Whether designing a completely new facility or renovating an existing one, we begin by investigating the overall site, including road access and plantings, building entrances, and portions of the building not easily visible to passersby. Inside the building, we look for and eliminate areas where unsafe activities could potentially occur. These areas include secluded zones in which intruders may enter or hide, as well as stairwells, where someone may be trapped in the event of an evacuation.
Designing Safer Schools
“No child will be able to succeed academically if they don’t first feel safe in school. No teacher will be able to teach at their best if they aren’t confident there’s a plan in place to ensure their school is well prepared for an emergency.” – Governor Deval Patrick, January 16, 2014
K-12 Safety and Security
There is a broad range of factors that SMMA takes into account when considering security systems in its K-12 projects, including parent and teacher concerns for privacy and safety, students’ emotional well-being in the learning environment, media reports of criminal activity and violence in schools, project budget, and heightened user expectations driven by popular entertainment. Of paramount importance, however, are the following: prevention, preparation, responsiveness, and recovery.
During the initial planning stages, we meet with school administrators, police and fire department personnel, and other community stakeholders, to learn local codes and regulations, establish a baseline set of standards, and present a combination of architectural and electronic security strategies that best meet the needs of the students and faculty involved.