KWK Architects Designs Reinforced Rooms at Residence Halls to Protect Students from Tornadoes, Severe Weather
KWK Architects has designed reinforced rooms for several universities within the country’s Tornado Alley where twisters are more common.
In areas of the country where dangerous tornadoes and severe weather occur more frequently, more universities are incorporating reinforced rooms, or storm shelters, in their residence hall designs to provide an extra layer of protection for students. These tornado-safe rooms are typically small, above- or below-ground structures made of concrete, masonry or steel that are proven to withstand extreme winds, even those produced by EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes.
The U.S. averages 1,333 tornadoes per year with more than half of those occurring between April and June when most universities are still in session. The top five states with the highest number of tornadoes annually include Texas, Kansas, Florida, Oklahoma and Nebraska.