On the ever growing journey to create a greener world, Architecture firms across the globe are raising the stakes in green design implementations. Sustainability is being taken to new heights across an array of cities and countries, with New York and San Diego standing amongst a growing number of jurisdictions
Huge current debate for architects and designers in the education sector surround what can be done to ensure schools are created with safety at the heart of the design, as school shootings continue to rise. Despite ideas for metal detectors, more resources offices and even calls for teachers to be
On the ever growing journey to create a greener world, Architecture firms across the globe are raising the stakes in green design implementations. Sustainability is being taken to new heights across an array of cities and countries, with New York and San Diego standing amongst a growing number of jurisdictions looking to expand the scope of energy and water use requirements in new construction projects. San Diego is now dedicated to all new buildings being created to reach net energy standards. Meaning each new build should theoretically produce more energy than it consumes. Requirements surrounding energy efficiency are now tougher to comply with than ever. Proposals and strategies that used to be optional are no longer so, and buildings have to account for certain codes regarding energy usage if we are to tackle the energy crisis successfully. Staff members of FX Collaborative, an architecture firm in New York City, are pro-actively involved in a variety of task forces that relate to green building codes and ethics. A recent focus has been on energy use intensity and the city has passed a law that grades a buildings performance, requiring the building’s owner to post an energy grade into public view. This will allow for the buildings efficiency to be publicly known and noted, which should hopefully help older, more energy consuming buildings to contemporize their features. Specific goals for future design projects include aspects of energy regulations, such as solar carve outs – which set goals for solar panels to generate certain amounts of Eco-friendly electricity. A variety of cities are now using modern standpoints as realities, over guidelines, to implement a green future sooner rather than later. The District of Columbia have proposed an ambition that will see the equivalent of 5% of its buildings energy consumption to be generated completely by solar before 2032. Building Green is no longer a simple matter of discussion. In the policy climate of the modern day, Building Green extends long beyond the reduction of a building or structures carbon footprint, and emits into the greater catalysts of larger conservations in terms of both water and energy efficiency. With so many architectural firms already taking huge steps to create a better future through green buildings, it would seem that the next decade could show immense success in aiding the world to recover from generations of global damages. This is refreshing news for an industry that has remarkable potential to help determine a stable environmental future.
Huge current debate for architects and designers in the education sector surround what can be done to ensure schools are created with safety at the heart of the design, as school shootings continue to rise. Despite ideas for metal detectors, more resources offices and even calls for teachers to be armed and students to carry bulletproof backpacks, these security steps do not address the fundamental dilemma. This dilemma lies in the overall layout of a building, in how a school works, and how students and teachers within that school, college, or university need to be protected inside it. Architects across America are now looking to their own expertise to help defuse the situation. Although an issue that sounds almost incomprehensible, school shootings are ripe. Putting incredible amounts of students and teachers in danger everyday. As of October 4th (2018), 65 shootings had taken place in school campuses across the United States (figure released by non-profit organisation: Everytown for Gun Safety). This stands as a large percentage of the 297 mass shootings in the US so far this year, and already matches the amount of school shootings that took place in 2017. Everytown for Gun Safety define a school shooting as any time a firearm discharges a live round inside an educational building, within the campus or on faculty grounds. Conventional thinking on improving school safety at first conjures images of prison like security systems, including extensive bag checks and closed circuit cameras, maybe even with armed police roaming the halls. This however, is the exact opposite of what architects in the sector are proposing. It has to come to the attention of many experts in the field that a school needs to be of course safe, but also not become a prison like institute. Reports have shown that both safety and a welcoming feel are integral areas of understanding for the future of educational design. New design proposals include the notion of: One way in – more ways out. Door control is a huge issue in school shootings, and facilities with ample entrance ways are thought to be easy targets. New buildings are being devised with a single point of entry that all visitors, teachers and students must enter through, and anyone entering can easily be viewed on their arrival. Ensuring visitors go through an office before entering the main grounds is also a huge area of design discussion, to keep those inside the building, safe. Having more than one exit not only offers safety in the case of attack, but also complies with fire safety laws and other emergency situations. Contemporary facilities are also being designed with wider, more open hallways that provide clear lines of sight. Giving people the ability to stand and monitor with ease and allow for CCTV to have clear vision without nooks or crannies blocking surveillance. Open hallways have the potential to be sealed off in the case of emergency, creating an extra layer of security and potentially creating a barrier against an intruder. The general overall idea behind the hallways are to create a collaborative environment of learning that can function as a security zone until the correct authorities arise to defuse a situation. Some schools have strengthened the glass on doors and windows to reinforce buildings as harder to attack. This robustness emits the idea that the school can be safe without being too threatening and intimidating in appearance. Although not bulletproof, reinforced doors and glass can withstand certain amounts of stress, much like those in a car windshield, so intruders cannot easily shatter glass and have access to a facility. The overall landscaping of learning institutions are being redesigned. Having a visible parameter with nowhere to hide, such as through a single pathway or small short shrubs means that intruders can easily be seen from a distance. This, in practise, funnels visitors through one main entrance point and anyone of suspicion can be seen before they have the chance to implement a shooting or create an emergency situation. Designers and Architects are taking matters of security extremely seriously, and although school security is more than the threat of active shootings, experts are offering some of the best known solutions to a currently out of hand problem. The newest of school designs account for not only the threat of active shootings, but aid to help bullying, stop sexual assaults and be equipped for weather emergencies. With supervision, communication and prevention, teamed with some of the greatest designers in America, Architects are hoping that contemporary safety measures in buildings can create a safer year for schools in 2019 and beyond.
