Skip to main content
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

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.