While the building is not the most important part of a school – that’s the staff and students – it’s definitely an important part of a school. I’m sure the people in Langenburg would agree with that statement, as they’re going from a failing building into a completely new one. The staff stays the same, the student body is a little different but still the reason everyone is there, but now their jobs are easier since they’re working in the best building they could possibly have, rather than a building which was only open because they needed to build the new one.
I had the pleasure of touring the new school in the small town, and I was struck by one aspect of the design. The building was the best lit school I have ever been inside. Most importantly, it was largely natural light, and it made the school much nicer to navigate and photograph than the majority of schools I have experienced. If you’re in Langenburg Central School, you will see a building that is exceptionally well lit.
Maybe that’s just because I am a photographer, it’s in my nature to notice light, but I found myself wishing every single architect in the world takes a tour of Langenburg’s school to see what happens when you invest in glass and windows. It’s just a much more pleasant environment to work in, and it’s a lot nicer for everyone, whether kids, adults or otherwise. You can see what you’re doing, you don’t have to deal with omnipresent fluorescent lights as much as you would in other environments, and it’s just a much nicer place to spend time.
That’s not to say there is anything wrong with the existing schools in the region. It’s only natural that the newest school in a division – in this case the Good Spirit School Division – would be the school that is closest to the modern architectural trends. If the GSSD has the chance to build another school, it’s probably going to have some noticeable similarities to the school in Langenburg, they’ve done a good job on it and know it. It’s also the case where any of the older schools in the division were right on trend with how schools used to be designed. And older buildings can sometimes have clever ways of bringing nature into a space – the Yorkton Regional High School, for example, as a courtyard next to the administration office, and the placement of that allows the common area off of that office to be well lit and allows the school to wrap around that area while still giving everyone light. St. Paul’s Elementary School has the kindergarten class open out onto an outdoor classroom area to get kids outside when the weather allows. Even if the building isn’t necessarily designed with light in mind, clever people in the building can always find a way to work around it, another reason why the people in the building are the most important part of the school. We have a lot of clever people in local schools, the kids should be thankful.
The trends at any given point are not necessarily better than previous trends, there are many examples of new buildings replacing older, more architecturally interesting buildings. In this case, however, we have hit a point where something wonderful is now being designed into the new spaces, and that’s natural light.
It was not always the case where natural light was designed into a building. In many cases, that light is deliberately designed out, you won’t see many big box stores that have much in the way of window space, that’s less efficient than putting up shelves on those walls. The most efficient course of action can often preclude placing a priority on a well lit space. Common areas are often placed where they are most efficient, which can sometimes mean they’re placed in the middle of a building where light doesn’t reach. The style of the time can mean that the windows are not large enough or placed in the right place to really light a building well. In most cases, if a building isn’t well lit, it’s because that’s the nature of architecture when that building was made, it existed when the trends did not emphasize natural light.
It is now the trend, and it goes beyond that one school. I’ve talked to several businesses who, when renovating or designing their new locations, made sure to make building in natural light a high priority. You can always tell because the people responsible for the decision inevitably brag about it. From my perspective, good for them, they’re making a work environment that’s just better for everyone who is in their employ. It’s better to work in a well lit building, better to play in one, better to live in one.
Finally, we have embraced the trend towards natural light and are incorporating it into these new spaces. The sheer amount of glass in the new LCS is evidence that this is a trend that is being firmly embraced. Everyone’s eyes are going to be grateful for that movement.
