MUNCIE, Ind. – Don't let the prehistoric-sounding name fool you — Ball State University's heliodon is one futuristic diagnostic tool that's in high demand by many Indiana architects.
Indianapolis-based Halstead Architects is currently using the heliodon for daylight tests on the St. Christopher Center located at 700 E. 30th St. The Indianapolis center, which has had a long-term relationship with Ball State, currently houses a daycare program and is being prepped in anticipation of landing a new charter school as a tenant.

Studies have shown that properly lit rooms can boost students' classroom performance, said Bob Koester, director of Ball State's Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES), which is located in the university's College of Architecture and Planning building.

"Proven research shows a 20 to 26 percent boost in math and reading skills when the correct amount of sunlight is allowed into a classroom," he said. "We want to maximize the architect's design to help students stay alert and more focused, which would in turn, help the charter school and the childcare center be more successful."

To conduct the "daylighting" tests, a group of Ball State architecture students built a scale model of the center. The structure was then placed on the heliodon's platform and lit up by the sun-emulating light source. Inside the model, a small, pen-sized camera was used to capture and transmit the resulting digital images, which were recorded on a laptop computer.

"The heliodon was adjusted to mimic the angle of the sun at a variety of daily times for each of the months in the year," Koester says. "From the tests, we were able to preview four different window configurations and provide information that will help the architect decide what design and type of glass will work the best."

Helping St. Christopher's Center is part of an ongoing relationship with Ball State. Through the university's Building Better Communities initiative, the childcare center has been able to identify and pursue grants, provide professional development for its staff and find innovative ways to renovate its building, which is a converted school (formerly IPS 76).

Students majoring in teaching have helped rejuvenate the center's teachers; faculty members from the Miller College of Business have made presentations at board retreats and conducted professional development sessions covering communications, management and expectations for board members; and CAP has been a great resource for design issues, said Nedra Feeley, the center's board president.

"Rather than simply being a drop-off center, our goal is to have an impact and reverse the role of poverty in the community we serve. By staying with us for one year, our children are really proving that they can exceed their expectations and increase their chances of success in life," she said. "Having an institutional partnership with Ball State — standing there side-by-side with us — has been a breath of new life in many areas."

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Koester at (765) 285-1135 or rkoester@bsu.edu. Feeley can be reached at (317) 257-2943. For more stories, visit the Ball State University News Center at www.bsu.edu/news.)

Layne Cameron