I have been very lucky to practice my career in a time that engages with the exploration of multi-layered coordination of needs by design, along with the access to technology that allows for it. It has proved beneficial both as an architect and as a citizen, as I feel safer in my built environment as a result. However, I am also wretched that this same access to resources can be used to the advantage of malicious intentions. Most crowded places play an important part in the equity introduced by the public realm, and I believe the openness they represent and identify with should not be concealed or diminished. The SENTRY research, led by Northeastern University, is a perfect example of an opportunity to construct a better, safer built environment through a backstage approach that does not compromise the quality of life of citizens.

SENTRY, which stands for Soft-target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat RealitY, has found that for solutions to be accurate in preventing and mitigating threats, it is crucial to intertwine them with location-specific mapping and study. However, the possibilities for creating and modifying spaces are endless, so where do we begin? Spatial simulations are a trending topic within the disclipine that will always challenge the previously settled reach that architecture has in societies' functions. To put it in another way, architecture has always been an accurate representation of society throughout time, so it is expected for us to be entering an era of built environment aided by the state-of-the-art technology we have already introduced in many aspects of our lives.

It is important to note though, that through it all, architecture has remained as a synonym for enclosure and protection. However, as much as this is one of the main goals in the design process, protection against threats can’t be controlled in the same way for every place. Space cannot and will not always be designed with worst-case scenarios in mind, but should it? And what is the best approach in a post-design goal of enhanced security?

Northeastern and its Center of Excellence partners have tackled these questions not only from the security perspective, but also from a very informative, educational point of vew. This research promises more than answers: it guides an impeding crisis towards an implemented solution, through a cutting-edge technology-based multidisciplinary effort that every young professional within the reach to contribute should look into. For the future, safer spaces, and for the now, peace of mind.

More information at: https://sentry.northeastern.edu/