National School Fallout Shelter Design Competition Awards

Designing elementary schools with domestic defense considerations in mind.

“It is hoped that this presentation of the award-winning designs will contribute to general understanding of the nature of fall-out shelter space, clarify design criteria, and stimulate improvement in school design and design for national defense.” – Introduction

In the early 1960s, the Office of Civil Defense hosted a design competition focused on the development of a dual-purpose structure intended to function as both an elementary school and a long-term fallout shelter. A jury of five industry professionals selected numerous architectural designs for award among hundreds of selections, with the Grand Prize going to Ellery C. Green of Tucson, Arizona.

This booklet, published by the Government Printing Office in 1963, was published to showcase the final results of the competitions. Numerous design submissions, organized by region, are presented. Accompanying illustrations, aerial perspectives, floor plans, and descriptive commentary provide fascinating details about the contemporary concerns for nuclear war.