The community of Newtown, Conn., began its next chapter in August 2016 when students walked through the doors of a new Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The $50 million, 86,800-square-foot facility replaced the building where 20 children and six staff members were killed nearly four years earlier when a heavily armed gunman forced his way into the school and opened fire on students and teachers.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, town residents voted to tear down the school and construct a new building that would not carry the scars of the December 2012 attack.
The new Sandy Hook accommodates about 500 students in grades prekindergarten to four. The facility was designed and built with a goal of meeting LEED Gold standards for energy efficiency and environmental impact.
It also incorporates design elements recommended by a School Safety Infrastructure Commission created by the Connecticut legislature after the Sandy Hook shootings to develop guidelines for bolstering school security.
The architect is Svigals + Partners, and the construction manager is Consigli Construction.
