m2 and 14 m2) and orientations (North and South), providing a comprehensive evaluation of their impact on human comfort. Simulation results reveal that the common classroom proportion did not yield the highest green credits, suggesting it may not be optimal for all regions, including Taif City. The findings emphasize the need to reconsider standard classroom dimensions to better align with local environmental conditions and Green Architecture principles, contributing to the broader goals of sustainability and sustainable development in educational infrastructure.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17073198

Author: Amal K. M. Shamseldin

Institution: Taif University

Language: English

Topic: Building Energy and Comfort Optimization

Subfield: Building and Construction

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896