"Towards a Sustainable Design for the Governmental Elementary Schools: Analysis of the Development Process to Improve the Thermal Performance of Classrooms "

Abstract

The quality of the thermal environment in educational institutions has a significant impact on the concentration, comfort and academic performance of students. However, the General Authority of Educational Buildings in Egypt still uses standardised models of buildings, which often do not consider requirements for temperature performance and climatic variations. To fill this gap, this thesis examines the temperature comfort of classrooms in two models of GAEB primary schools: model B (development model) and model A (conventional model). The study aims to identify and investigate the deficiencies of model A and to examine whether the development process of model B has made a noticeable progress. According to the hypothesis, model A has significant problems with thermal performance which model B has not adequately addressed. Thus, the research aims to address two key questions: which aspects of the model classroom design make it harder for students to be comfort thermally? And how much does model B help improve those conditions? The qualitative methodological framework was integrated through analysis of architectural drawings, field observations, simulation studies, measurements and structured interviews with architects and teachers. The study is divided into five chapters which cover all aspects, from the methodological structure and theoretical basis to the empirical investigation and the development of recommendations to improve the conditions in Egyptian public schools. The findings indicate that model A has serious overheating concerns, causing discomfort, overheating and air stagnation. These deficiencies include double-loading corridors, poor orientation, ineffective shading and incorrect material selection. Field measurements and simulations proved that indoor temperatures were higher than comfortable thresholds, and teacher feedback directly connected these problems to decreased focus and student fatigue. On the other hand, minor modifications and orientation adjustments were made in model B, but neither on-site measurements nor simulated results showed a significant improvement in indoor temperature. The study concludes that GAEB's current development framework does not sufficiently integrate environmental and climatic design principles. The study provides recommendations for a new performance-based design methodology that emphasizes the importance of material selection, orientation, shading, and natural ventilation in achieving thermal comfort. GAEB and other educational authorities would be assisted in developing more sustainable, healthy, and productive learning environments that meet international standards.