Architectural design and security guide, Property smoke alarms advice, Secure building doors

Architectural Design and Security: How they are intertwined in Today’ World

21 December 2022

We are far from that period in time when cities were enclosed by walls, closed-up as a fortress. However, there is certainly still a need to protect from outside aggressions, most importantly on public buildings. But security, in this day and age, starts by protecting the people inside the building, from any potential danger. Here is more on the link between architectural design and security.

Making sure that Security is Optimal inside Structures

If we have arrived to the level of security that we now feature inside our buildings, it sadly took a lot of catastrophes to get there. Fires in manufacturing plants, long ago, have created the need for fire exits and other protection against flames and smoke, like the installation of a smoke exhaust system inside all commercial buildings. So much come into play for these systems to be perfectly functional. Installation of aluminium windows and doors, that have been treated for thermal protection, are part of the solution that creates the best security possible for employees, visitors and anyone who has to pass through offices located there.

The design of the building plays a crucial role in keeping people safe. If there aren’t sufficient stairs for people to evacuate from, or if the structure becomes too rapidly instable in case of fire or earthquakes, there is bound to be a large number of deaths, whenever an event or an attack takes place on it. That is why, today, architectural design and security are intertwined so profoundly, whenever an architect sits down at his desk, in order to create a new building.

Safety and Beauty: A Search to reach Both Equally

If there is one thing that the modern world hates, it is buildings that look like bunkers. There is a need in our society to feel as free as we can. However, there is another side to today’s world which is darker: terrorism. And so, architects need to find ways to balance safety with beauty, which is not always as easy as it may seem. Whereas before, it was normal to see bars on windows or barbwire over fences, today such sights would only horrify us. Defensive architecture has moved away from visible to included inside the structure itself.

To reach the balance, architects have to look into potential vulnerabilities that the building could have, in any high-danger situation. It shouldn’t be something that they add on, but more that is included in the whole process, every time. Once a plan has been drawn, the person in charge of the project should always ask: Where is there any weakness in terms of security on this future building?

If there are any, it needs to go back to the drawing table. In the end, some architects will be better than others to include beauty on their designs, but then again, it has always been that way, anyway. The important is that, in real life, if any incident was to happen that involved a building, as few people would be injured or worse. These are today’s standards, and they need to be respected at all times.

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