Plans for New Sandy Hook School Focus on Comforting Aesthetics and Structure
Hallways that curve in hug-like embraces and a location deeper in the woods highlight the plans for the soon-to-be rebuilt Sandy Hook Elementary School, which will attempt to be comforting and safe both in its aesthetic design and in its physical structure.
.Hallways that curve in hug-like embraces and a location deeper in the woods highlight the plans for the soon-to-be rebuilt Sandy Hook Elementary School, which will attempt to be comforting and safe both in its aesthetic design and in its physical structure.
The city of Newtown, Connecticut voted overwhelmingly to tear down the old school last October, ten months after the deadly shooting in which 26 people were killed. The school's demolition, completed in early January, comes with plans to rebuild a new and improved school on that same location. Though the new design has not officially been chosen, town officials have taken to one plan in particular, as The New York Times details.
In that plan, the design of the new school will give off the feeling of safety, the architects explained. That includes hallways that curve inside to mimic a hug, and will "reach out and embrace the children as they come in,” the architect said. In addition, the school grounds will also be sloped downward, so that students will be able look out the window at scenery without worrying about others looking in, The Times explains.
That safety will be more than just a feeling, too. Though located on the same plot of land as the demolished school, the new building will be pushed deeper in the woods, further away from the parking lot. The school will be separated into wings that can be locked down separately in case of emergency. And finally, plans to provide armed security to every school in the district remain.
The state of Connecticut provided a $40-some million in bonds for the project, which is expected to be finished for the 2016 school year. About 500 students who are being bused to nearby Monroe are expected to attend.