In a recent survey, 20% of business leaders interviewed by Pro-Vigil stated that they had experienced an increase in physical security breaches compared to the previous year. Physical security is an imperative and pressing consideration for any business.

So, how can you coordinate your building security with architectural drawings to provide maximum protection for your business?

This guide explains everything you need to know about planning your building security in line with its architectural design. It includes your building’s external vulnerabilities to protecting the vulnerabilities in your building’s layout.

 

How To Identify Your Security Needs Based On Your Building’s Architecture

Suppose you want to start planning your building security under your building’s architecture. In that case, you’ll need to perform an analysis of your architecture drawings to identify key vulnerabilities and security threats posed by your building’s layout.

The priorities you will need to bear in mind when analyzing your building’s security design are:

  • Fire protection – You will need to keep fire protection in mind when planning your building security. For example, suppose you wish to reduce the number of entry points in your building’s design to increase physical security. In that case, it is prudent to remember that you need ample fire exits for occupants to leave safely in the event of a fire.
  • Occupant health and safety – Accident prevention is vital when designing your building. You can easily cause slips and falls with faulty building designs like stairs that do not meet safety requirements. This involves implementing knowledge of successful MEP design.
  • Natural disaster protection – Your building’s location will dictate which natural disasters you will need to plan your structure against. For example, providing shelter zones in the event of an earthquake or hurricane.
  • Protecting assets stored within the building – Your building security design should consider occupant safety while also protecting the inside digital and physical assets.

 

How To Develop A Security Plan Considering Your Building’s Architecture Drawing

Now you know which factors are a priority when developing your building’s security alongside architecture drawings. You can start to analyze which tools and techniques would be best suited for meeting your building’s needs.

Entrances

When planning the security of entry points to your building, you should distinguish one single point of entry for all visitors and occupants. This way, it is easier to monitor this one entry point.

You should design your building’s entrances to make them more secure using solid materials like steel or aluminum. You should also restrict access to unauthorized users. In addition, implement health screening to prevent infectious diseases from being carried into your building.

Windows

Windows, in addition to doors, are among the more vulnerable parts of a building. It is best to ensure that your occupants can open windows if an emergency occurs.

Since windows are such a vulnerable feature in a building’s architecture drawing, you must consider the materials used in the windows. You can use security screens, laminated glass, and applied film to make your windows less susceptible to breakage and protect your building from attempted break-ins involving smashed windows.

Access Control

In addition to considering the protection of your entrance points in terms of materials, you should also consider implementing technology that can increase occupants’ feeling of safety within the building without inconvenience.

Access control involves the installation of wireless door locks that facilitate remote operation and viewing of access logs. Depending on the frequency of your reader, these keyless, radio identification (RFID) operated door locks can be opened without users having to reach into their pockets.

This is because the doors unlock using digital access cards stored on users’ mobile devices. The reader can communicate with the device via Bluetooth. It means that the device can open the door even when it is in the users’ pockets or handbags.

You can integrate access control with wellness verification software. This integrated system reinforces your building’s requirements in disease prevention and health and safety, requiring carrying out wellness surveys before the user gains entry to the building.

Automated Alarms

You can implement a building management system to manage the functions of your building, including the mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical aspects of a building.

You can have a more sophisticated alarm system by using automated building management tools. If a sensor in the building reports data outside of the predefined conditions of a building, then an alarm is triggered to alert users. This will provide fast-acting security by immediately alerting your occupants in the event of an emergency and beginning emergency procedures.

Video Security

You can integrate a business video security system with access control to provide a comprehensive overview of access logs and video information on one interface.

By integrating video security with your access control system, your security team will not have to use two different channels to resolve incidents of misappropriated entry. Suppose your team can view and compare both sources of information on one interface. In that case, this will provide a more user-friendly experience, and they will resolve issues more quickly.

Protecting Your Physical Security Technology

If you are using a physical security system involving cloud-based technologies to facilitate remote operation, you should also consider installing cybersecurity software.

You can protect your physical security system in terms of cyber security to make it fully secure. The way businesses conceive physical protection is changing to imagine digital and physical security as intertwined concepts.

 

Thus, protecting your cloud-based physical security technology with cybersecurity software will make your protection system future-proof. You need to prepare it to face the challenges of the modern security landscape.

Summary

Implementation of your building security should be around the building’s design. In addition, it should consider all of the crucial factors when it comes to analyzing its risks. These methods will help you adapt your building’s protection to the unique challenges of your building’s architecture.

 

In case you have architectural, structural, and MEP design requirements, feel free to contact us.  We provide you with the full permit set design + T24.