In this week's comments update, readers are debating US senator Ted Cruz's suggestion that redesigning schools could prevent mass shootings, and discussing other top stories.

Republican senator Ted Cruz said that schools should be redesigned to have a single door guarded by armed police to prevent further shootings following the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas.

Speaking to a local news program outside the school in Uvalde, where 19 children and two adults were killed in a shooting on 24 May, Cruz called for several measures to "harden schools".

"Sounds like real healthy conditions for children to grow up in"

Readers are angry. "Slaughtering children in the US is not a design problem," said Stephen C.

GP continued: "Sounds like real healthy conditions for children to grow up in. You reap what you sow. Please find wisdom for school design in the design history of the open-air schools instead of in people who love guns more than children."

"18 police officers couldn't stop the shooter for an hour. Eighteen, Ted," added Zew Newland. "How is police guarding school entrances a solution then?"

"Let's all act as if we live in an active war zone every day of our life," concluded Mr G, sarcastically. "That doesn't sound like a dystopian hellhole at all."

Can design prevent mass shootings? Join the discussion ›

Manhattan skyscraper's interiors "don't match the quality" of Siza's other work, say readers

Álvaro Siza has revealed the 611 West 56th Street skyscraper in Manhattan, which is the Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect's first building in the United States. Commenters agree that the building's interiors let it down.

"Elegant, some grand Siza work," said Pa Varreon. "I feel the work by estranged interior designers might be unfortunately the fact of special connections. Too bad."

Rui Pedro agreed: "It seems obvious that he had nothing to do with the interiors, which is a shame because they don't match the quality of Siza's general work!"

"I would think Siza was just the concept architect for this," concluded Alfred Hitchcock. "And the concept is very 1960s SOM. The exterior detailing and interior design are lacking the required rigour to match the architectural concept."

Do you agree? Join the discussion ›

Commenter thinks factory designed by BIG "looks like a beautiful environment to work in"

Readers are torn over a mass-timber Passivhaus factory constructed by BIG in a Norwegian forest for outdoor furniture maker Vestre. It is allegedly the "world's most environmentally-friendly furniture factory."

"Looks like a beautiful environment to work in," said Ken Steffes.

Hidden Text was less keen: "I find it odd to build the factory in the middle of a forest, to call it 'green'. What about the lorries delivering raw materials and taking away finished goods every day?"

"It's not a forest," replied Jim Angrabright. "It's a tree farm, a monoculture that most likely supplies the wood for the furniture being made in the factory. Same as building a barn in a wheat field. Wherever you live was once undisturbed nature."

Does the factory have green credentials? Join the discussion ›

Reader says "Heatherwick appears very comfortable with risk"

Commenters are discussing a Heatherwick Studio-designed sculpture containing 350 trees, which is being erected at Buckingham Palace in London to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee.

"Heatherwick appears very comfortable with risk," said JZ. "Credit for the willingness to try new things. However, I find many of the final solutions to have 50 per cent of the resonant impact that was conveyed by the conceptual drawings."

"What a nightmarish post-apocalyptic vision," continued Jean-Yves Rehby. "It looks as if in an effort to remember what trees once looked like, mankind had to gather the last surviving feeble and futureless saplings and prop them up in a grotesque mimicry."

Miles Teg agreed: "The most depressing tree ever."

What do you think of the Tree of Trees? Join the discussion ›

Comments update

Dezeen is the world's most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.