Almost four years after a gunman killed 20 students and six educators on Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., has reopened. The new building, said superintendent Joseph Erardi Jr. in July, has a “warm and calming environment”–but also security that is “second to none.” Architect Barry Svigals says his firm bridged that gap by designing several key elements. Among them: classroom doors that look like wood but are actually stainless steel; bright, open areas that can be sealed off from classroom wings; and impact-resistant windows that offer views of nature and of anyone who’s approaching the school.
For more on these stories, visit time.com/ideas
–Julia Zorthian
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- 22 Essential Works of Indigenous Cinema
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com