Add as a preferred source on Google

Passive Security Concepts

  • 11/01/06

Building Layout


    • Avoid blind spots, corners, and cubby holes.

    • Locate administrative and teacher preparation offices within major circulation areas (i.e., corridors, cafeteria, bus drop-off, parking) to provide visual supervision.

    • Develop spatial relationships so there are natural transitions from one location to another.

    • Locate toilets in close proximity to classrooms.

    • Design toilets to balance the need for privacy with the ability to supervise.

    • Locate areas likely to have significant community use close to parking. Ensure these areas can be closed off from the rest of the building.

    • Provide for natural integration of students and staff.

    • Give offices external exits.

    • Widen stairwells in two-story buildings.

    • Create the ability to partition unused portions of building.

    • Include elevator(s) in two-story buildings.


Landscaping, Playing/Practice Fields, and Lighting


    • Use high trees and low bushes (less than three feet high) to deter hiding.

    • Use aesthetically pleasing fencing around the perimeter of the building.

    • Place a tree buffer along the perimeter of the property to avoid extensive fencing.

    • Use non-intrusive lighting in all areas (not correctional-type lighting).

    • Install emergency lighting/power in hallways, stairwells, and rooms.

    • Provide security lighting around building and parking lots with photocell timer that has on/off switch.

    • Separate athletic fields from informal gathering areas.

    • Locate athletic facilities away from building site to avoid vehicular and pedestrian conflicts.


Featured

  • University of Kansas Opens $400M Football Stadium Reconstruction

    The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., recently announced that the $400-million reconstruction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is complete in time for the 2025 football season, according to a news release. The university partnered with Turner Construction Company on the project.

  • Pudu Robotics Launches AI-Powered, Large-Scale Floor Sweeper

    Pudu Robotics recently launched the newest member of its MT1 series of robotic floor sweepers, the PUDU MT1 Max, according to a news release. The AI-powered, 3D perception robotic sweeper was designed for use in large, complex cleaning environments both indoors and semi-outdoors, like parking garages and semi-open building atriums.

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

Digital Edition