Where Do I Sit? A Visual Comfort Analysis of Ghanaian Public Basic Schools Based on Window-Wall Ratios

Authors

Keywords:

Public Basic Schools, Visual Comfort, Window-to-Wall Ratio, Simulation, Fenestrations

Abstract

This study analyses the visual comfort of classroom spaces of Public Basic Schools (PBSs) in Ghana based on window-to-wall ratios through a simulation approach. Three fenestration types were identified as being the most predominantly used openings in PBSs and therefore formed a focal part of the study. Eight scenarios based on the features of the classrooms were used in the simulations. It was found that an 8% WWR for a classroom was inadequate and would require supplementary lighting to be provided, irrespective of the fenestration type. This WWR would afford pupils sitting only at the edge of windows to be visually comfortable. In a scenario where a classroom has casement fenestration with 15% WWR and has verandahs on both side-lit walls with a North-South orientation, adequate daylight illuminance (≥ 200lux to<750lux) could be achieved for 63.4% to 65.1% of classroom space. Supplementary lighting would be required for the “middle front”, and “middle back” of the classroom in both climatic zones. Comparatively, if the verandahs are East-West oriented, a much higher percentage of classroom area would receive adequate daylighting (66.4% to 73.4%) and would require supplementary lighting for occupants only in the “middle” and “middle back” areas of the classroom. This study opens up a new area that has been largely overlooked in Ghana.

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Author Biographies

  • Barbara Simons, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

    Barbara Simons is an architect by training and a Senior Lecturer at the Dept. Of Construction Technology and Management. She holds a PhD in Building Technology from the same Department, a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture both from The Dept. of Architecture KNUST. Her research areas include Sustainability/Green Buildings and Sustainable construction, Net-Zero energy buildings, Climate Change and Control in Buildings, Building Performance, Thermal Comfort, Indoor Environmental Quality and Project Management She has serve a reviewer in these areas for several national and international journals. She is a member of the Ghana Institute of Architect and the Project Management Institute, Ghana.

  • Joyce Twumwaa Akubah, Tamale Technical University

    Dr. Joyce Twumwaa Akubah is a Ghanaian academic specializing in sustainable construction and green architecture. She holds a PhD in Building Technology and lectures at Tamale Technical University. Her research focuses on environmentally responsible building practices in developing countries. She has co-authored notable papers, including one on daylighting strategies in Ghanaian schools and another on barriers to green building adoption. Her work integrates sustainability, construction innovation, and policy analysis. Dr. Akubah promotes environmental design in architecture and collaborates across disciplines. Her findings support academic discourse and policy reform in Ghana’s construction sector. She advances sustainable urban development at both national and global levels.

  • Samuel Amos-Abanyie, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

    Samuel Amos-Abanyie is an architect by training and employed as Professor of Architecture at the Department of Architecture, and Deputy Director of the Directorate of Student Affairs at KNUST. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Building Technology, an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems and Management from Germany, and Post Graduate Diploma and Bachelor of Science, both in architecture from KNUST. Samuel Amos-Abanyie’s area of research interest is architectural science with focus on climate control in architectural design, building performance modelling, indoor environmental quality, sustainable building design and teamwork in project delivery. He is an Associate Member of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), member in good standing with the Architects Registration Council of Ghana (ARC), and Member of the Society of Building Science Educators.

  • Michael Nii Addy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

    Michael Nii Addy is a senior lecturer in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. Michael is currently a Senior Research Associate at the Sustainable Human Settlement and Construction Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. He holds a PhD in Building Technology from the same institution and a Master of Science in Building Services Engineering from Loughborough University, UK. His areas of specialisation include building energy modelling, thermal comfort, building performance measurements and digital construction. His studies focus more on emerging countries particularly in Africa and explores the unique characteristics affecting sustainable development.  He has served as a reviewer for several national and international journals and conferences. His global experience in building technology and training includes working as a visiting academic at Loughborough University, UK and Linnaeus University, Sweden.

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Published

2025-08-28

Issue

Vol. 43 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Art & Humanities

License

JUST Vol. 43 Number 1 (2025) Copyright and Licensing statement

How to Cite

Where Do I Sit? A Visual Comfort Analysis of Ghanaian Public Basic Schools Based on Window-Wall Ratios. (2025). Journal of Science and Technology, 43(3), 142-164. https://journal.knust.edu.gh/index.php/just/article/view/1764

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