Public buildings offer study in contrasts

As public buildings, government and educational facilities face a common challenge:

The federal government has spent billions of dollars on security since 1995. Following the events of Sept. 11, the U.S. General Services Administration took a hard look at how effective its security measures were. What it found was that, by and large, most GSA buildings met GSA standards for security based on building-specific risk assessments. Those structured assessments, built on in-depth security guidelines, have been a key to justifying and directing security investments.

"We have not seen any wholesale changes to buildings," says Wade Belcher, director of security in the Office of the Architect for GSA. "There have been operational changes, mostly in the area of training for personnel. But in many cases existing systems were found to be more than adequate."

Adequate, of course, doesn't mean perfect. "In an ideal world there are a lot of things we could do both structurally and on the operational side, but we just don't have the funding to do it all," Belcher says. Each new building GSA builds is more secure than older ones, but retrofitting buildings is very expensive, and each building's need is different.

"We think the buildings are safe for the occupants and visitors, and when we can, we make them safer," Belcher says. Making existing buildings safer has meant steps like installing blast-proof window films and laminated glass, improving access control technologies and setting up X-ray machines.

Although the current focus of many building owners is terrorism, GSA builds and secures buildings in light of risks other than criminal threats. A building designed to face a hurricane or tornado likely stands a better chance against a bomb than an ordinary facility.

Balancing security and public access has always been a struggle for the government. A program called First Impressions is designed to better coordinate security measures into the design of the building so that visitors aren't met with a hodge-podge of devices, says Ghent of Gensler. The desire for an open appearance is also leading GSA to move away from such obvious security measures as bollards or Jersey barriers through better design of buildings.

Years of security upgrades haven't led GSA to let its guard down. Belcher says GSA is now looking very closely at how the HVAC system can be controlled to keep people safe while isolating any contaminants before they get into the building.

"We're also looking at increased filtration and HEPA filters, but those aren't going to provide the answer for all biological threats, nor will they do anything for a chemical threat," he says. "We need to find another answer."

SCHOOLS FIND SECURITY A TOUGH ISSUE

For educational facility executives, heightened concern for security began well before Sept. 11, as a series of shootings in schools made national headlines. But addressing security concerns has not always been easy. One reason: Educational institutions are essentially local. The attack on the Murrah Building posed a very real threat to all federal buildings. An incident in a school does not signal the same level of increased risk for other educational institutions.

What's more, the shootings in schools were not attacks on the buildings themselves, as the Oklahoma City bombing was, and so did not justify the same focus on physical security.

Then there's the issue of money. Although budgets have been loosened a little since Sept. 11, many educational facilities are now looking closely at what no- or low-cost strategies they can adopt.

The look of the building and grounds, for instance, can enhance or weaken the important social-community bonds that schools should help foster. Clearly identified entrances, dear views of all areas, no isolated corners or places, and good lighting are among the areas school officials should be aware of. Many of these changes are cosmetic and relatively inexpensive. Others may involve capital improvements. The important thing, says Douglas Wickstrom, principal with Fanning/Howey Associates, is the building should not make it easier for students to isolate themselves or provide any areas that aren't easily viewed by faculty.

Despite tight budgets, some technologies are gaining popularity - CCTV systems and student identification cards in K-12 schools, for example. Drawing particular interest is a CCTV system that a policeman can access through a computer in the squad car; the systems can be hard-wired, Web-connected or wireless. "These systems are giving security officials a look at what a problem may be inside a school when they are called to respond so they can decide on the appropriate tactic," says Freidenfelds of Sako and Associates.

In colleges and universities, card access is becoming more popular, security sources say. There are more guards, and there is a proliferation of emergency phone installations. But weaknesses remain.

Academic labs, for example, are far behind their corporate counterparts, says Corey of Flad and Associates. In some cases, visitors can gain unchecked access to academic buildings that house labs and even to some labs themselves. Facility executives and security officials are increasingly interested in requiring card access to labs, but that move is still being resisted by some faculty and staff, Corey says.

Resistance to security technologies on campuses may be the exception rather than the rule. "Students and faculty understand the need, and many, I've found, have been asking for more security, not less," says Richard Cottom, senior associate vice president of Public Safety and Auxiliary Services for Drexel University.

But rushing to install new security technologies without solid planning can backfire. "There are a lot of Band Aid approaches in schools," Freidenfelds says. "If there ever was a case for careful threat and security asset assessments and implementation, it's schools."

Of course, using cameras and access control as well as cards or magnetic locks can be very effective in public buildings if properly applied, Wickstrom says. But some security measures can hamper schools from performing their mission.

"Even when you have a high level of technology, as some schools do, how much of that technology do you want to wear on your sleeve?" Wickstrom says. "There is a fine balance between technology as a deterrent and technology as a symbol of an armed camp."