Retrofitting Safety Into K-12 Schools
Creating a stimulating and safe school environment is the goal of every school. By doing so, they provide the optimal conditions to help students realize their full academic potential. As equally important as having the approriate safety measures, a school needs to be thought of as safe by their students. Research has shown that perceptions of school safety also have a direct impact on students’ academic performance.
Students who feel safe at school are more engaged in classroom activities, have lower than average rates of absenteeism, suffer less from depression, are less prone to disorderly conduct, and are more likely to have positive peer interactions. Many of today’s schools were built decades ago under different building codes and standards for safety. The challenge for improving today’s schools with today’s safety needs in mind requires solutions that are realistic, effective, and most of all, thoughtfully integrated.
4 Principles of Designing Safer Schools & Integration Into K-12 Capital Projects
Capital Improvement Projects are the perfect time to integrate preventative environmental design features into your existing facilities. When it comes to environmental design, there are 4 basic principles as outlined by CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design):
Natural Surveillance - Visibility is key. If building envelope improvements are on the agenda, maximize on your visibility with thoughtful placement of windows, doors, lighting and vehicle routes. Interior visibility is important as well. With a greater range of indoor visibility, adults can quickly detect any bullying that may be taking place and foster more positive interactons between adults and students. At Edge, we achieve this by utilizing straight hallways to maximize lines of sight. We also use glass windows and doors to maximize lines of sight into hallways. We recently incorporated staff offices strategically throughout a building specifically to provide supervision in key locations along hallways and intersections.
Natural Access Control - Consider what are the main entry points of your school. How do your entryways, roadways, fencing, landscaping, doors and other barriers provide control over movement? Pairing your school’s main entrance with a visible security vestibule is a popular solution and can easily be done by converting an existing space or by including one with an addition. Some key considerations with "security checkpoints/desks" is the HVAC controls for that staff person; and general interactions of that staff person with guests, students and staff.
Territorial Reinforcement - Think about your school operatations and flow. What areas should be designated as public space vs. private space and what kinds of boundary definitions do you use, such as doors, walls, windows, signage, fences, etc..? Clearly defining such spaces can ensure that any intruders can be easily and clearly identified.
Maintenance and Management - Proper maintenance of your school’s facilities can go a long way. Not only does it demonstrate a sense of ownership and pride, but it sends a message to potential intruders that undesirable activities will be quickly noticed and acted upon. Items such as materal finishes, sightlines, and a general quality of openness are considerations for your next improvement projects.
Schools are not just where children and teens go to learn their ABCs - they are flexible, social spaces that are a blank canvas to host a variety of different activities for the local community to engage as well. Good design and design for security are a delicate balance. Ideally, you want your environmental design features to feel integrated into the design, rather than an after thought - but it all depends on the perception you want to give to visitors.