Safe and Unsafe Buildings in the Moore Tornado

A massive F4/5 tornado struck very near many of our friends and families homes and places of business. We are praying for the emergency response teams and all affected by the devastating storm.  Although buildings can be rebuilt peoples lives are changed forever. There are however reasons some buildings are safer than others in tornadoes and some knowledge of building structures may help save lives. 

Storm Shelter Design in Oklahoma Schools - What happened?

Storm safe shelters built above ground designed to FEMA standards can greatly increase chances of survival. Many Oklahoma schools designed in the last 20 years have storm safe areas that are designed to FEMA standards. These safe areas are constructed  in pods on the interior of a school and able to contain all of the occupants of the school. They are typically designed with steel reinforced poured-in-place concrete walls, reinforced concrete roof and impact resistant metal doors and frames with pressure resistant closing and locking mechanisms.

Many districts have not included storm safe areas in their new schools due to the additional cost or not being able to obtain federal funding thru FEMA.  Many of Moore, Oklahoma's newer schools have storm safe areas. The schools hit by the tornado were older schools that were constructed of brick and concrete block veneer with steel frames. The tornado that hit these schools pulled the metal roof members and deck away from the block walls that used the roof as support. The unsupported lateral stability of these block walls were subjected to 200 mph winds that pushed them into the corridors and classrooms or were knocked over by large steel roof deck panels, beams and other debris. In these type structures with the brittle nature of concrete block and the ductile nature of steel the corridors were not safe.

Why did the Warren Theatre sustain relatively little damage? 

In contrast, the Warren Theatre that was within 200 yards of the direct path of the tornado only sustained cosmetic and light glass and frame damage. The Warren Theatre structural frame and exterior walls are constructed of monolithic, 8" thick, reinforced concrete panels that were facing the direct path of the tornado.  The steel reinforced concrete wall panels withstood large debris forces and winds upward of 200 mph. This system is very good at resisting the lateral forces of debris and wind while the concrete parapets protect the roof edges from the extreme lifting pressures that occur during a tornado. The waterproofing membrane on the theatre roof was sucked off in some areas and no doubt leaks occurred, but relatively little damage compared to other steel and wood frame buildings in the same area.

Rigid Frame Metal Building Systems - Why the adjacent bowling alley was leveled? 

Just across the parking lot from the Warren Theatre not more than 200 yards once stood a large bowling alley. It was constructed of a metal building systems frame, metal wall panels and metal roof deck.  It was engineered like thousands of metal buildings across the nation. The problem with these structures are many including shear resistance, torsion resistance, lateral stability, designed for up to 90 mph winds only. The roof deck on these structures is held on with steel screws that aren't effective at resisting tension and can pull out quickly becoming flying debris and opening the rest of the building to a twisting effect that tears the steel frame apart and throws it up into the tornado.

My hope is that families, community leaders and private businesses will take the time to understand the value of different structural systems and their relative safety. They can then make informed decisions regarding the facilities first cost vs. occupant safety in the event of such a catastrophic event.

For residential safe room plans and additional information you can go to the FEMA web site by clicking on the following link: FEMA Safe Room Construction and Materials Lists.

Conditions for Learning - Can Architecture Support and Enhance These?

Over the last few years there has been much research and discussions about the most important elements found in schools that positively affect student performance.  Often called conditions of learning or C.O.L.  There may be others, but four of the most common are:

• the presence of clear behavioral expectations

• the generation of abundant opportunities to build skills through practice

• the provision of rewards and recognition for students meeting expectations

• the cultivation of positive relationships between teachers and students built on trust and esteem

Most would agree that there is a statistical correlation between the presence of these conditions and student success at end of term testing.  

One of the challenges in our Learning Environments Studio is to explore the influence and impact of these conditions on the physical environment.  Can we enhance, integrate and improve any or all of these conditions in the physical environment thru the use of technology, graphics, games, lessons, shapes, materials and concepts to improve student performance? We think it can and should be done.  Below are simple and cost effective examples of how these ideas may manifest themselves in a gym. Your thoughts? 

Length, Width, Distance, Movement, Addition concepts enhanced in gymnasium design 

Length, Width, Distance, Movement, Addition concepts enhanced in gymnasium design

6 Key Attributes of High Performing Learning Spaces

DESIGNING LEARNING SPACES THAT PERFORM
Over the last several years we have identified 6 key attributes that learning and teaching spaces need to deliver. Together these attributes form the corner stone of our Learning Environments Studio (L.E.S.). These attributes also remind us of our mission and help us stay focused on the future of teaching and learning.


1. MOTIVATING: Education is a forward motion. We must create spaces that encourage and propel minds and deliver a sense of optimism. Every room should have features that work to elevate and accelerate the spirit of teaching, learning and discovery.

2. FLEXIBLE:  Rigidity is an opponent of enlightenment and discovery. The physical spaces need to account for dynamic teaching and learning styles. Fixed and unmovable elements should be minimized, keeping spaces flexible for now and how we want to use them today and even more flexible because we don’t know how they will be used in the future. 

3. COLLABORATIVE:  Shared inspiration is what fuels healthy group environments. We will design spaces that enable all parties to easily connect, communicate and collaborate with each other.  

4. REFLECTIVE: Reflection is the silent narrative of an engaged mind. All participants in the teaching and learning experience should be provided with spaces that facilitate “thinking” time. There needs to be spaces that are free of distractions, places where participants can unplug and simply delve into the wonder of thought. 

5. COMMUNITY CENTRIC: This isn’t a prison or monastery. As part of our mission, we  invite and connect the extended community to share the opportunities of education. To become more aware of each persons value and place in the world.  Open doors that open doors.  

6. PERFORMANCE FOCUSED: Just like “achieve” and “work”, “learn” is a verb. We must create spaces that help educators and students realize their true potential and perform at the highest level.  Beyond creating a building where teaching and learning merely happen, we must focus on integrating curriculum, technology and sustainable design elements to create a building and all of it’s features as “built-in” learning tools.  

Personal Learning Module Concept

Moore Norman Technology Center
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