Research Article

Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir

Volume: 14 Number: 2 April 19, 2026
TR EN

Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir

Abstract

In classrooms, where the learning process takes place and which cater to many users, indoor visual comfort and energy efficiency are essential for user health and academic success. Ensuring the homogeneous distribution of daylight indoors in classrooms is a significant problem that must be addressed during the design of educational buildings. To address this issue, designers use artificial elements such as shading and louvres in the building envelope. However, producing these elements results in carbon emissions, and they do not decompose naturally once their lifespan is over. Considering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) target of achieving net-zero emissions in cities by 2050, it is necessary to minimise emissions from these elements. Within this scope, the study aims to highlight the importance of landscaping in educational buildings to control the amount of natural light entering indoor spaces. Within the scope of the study, two identical classrooms at Balıkesir University Faculty of Architecture were examined. While there is no landscape area in front of the northeast-facing D1 classroom, there is a landscaped area with vegetation in front of the southwest-facing D2 classroom. The study examined the distribution of daylight in these classrooms during the day. It evaluated the effects of the landscape on the daylight performance of the interior spaces by conducting on-site point measurements with a light meter at 9:30, 12:30, and 15:30 on 21 June, the summer solstice. According to the measurement results, the northeast-facing D1 classroom had relatively high illuminance near the windows in the morning. In contrast, the D2 classroom had plants in front of its windows and had a homogeneous daylight distribution throughout the day. The study highlights that optimisation methods can be used in future studies to control the amount of daylight entering the interior of educational buildings through landscaping.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research received no external funding.

Ethical Statement

This study does not involve human or animal participants. All procedures followed scientific and ethical principles, and all referenced studies are appropriately cited.

Thanks

The authors do not wish to acknowledge any individual or institution.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sustainable Architecture

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 19, 2026

Submission Date

July 24, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 8, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 14 Number: 2

APA
Ünlütürk, M. S., & Özlük, R. (2026). Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology, 14(2), 426-436. https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1749656
AMA
1.Ünlütürk MS, Özlük R. Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir. DUBİTED. 2026;14(2):426-436. doi:10.29130/dubited.1749656
Chicago
Ünlütürk, Mustafa Serhan, and Resul Özlük. 2026. “Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings With Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir”. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology 14 (2): 426-36. https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1749656.
EndNote
Ünlütürk MS, Özlük R (April 1, 2026) Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology 14 2 426–436.
IEEE
[1]M. S. Ünlütürk and R. Özlük, “Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir”, DUBİTED, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 426–436, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.29130/dubited.1749656.
ISNAD
Ünlütürk, Mustafa Serhan - Özlük, Resul. “Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings With Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir”. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology 14/2 (April 1, 2026): 426-436. https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1749656.
JAMA
1.Ünlütürk MS, Özlük R. Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir. DUBİTED. 2026;14:426–436.
MLA
Ünlütürk, Mustafa Serhan, and Resul Özlük. “Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings With Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir”. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 14, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 426-3, doi:10.29130/dubited.1749656.
Vancouver
1.Mustafa Serhan Ünlütürk, Resul Özlük. Control of Daylight in Educational Buildings with Natural Elements: The Case of Balikesir. DUBİTED. 2026 Apr. 1;14(2):426-3. doi:10.29130/dubited.1749656