In an effort to support the health, safety and wellbeing of students, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is releasing 3D design models and strategies today that can assist education officials with reopening schools during the pandemic.
For the 2020-21 school year, districts are facing the difficult task of determining if K-12 schools will reopen this fall. As part of the AIA’s initiative, “Reopening America: Strategies for Safer Buildings,” the AIA’s team—comprised of architects, public health experts, engineers, and facility managers—assessed hazards in K-12 schools and developed strategies to mitigate risk of COVID-19 transmission.
In addition to the 3D design models—produced by VMDO Architects—detailing strategies for classrooms and corridors, the team is releasing a report that provides additional considerations for entrances, gymnasiums, assembly spaces, cafeterias and other spaces. Other strategies are also available for restrooms and staff spaces such as offices. The report also elaborates on the many factors that need to be taken into consideration when reopening schools and provides basic building blocks that can be adjusted on a case-by-case basis when working with design teams to ensure the needs of individual education facilities are met when adapting buildings for COVID-19.
Findings in the report are meant to work in tandem with tools that can assist education officials with preparing schools for reopening, including a seven-step Risk Management Plan for Buildings for assessing hazards and applying strategies that reduce risk and the AIA’s Re-occupancy Assessment Tool, which provides a framework of strategies for making buildings safer.
Resources were developed from a wide range of expertise using a virtual charrette workshop – a method used to study specific issues in a limited time frame using an intense brainstorming session.
As part of the sessions, a group of public, environmental, and occupational health experts and physicians provided an independently developed 90-minute briefing on SARS-CoV-2 infectious disease transmission, epidemiological models, and insights into the most current research of the virus as of early June. For more detailed information on public health hazards and considerations in schools, see AIA’s COVID-19 emerging research and public health data.
Tailored strategies and considerations for senior living facilities are also being developed and will be released in the near future.
Visit AIA’s website for more COVID-19 resources for architects.
Related Stories
Market Data | Feb 2, 2022
Majority of metro areas added construction jobs in 2021
Soaring job openings indicate that labor shortages are only getting worse.
Market Data | Feb 2, 2022
Construction spending increased in December for the month and the year
Nonresidential and public construction lagged residential sector.
Market Data | Jan 31, 2022
Canada's hotel construction pipeline ends 2021 with 262 projects and 35,325 rooms
At the close of 2021, projects under construction stand at 62 projects/8,100 rooms.
Market Data | Jan 27, 2022
Record high counts for franchise companies in the early planning stage at the end of Q4'21
Through year-end 2021, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG branded hotels represented 585 new hotel openings with 73,415 rooms.
Market Data | Jan 27, 2022
Dallas leads as the top market by project count in the U.S. hotel construction pipeline at year-end 2021
The market with the greatest number of projects already in the ground, at the end of the fourth quarter, is New York with 90 projects/14,513 rooms.
Market Data | Jan 26, 2022
2022 construction forecast: Healthcare, retail, industrial sectors to lead ‘healthy rebound’ for nonresidential construction
A panel of construction industry economists forecasts 5.4 percent growth for the nonresidential building sector in 2022, and a 6.1 percent bump in 2023.
Market Data | Jan 24, 2022
U.S. hotel construction pipeline stands at 4,814 projects/581,953 rooms at year-end 2021
Projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months stand at 1,821 projects/210,890 rooms at the end of the fourth quarter.
Market Data | Jan 19, 2022
Architecture firms end 2021 on a strong note
December’s Architectural Billings Index (ABI) score of 52.0 was an increase from 51.0 in November.
Market Data | Jan 13, 2022
Materials prices soar 20% in 2021 despite moderating in December
Most contractors in association survey list costs as top concern in 2022.
Market Data | Jan 12, 2022
Construction firms forsee growing demand for most types of projects
Seventy-four percent of firms plan to hire in 2022 despite supply-chain and labor challenges.