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

  • 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.

  • University of Southern Mississippi Starts Construction on Oyster Hatchery

    The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently announced that construction has begun on a new oyster hatchery at its Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC) Cedar Point campus in Ocean Springs, Miss., according to a news release.

  • California Boarding School Opens New Inquiry Collaborative Facility

    Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, Calif., for students grades 9–12, recently announced that it has finished renovating a historic dining hall into a new academic hub, according to a news release. The school partnered with Blackbird Architects and Tangram Interiors on the two-story, 16,000-square-foot Inquiry Collaborative.

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

Digital Edition