2018 Volume 25 Issue 2 Pages 93-105
We conducted a study on the changes in the indoor environment of four nursery schools utilizing solid Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) in Osaka Prefecture and the toddlers. Rooms where the interior was remodeled using wood were compared to adjacent rooms that represented the pre-remodeled state. Higher concentrations of α-pinene were noted in the remodeled rooms in three nursery schools because of the diffusion of the scent of the solid Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) wood used for the interior remodeling. A questionnaire survey conducted among guardians of the infants and childcare workers revealed that the atmospheres of the nurseries became much more welcoming. The nurseries were perceived as much more calming spaces that promoted concentration, which was indicative of the improvement in the classrooms due to the remodeling of the interior to feature wood prominently. Additionally, the questionnaire survey indicated that a greater impression was made on the users when the floor was changed using wooden materials than when the paneling below the chair railing was converted to wood. This study did not evaluate the effect of remodeled classroom parameters such as the thermal environment and indoor concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrous acid, on the health of the toddlers.
