Carrie Chaleff
Masters of interior Architecture, Endicott College

As a designer and researcher, I've dedicated my Master's thesis to reimagining school furniture through the lens of both ergonomics and safety. My work stems from a deeply personal place—growing up with numerous attacks seen on the news, having experienced a call threat at my high school in Vermont and participated in advocacy efforts around gun safety legislation.

Through participating in walkouts, protests at the Vermont state house and participating in countless lockdown drills, I became acutely aware of the vulnerabilities in current school safety protocols. These experiences revealed critical gaps in the way our learning environments are designed to respond to crisis situations.

My research focuses on creating multipurpose, modular furniture solutions that serve students' daily needs while providing enhanced protection during emergency scenarios. By observing the flaws in traditional lockdown procedures, I've developed designs that offer practical safety features without compromising on the comfort and functionality essential to effective learning environments.

This project represents my commitment to addressing a modern challenge that schools face—creating spaces where students can focus on education rather than fear, while still implementing thoughtful safety measures. My designs aim to be unobtrusive in daily use while offering crucial protection when needed most.