Interior Design student Naila Hasan recently presented her research at the 2023 Interior Design Educators Council Southwest Regional Conference, where she received the award for Best Poster Presenter. She was selected to attend the conference and represent OU as a Gibbs College of Architecture Research Dissemination Travel Award recipient.
Hasan presented the results from her recent study, The Relationship Between Natural Lighting and Biophilic Elements and Children’s Behaviors, co-authored by Yeji Yi, assistant professor of Interior Design. This study investigated the impact of natural lighting and biophilic elements on children’s psychological well-being. Hasan wanted to determine the specific behavior changes caused by a lack of natural light and explore how natural light can change an indoor environment to positively influence children.
Yi and Hasan at the IDEC Conference.
Students and teachers spend 5-7 hours in the classroom on the average school day, so it is important to apply sufficient lighting practices in educational settings. According to Hasan, learning spaces with natural light encourage social interactions and make children happier and more active, as compared to spaces with less or no natural lighting. To test this hypothesis, she conducted a study of two libraries with different layouts and natural lighting conditions.
Hasan presenting her poster at the IDEC conference.
Library A had an abundance of light and biophilic design elements, featuring big glass panels and an open concept layout; Library B had a conventional, old structure with traditional windows and lacked natural light. The observational study was conducted between 2-3 p.m. and 4-5 p.m. on two separate days. Throughout the duration of the observation, Hasan documented the children’s activity, including the location and duration of time spent on the activity.
She found that children in Library A were more active, sociable and stayed longer than children in Library B. By comparing these contrasting spaces, she determined that natural lighting is very important for any learning space. As explained by Hasan, “We need to consider it as a primary element while designing. It enhances the space quality for the users, thus having an impact on psychological well-being.”
Hasan would like to thank Professor Suchismita Bhattacharjee for her support.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
Gibbs Construction Science and Architecture students recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 8 Student Competition. The team partnered with Czech Technical University and secured third place in the Design-Build category.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition Vollendorf in Oklahoma: The Architecture of Dean Bryant Vollendorf during the Spring 2026 semester. It will be on display in Gould Hall, on the OU-Norman Campus, from February 16, 2026 - March 13, 2026.
