Can walls and barriers alone solve a problem as multifaceted as gun violence and mass shootings" In the wake of the Parkland shooting and the March for Our Lives movement, the question of school safety has gotten renewed focus. The president?s calls to ?harden our schools? has ignited debates about the cost and efficacy of applying design solutions to protect students.
But for architects and designers, what does ?hardening? our schools really mean" Is the solution for keeping kids safe fortress-like standards pushed by the NRA"
Architect Julia McFadden has wrestled with questions of school safety, and the delicate balance between environmental design and educational philosophy. As an associate principal at Svigals + Partners, McFadden was a lead designer for the highly publicized redesign of Sandy Hook Elementary, the site of the Newtown school shooting in 2012. Curbed spoke with McFadden about the issue of safety and design post-Parkland, and how the lessons she learned while working on Sandy Hook are still applicable today. This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
You hear this term ?hardening schools? being thrown around. What does that mean to you, and what does that process entail"
The term is specific to the security industry, so hopefully school officials and politicians know what they mean when they use this term. I learned about it from our security consultant at Sandy Hook. It refers to a greater level of impenetrability ...