Methods to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in Classrooms in Hot Climates

الملخص

As classrooms become increasingly crowded, there is a clear need to establish defined criteria for designing educational spaces. Overcrowding in classrooms can significantly increase the concentration of CO₂, which may negatively impact the students’ health and their ability to learn. This research study aimed to understand the situation in an average classroom at King Abdulaziz University by measuring CO₂ levels over a full school day using monitoring equipment. The results showed that CO₂ concentrations exceeded the limits of acceptable values set by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers). A proposed solution where a digital model of the classroom was developed and simulative tools were applied to create virtual classrooms was implemented. Several strategies, including architectural changes, modifications to schedule-driven ventilation systems, redesign of indoor climate control elements, and change point analysis techniques, were incorporated into simulations. This allowed for the assessment of existing parameters against proposed alternatives, yielding safer designs regarding critical CO₂ concentration values while supporting appropriate learning conditions. Soundly based recommendations are provided in the conclusion section for informed decision-making, aimed at designing efficient future classrooms and developing practical criteria for actively improving educational spaces.