Endrup School
Denmark

Rebuilding two preschool classrooms at the Endrup School offered an opportunity to create healthy indoor environments for children and implement new, energy-efficient technologies. In so doing, the design team also hoped to create a better space for learning and teaching – and for connecting with nature.

The Endrup School, a state school, was built in the early 1970s and is located in Fredensborg, eastern Denmark. Comprising a series of low-rise buildings that offer about 7,000 square metres of indoor space, the school houses 450 students and 52 teachers, who regularly enjoy the beautiful countryside and tranquil surroundings of the park around Fredensborg Palace.  

Until recently, the Endrup School’s two preschool classrooms were severely lacking in both daylight and fresh air – two factors proven to enhance well-being, concentration and, consequently, the ability to learn. The classrooms were dark, façade windows created unpleasant temperature changes, and the teachers and students suffered from poor air quality that caused discomfort and fatigue. The school asked the municipality of Fredensborg for help.

In collaboration with the VELUX Group, the municipality came up with a solution. Installing roof windows equipped with software that enables automatic control and pulse ventilation would provide the classrooms with fresh air without large swings in temperature. “We wanted a solution that ventilated the rooms, lowered the temperature and created better light,” explains architect Knud Jensen.

Before
After

Today, the students and teachers report a dramatic difference in the classrooms’ overall atmosphere, and not only enjoy the energising daylight and fresh air but also find themselves more connected to the surrounding nature. The Endrup School project also served as a source of inspiration and best practice for the 2014 Langebjerg School renovation.

We notice when the sun is shining and when there is a change in the weather. Before, the rooms were just dark. The sunlight simply makes me happy, and that’s a feeling I would like to pass on to the pupils

Kirsten Hansen, preschool teacher, Endrup School

Spaces transformed by daylight

Knowing the importance of daylight to people’s biological rhythms, well-being, performance, and ability to learn, the design team made natural daylight a focal point of the renovation.

The daylight factor (DF) is a common and easy-to-use measure for the available amount of daylight in a room. It expresses the percentage of daylight available inside, on a work plane, compared to the amount of daylight available outside the building under known overcast sky conditions. The higher the DF, the more daylight available in the room. Rooms with an average DF of 2% or more are considered daylit, and a room will appear strongly daylit when the average DF is above 5%.

To arrive at the ideal daylight solution for the Endrup School classrooms, the design team performed computer simulations in the VELUX Daylight Visualizer 2, a software tool dedicated to daylighting design and analysis.

Before the renovation, the daylight factors in the classrooms where critically low – averaging just 0.8% and 1.1% – and electrical lighting was needed throughout the whole day. The addition of VELUX Roof Windows raised the daylight factors to 3.7% and 5.7%, and the light distribution in the classrooms also became more even.

The change has transformed the workplace, and teachers Kirsten Hansen and Annette Lehmann are delighted. “The room feels bright and inviting now,” explains Annette, and Kirsten adds, “previously, we almost always had to switch on the electrical light but we rarely need that now. In addition, the roof windows enhance the sense of a high ceiling.”

The optimised and controlled use of daylight has cut the use of electric lighting in the renovated classrooms down by 30%. The ample sunlight also provides useful solar gains during the winter period, significantly helping to reduce the building’s energy consumption. 


Ventilation

The new VELUX Roof Windows in the preschool area have effectively solved the problem of poor air, and Annette and Kirsten are pleased with the windows’ automatic control and pulse ventilation. With 28 pupils to look after in each class, they rarely have time to perform a manual air change themselves. Before the rebuilding, they often simply forgot to.

“Now, the software ensures that the air is changed during the breaks and whenever it is needed. There is a CO2 monitor in the classroom and if the air needs changing, the windows open automatically and close again when the air change is complete, or if it starts to rain,” explains Annette. 

“The indoor climate feels much more pleasant now that the air is changed through the roof windows. And the room doesn't get as cold as it used to when we changed the air through the façade windows,” adds Kirsten. 


A new relationship to the outdoors

The installation of roof windows in the preschool area was mainly motivated by the need to improve air quality. But it turned out to have a number of other benefits. First of all, the windows have enabled teachers and pupils to enjoy daylight and their surroundings in a new way. Inside the busy classroom, you do not have to observe the pupils for long to notice that they too enjoy their new view to the outside world. Watching the local wildlife now seems to be a welcome distraction when the five and six-year-olds need a break from teaching.


Product solutions used in this case

VELUX INTEGRA® roof windows

From £55.60

  • Remote-controlled VELUX roof windows
  • Electrically or solar powered
  • Fresh air and a better indoor comfort
If you want ultimate comfort, the remote-controlled VELUX INTEGRA® roof window is the answer. The window comes with the new VELUX INTEGRA® control pad so you can control all your windows and accessories – such as blinds, awning blinds and roller shutters – easier and faster from anywhere in your house. A pre-fitted rain sensor will close your roof window automatically if it starts raining. Being available in both electrically and solar powered versions, the VELUX INTEGRA® roof window is the ultimate choice for out-of-reach installations or fresh air and a better indoor comfort.

Blackout blinds

  • Total blackout
  • Stepless positioning
  • 36 different colours and designs
  • 12 fun and exciting designs from the Disney & VELUX Dream Collection.

The VELUX blackout blind offers a lightproof seal for total darkness anytime. It is ideal in bedrooms, where you need complete light control to ensure a good night’s sleep or a restful nap during the day.

VELUX INTEGRA® Family

The VELUX INTEGRA® system is a portfolio of mains- and solar-powered roof windows, blinds, shutters and accessories that make owning a VELUX window easier and more convenient. All products are easy to use and enjoy thanks to the elegant VELUX INTEGRA® control pad and its intuitive, icon-based interface and pre-defined programmes.

Awning blinds

  • Heat protection
  • Transparent fabric
  • Installs from the inside

The exterior VELUX awning blind blocks the sun’s rays before they hit your window pane and reduces passive heating by up to 72%*. It helps keep your room comfortable on a warm, sunny day. Awning blinds are transparent, so you can still enjoy your view.

Installation products

The range of VELUX flashings and installation products make the professional installation of your roof windows quick, simple and safe. All original VELUX installation products are compatible to ensure that your roof window is weathertight and safe connected to the roof construction and has an excellent finish on the inside.