ABSTRACT
The green building movement has helped to bring daylight back into school design, initially as an energy conservation strategy, and evidence continues to indicate that daylighting classrooms can lead to better test scores. Nature serves as a supportive environment for cognitive development and performance, from early childhood through adulthood. Greater exposure to nature is shown to have a significant positive association with school experience, subsequent graduation rates and the plans of students to attend college or university, which inuflence an individual’s economic and social outcomes later in life. Allowing children to play and learn in nature can provide benefits like mental restoration, better behaviour and enhanced focus. Within the classroom, extensive research shows that daylight and views to nature are considered to have the greatest impact for cognitive development and performance. Quality daylight and views help improve attendance and test scores and support health, reduce off-task behaviour and improve classroom engagement.
