4
In Session LaBella Associates |
Fall 2018
Feature
Capital Project Planning for Safer School Environments Security Master Planning is about more than adding cameras and locking hardware. It’s a collaborative process that considers threats from terrorism to natural disasters, and develops a balanced, holistic plan to mitigate the risk. By Michael Place, AIA
We encourage all school districts to establish a collaborative team of professionals to engage in the security master planning process prior to the designation of any scope of work or establishment of any capital improvement project budget.
As architects and designers of K-12 schools, LaBella is often asked to address at least some aspect of security within school capital improvement projects. Such requests have become more prevalent in recent years as school security has become a national focus. School districts are attempting to improve the safety of their facilities in an effective and meaningful way; however, many are approaching the process of security enhancement without undertaking the larger task of security master planning. Further, it is often not entirely understood that the “…idea is not that design can definitively protect people from an active shooter or other hazard, but rather that it can discourage such threats or create delays that save lives.”1 Prior to engaging in any security capital improvements, and by extension, investment of tax-payer dollars, school districts must begin to approach the topic of security in a holistic manner.
