Sandy Hook School

If such a fundamental aspect to education is shaken, communities have an obligation to come together—to curate an environment that not only rebuilds trust but also promotes healing. Looking to rebuild and celebrate the bright future of the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School, the citizens of Newtown, Connecticut, selected Svigals + Partners to develop a new facility that encouraged students to embrace the healing power of art and resume their educational path in peace.

The successful development of the new Sandy Hook School hinged upon full collaboration between the architect, their team of consultants, and the surrounding community. Acentech was selected by Svigals + Partners to design the acoustics for this facility.

Designing a welcoming, warm place for students to learn and grow hinges upon more than simple aesthetics—each one of the five senses must be carefully considered. In essence, how someone feels inside of a room also depends on how that room sounds. The unique design of this elementary school posed a challenge that our consultants were more than honored to work around.

The atrium, “tree houses” nestled within the second floor of the building, auditorium, music room and classrooms designed for student-to-student collaboration all required careful attention to acoustics. Without proper sound isolation, room treatments, and mechanical system noise and vibration control, this expansive school could become very noisy very quickly. Acentech’s consultants dedicated themselves to ensuring that the educational experience within Sandy Hook exceeded the expectations of the community. The trust in our expertise for such a crucial project was—and remains—a true honor for our team.