I am researching the impact of security on American schools, the post-9/11 context. What if the Dept of Homeland Security were the architects of our public schools, what would they look like, indeed what do they look like already? The security impact on the management and culture of public schools, from both an architectural and planning perspective, as well as from an enviro-pscyhological perspective.
I am trying to find examples of newer designs which incorporate security. For example, many are being designed with just one point of entry, through which checkpoints have become the norm. Of course, most are outfitted with surveillance cameras, and mandate transparent backpacks, or see-through lockers, or, have even done away with lockers altogether. there are usually on-campus police, military recruiters, security guards, etc. Some schools i have heard are being designed around a central courtyard with classrooms spoking off in circular dimensions creating a fortress style perimeter while also providing panoptic like surveillance vantages from the center. With all of that, I'm gauging how our schools are beginning to look more and more like prisons.
Anyway, if you have any specific examples of contemporary school designs around this theme, i'd love to know about them.
On another related tip, if from any of your own personal experiences, either as students or parents or teachers, you have any thoughts you'd like to relay, anything about how schools/education/childhood development have been transformed by the security context, i would be very curious to hear your thoughts.
Bryan - I think Columbine has had a bigger impact on school design than 9/11 has. That event is what started the widespread use of security cameras, limiting points of entry and for the most part coined the term "lock down" in the school arena.
i am just alluding to 9/11 in the sense that security has become utterly pervasive now, over everything. a cultural mandate almost. from airports to public libraries to gated communities to shopping malls to event venues to schools and parks.
i didnt mean to suggest 9/11 was the reason schools began to operate like prisons, but how are schools fulfilling their security obligations in the same feverish security context that has swept these other institutions? Columbine was in a sense an act of terrorism, have schools responded properly to this? is security truly the preventative measure to take? Is Homeland Security with all it's color-coded warnings similar to the color coded lockdowns of many schools the ideal response to terrorism? etc. Is the school security response part of that same pathological reaction, which, may remove guns at the border, doesn't get at the core cause of these acts of violence.
So, there is: what is the impact of terrorism, of violence on the nation, or in this case, in the schools? then, there is: what is the impact of the security that follows?
I went to a school designed and built in the 90s (pre-Columbine) in which the vast majority of the classrooms do not have a window. They have only one exit point, through the door to the hall, and the only "natural light" comes through a translucent plexi pyramid skylihgt in every classroom. My mom still teaches there. I'll see if she has anything to say about the effect of securitization.
a few years ago i remember driving past two sites on my way to my family's beach house just south of saint augustine, florida... the first site was a new high school... the second was a national armory (i believe that it was a coast guard facility)... the juxtaposition was incredible as the armory building was much more inviting and had more windows visible from the street... i wish that i had some pictures to share...
you'd think that there is enough research/information that proves the benefits of natural lighting on education and test scores that it could some how counteract all of the fear-mongering that is turning our schools into dark, flourescent lighted, prisons... i guess that fear is more powerful than intelligence...
it's slightly tangentially related, but be sure to take a look at the catalogue from the SAFE exhibition from MOMA a few years ago...
One of my studio projects in grad school was an elementary school. I did not want to build a fortress. In the area where the school was hypothetically located the solution to school construction has been windowless buildings surrounded by high razor-wire fences. My solution was to raise the entire building (including playing fields and playgrounds) 1 1/2 stories above the street with a single entry point. The raised sturcture enabled the building to have lots of glass, light, views, openness to the exterior.
also, check out john ronan's gary comer youth center on the southside of chicago... it's a recreation/community center rather than a school, but after reading an article in metropolis about the project, it was built with all of the fortresslike security concerns in mind (i.e. all of the glass is bullet proof), but it is still an attractive building...
mdler - 9/11 and homeland security hasn't shifted money from anything, especially schools. It has only increased federal spending and the federal deficit as well. I cannot comment about all state gov't but from my experience with gov't at all levels, spending is never cut.
bryan - I'll bite since I do have several public schools under my belt.
The thing about public schools is more than any other building type they are trying to squeeze the most out of their budgets. They are also heavily scrutinized by the public because of all public buildings they are often funded at the most local level - property taxes. Because of this the designers have very difficult decisions to make.
For example, there is plenty of research to proove that daylight and views are good for a learning environment. Unfortunately budgets intervene over what's best for the student. Windows are more expensive than CMU and brick, so they get smaller, or in extreme cases are eliminated. Point is, security hasn't done that, but $$ bottom line has.
Most schools are built like a prisions because for several reasons. The brick and concrete materials aspect has to do with their construction needing to last. Also we are consolidating schools and making them larger and larger. Most students don't learn well in giant environments so architects respond by breaking up the building into "blocks" or trying to give it a campus feeling. The result is a cell block look with a central cafeteria and gymnasium. Hmmm?? Again, security didn't bring about that look.
Limiting points of entry is nothing new. Schools have always wanted to control the students coming and going from the building. Again, doors are expensive. No more than required by code and make sure that hardware is exit only.
Where schools have adapted is in electronic security. Surveliance is standard in new schools. Electronic locks at all exterior doors is quite standard. But, no bomb proof structures or anything on that scale.
I think public schools have always been designed to be prison-like for the same reason prisons are designed the way they are: limited budget and emphasis on security. I find it ironic that I attened middle school in a public school built in what looked like late 80's, early 90's. Most classrooms had no light at all and the rooms that had windows were more for remedial classes. The ironic bit is I attended highschool at a private school that inhabited an old public highschool building designed by a famous local architect in the 50's. It was a beautiful building, all the classrooms had huge windows, its a shame to see how far we've declined.
thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. please keep them coming.
i was worried that maybe DHS hadn't taken money away from school districts, but even perhaps the opposite: given funds to them for the sole purpose of securing schools. not that the DHS thinks terrorists are finding new breeding grounds in schools, just that it would serve another avenue for them to pipe in their dollars towards more pervasive security infrastructure. towaards the wholesale securitizing of communities.
anyway, interesting to hear that essentially schools turn out like prisons b/c of budget constraints. that's pretty sad. but certainly not suprising.
are there precedents we can point to that illustrate a school in the ideal state of security? not that security is ideal at all, but i want to examine those schools which are not just de facto prisons by cheap design, but that are overtly securitized. the panoptic sublime in school form. and perhaps the opposite: school structures not undermined by security, but that incorporate it as utterly secondary to the environmental design of learning.
i dont know - just very curious how schools have become microcosms for the greater security urbanism at work in our cities and communities these days.
ok, any additional projects in the realm of schools and security, is appreciated.
The idea of controlled zones, secure entrance lobbies, school lock-down and a plethora of cameras seem to be the preferred option from the facilities manager. Natural surveillance is there but you can never have too much big brother.
... and while I'm here it seems to be a good time to give my respects to Mr. Sence
Obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense:
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who
has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,
since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He
will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair; and
Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend
more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 year old
boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens
suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the
job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children. It declined even further when schools were required to get
parental consent to administer Calpol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a
student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant
and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became
contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better
treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed
to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little
in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust;
his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else
Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
__________________________________________________
I'm sure Mr. CS whould say don't piss off arabs, don't carry weapons, do your homework. It's common sense.
thanks for the links, i definitely will look those over. and the CS poignancy. nice. poor dude is probably perpetually aroll in his grave now.
real quick - does anyone have examples of specific detention facilities that may be incorporated into the school? inboard cells? closet niches blurring school and prison?
which makes me examine the reciprocal approach: inboard schools in prison. but that is the overlap of space i most curious about, and the subsequent rearing of a carceral pathology in adolescents via the architecture of their schooling.
fortunately my kids are being homeschooled where they learn the truth of the scriptures and don't get exposed to that gay business. they also learn how to use many different types of weapons and the girls learn there place.
Securitizing Public Schools
Hi All,
I am researching the impact of security on American schools, the post-9/11 context. What if the Dept of Homeland Security were the architects of our public schools, what would they look like, indeed what do they look like already? The security impact on the management and culture of public schools, from both an architectural and planning perspective, as well as from an enviro-pscyhological perspective.
I am trying to find examples of newer designs which incorporate security. For example, many are being designed with just one point of entry, through which checkpoints have become the norm. Of course, most are outfitted with surveillance cameras, and mandate transparent backpacks, or see-through lockers, or, have even done away with lockers altogether. there are usually on-campus police, military recruiters, security guards, etc. Some schools i have heard are being designed around a central courtyard with classrooms spoking off in circular dimensions creating a fortress style perimeter while also providing panoptic like surveillance vantages from the center. With all of that, I'm gauging how our schools are beginning to look more and more like prisons.
Anyway, if you have any specific examples of contemporary school designs around this theme, i'd love to know about them.
On another related tip, if from any of your own personal experiences, either as students or parents or teachers, you have any thoughts you'd like to relay, anything about how schools/education/childhood development have been transformed by the security context, i would be very curious to hear your thoughts.
OK, thanks!
shit... i went to a high school in the early 90's and had to walk through metal detectors back then........
it's still possible for weapons to get into schools anyways
b
Bryan - I think Columbine has had a bigger impact on school design than 9/11 has. That event is what started the widespread use of security cameras, limiting points of entry and for the most part coined the term "lock down" in the school arena.
yes, aquapura, that is true, clearly.
i am just alluding to 9/11 in the sense that security has become utterly pervasive now, over everything. a cultural mandate almost. from airports to public libraries to gated communities to shopping malls to event venues to schools and parks.
i didnt mean to suggest 9/11 was the reason schools began to operate like prisons, but how are schools fulfilling their security obligations in the same feverish security context that has swept these other institutions? Columbine was in a sense an act of terrorism, have schools responded properly to this? is security truly the preventative measure to take? Is Homeland Security with all it's color-coded warnings similar to the color coded lockdowns of many schools the ideal response to terrorism? etc. Is the school security response part of that same pathological reaction, which, may remove guns at the border, doesn't get at the core cause of these acts of violence.
So, there is: what is the impact of terrorism, of violence on the nation, or in this case, in the schools? then, there is: what is the impact of the security that follows?
I went to a school designed and built in the 90s (pre-Columbine) in which the vast majority of the classrooms do not have a window. They have only one exit point, through the door to the hall, and the only "natural light" comes through a translucent plexi pyramid skylihgt in every classroom. My mom still teaches there. I'll see if she has anything to say about the effect of securitization.
a few years ago i remember driving past two sites on my way to my family's beach house just south of saint augustine, florida... the first site was a new high school... the second was a national armory (i believe that it was a coast guard facility)... the juxtaposition was incredible as the armory building was much more inviting and had more windows visible from the street... i wish that i had some pictures to share...
you'd think that there is enough research/information that proves the benefits of natural lighting on education and test scores that it could some how counteract all of the fear-mongering that is turning our schools into dark, flourescent lighted, prisons... i guess that fear is more powerful than intelligence...
it's slightly tangentially related, but be sure to take a look at the catalogue from the SAFE exhibition from MOMA a few years ago...
One of my studio projects in grad school was an elementary school. I did not want to build a fortress. In the area where the school was hypothetically located the solution to school construction has been windowless buildings surrounded by high razor-wire fences. My solution was to raise the entire building (including playing fields and playgrounds) 1 1/2 stories above the street with a single entry point. The raised sturcture enabled the building to have lots of glass, light, views, openness to the exterior.
the biggest impact that 9/11 had on the design of schools was that it has shifted any $$$ that may have gone to our schools towards homeland security
also, check out john ronan's gary comer youth center on the southside of chicago... it's a recreation/community center rather than a school, but after reading an article in metropolis about the project, it was built with all of the fortresslike security concerns in mind (i.e. all of the glass is bullet proof), but it is still an attractive building...
mdler - 9/11 and homeland security hasn't shifted money from anything, especially schools. It has only increased federal spending and the federal deficit as well. I cannot comment about all state gov't but from my experience with gov't at all levels, spending is never cut.
bryan - I'll bite since I do have several public schools under my belt.
The thing about public schools is more than any other building type they are trying to squeeze the most out of their budgets. They are also heavily scrutinized by the public because of all public buildings they are often funded at the most local level - property taxes. Because of this the designers have very difficult decisions to make.
For example, there is plenty of research to proove that daylight and views are good for a learning environment. Unfortunately budgets intervene over what's best for the student. Windows are more expensive than CMU and brick, so they get smaller, or in extreme cases are eliminated. Point is, security hasn't done that, but $$ bottom line has.
Most schools are built like a prisions because for several reasons. The brick and concrete materials aspect has to do with their construction needing to last. Also we are consolidating schools and making them larger and larger. Most students don't learn well in giant environments so architects respond by breaking up the building into "blocks" or trying to give it a campus feeling. The result is a cell block look with a central cafeteria and gymnasium. Hmmm?? Again, security didn't bring about that look.
Limiting points of entry is nothing new. Schools have always wanted to control the students coming and going from the building. Again, doors are expensive. No more than required by code and make sure that hardware is exit only.
Where schools have adapted is in electronic security. Surveliance is standard in new schools. Electronic locks at all exterior doors is quite standard. But, no bomb proof structures or anything on that scale.
I think public schools have always been designed to be prison-like for the same reason prisons are designed the way they are: limited budget and emphasis on security. I find it ironic that I attened middle school in a public school built in what looked like late 80's, early 90's. Most classrooms had no light at all and the rooms that had windows were more for remedial classes. The ironic bit is I attended highschool at a private school that inhabited an old public highschool building designed by a famous local architect in the 50's. It was a beautiful building, all the classrooms had huge windows, its a shame to see how far we've declined.
thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. please keep them coming.
i was worried that maybe DHS hadn't taken money away from school districts, but even perhaps the opposite: given funds to them for the sole purpose of securing schools. not that the DHS thinks terrorists are finding new breeding grounds in schools, just that it would serve another avenue for them to pipe in their dollars towards more pervasive security infrastructure. towaards the wholesale securitizing of communities.
anyway, interesting to hear that essentially schools turn out like prisons b/c of budget constraints. that's pretty sad. but certainly not suprising.
are there precedents we can point to that illustrate a school in the ideal state of security? not that security is ideal at all, but i want to examine those schools which are not just de facto prisons by cheap design, but that are overtly securitized. the panoptic sublime in school form. and perhaps the opposite: school structures not undermined by security, but that incorporate it as utterly secondary to the environmental design of learning.
i dont know - just very curious how schools have become microcosms for the greater security urbanism at work in our cities and communities these days.
ok, any additional projects in the realm of schools and security, is appreciated.
thanks again.
b
I am currently going through my 'education phase' before tackling the more metaphysical aspects of manipulating space.
Building Schools For The Future is Tony Blair's education saviour which currently gives me £12m to build a secondary school for 1200 pupils.
BSF
All our security is reviewed by Secure By Design
The idea of controlled zones, secure entrance lobbies, school lock-down and a plethora of cameras seem to be the preferred option from the facilities manager. Natural surveillance is there but you can never have too much big brother.
... and while I'm here it seems to be a good time to give my respects to Mr. Sence
Obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense:
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who
has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,
since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He
will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
Why the early bird gets the worm;
Life isn't always fair; and
Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend
more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 year old
boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens
suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the
job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children. It declined even further when schools were required to get
parental consent to administer Calpol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a
student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant
and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became
contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better
treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed
to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little
in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust;
his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else
Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
__________________________________________________
I'm sure Mr. CS whould say don't piss off arabs, don't carry weapons, do your homework. It's common sense.
BOTS
thanks for the links, i definitely will look those over. and the CS poignancy. nice. poor dude is probably perpetually aroll in his grave now.
real quick - does anyone have examples of specific detention facilities that may be incorporated into the school? inboard cells? closet niches blurring school and prison?
which makes me examine the reciprocal approach: inboard schools in prison. but that is the overlap of space i most curious about, and the subsequent rearing of a carceral pathology in adolescents via the architecture of their schooling.
I wonder what schools look like in Israel.
fortunately my kids are being homeschooled where they learn the truth of the scriptures and don't get exposed to that gay business. they also learn how to use many different types of weapons and the girls learn there place.
we just taze students here at UCLA if anyone gets too rowdy.
GSA might have something about this? i know all federal buildings follow very strict guidelines.
oops... gsa.gov is the website
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