DBIA Book Club: Security Planning and Design - A Guide for Architects and Building Design Professionals

Written by specialist contributors from the field of building design, crime prevention, blast mitigation, and biological protection, Security Planning and Design offers real world concepts, principles and processes for building security and safety design-including assessing a client’s needs and working with physical security consultants. Complete with sample security applications, Security Planning and Design is a valuable guide for architects, facility managers, and building owners. DBIA’s Book Club asked Joseph A. Demkin, editor of Security Planning and Design, six questions.

DBIA: From your perspective, define building security.

Demkin: Building security is about protecting people, property, and information located in and around buildings.

DBIA: What are the components of a successful security design?

Demkin: The design of the building should provide for the level of protection that the client and building users require — preferably based on a professional security assessment. The security aspects of a building design include controlling access to the site and building, allowing for effective surveillance of the facility, and withstanding forced entry and possibly ballistic attack. While providing for security requirements, the design must also fulfill other functional needs without compromising them. Additionally, building security cannot depend on physical measures alone; operational measures — such as response plan to deal with emergencies — are an inherent part of effective security.

DBIA: What are the challenges facing the industry today?

Demkin: On the design side, one challenge is identifying security issues upfront in each project so that security considerations are addressed throughout the entire planning and design process. Otherwise, security becomes an afterthought and literally an "add on" that could often produce less effective solutions. On the technological side, another challenge involves the adaptation and integration of different security hardware and software systems with one another. While progress is occurring in this area, these technologies have been traditionally closed and proprietary.

DBIA: What is the most significant piece of information the reader should take from this book?

Demkin: To realize that the full potential of building security is more likely to be achieved when natural, mechanical, and organizational measures are used in combination. For example, by applying proven security concepts and principles, the spatial design of the site and the configuration of the building structure itself can help support access control and surveillance functions. When natural security measures are planned together with mechanical measures (e.g., monitoring and detection systems, access control devices, etc.) and organizational measures (security operations), the resulting solutions are more comprehensive and synergistic, and are more apt to be more successful.

DBIA: Other than this guide, which three books would you recommend to readers?

Demkin:

1. Crowe, Timothy D. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design: Applications of Architectural Design and Space Management Concepts, 2nd ed. (Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000).
2. Hopper, Leonard J., and Martha Droge. Security and Site Design: A Landscape Architectural Approach to Analysis, Assessment, and Design Implementation (Wiley, 2005).
3. Nadel, Barbara A. Building Security: Handbook for Architectural Planning and Design (McGraw-Hill, 2004).