RIBA formulates guidelines on designing for counter-terrorism

13 Apr 10

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has launched practical guidance aimed at architects and planners on designing for counter-terrorism. Brian Sims reports.

By Brian Sims

Published as part of the RIBA’s ongoing work with both the Home Office and the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) focusing on the protection of public spaces, the guidance aims to raise awareness of the importance of design in achieving this objective.

The 22-page document - compiled in association with Carillion organisation TPS' consultants Mark Whyte, Dr Colin Morison, Darius Aibara, Keith McCarthy and Mark Webster - sets out the most common considerations when designing for counter-terrorism in the built environment, and is aimed at ensuring practitioners are better equipped to think about designing-in security features from the outset.

It features real-life Case Studies of UK buildings (such as the National Assembly of Wales and the Cabbot Circus Shopping Centre in Wales), highlighting the different ways in which professionals operational in the built environment space are responding to the tricky challenge of creating secure spaces that are both open and welcoming to the public.

The guidance considers different ways in which vulnerabilities to the terrorist threat might be mitigated, and any damage contained. It examines:

mitigating terrorism through the introduction of physical, technical and procedural protective measures (such as barriers, bollards, landscaping and surveillance)
damage limitation through materials used (such as blast and ballistic-resistant glass) and the deployment of glazed facades to limit intrusion
aspects concerning general security (among them vehicular access, landscaping, fire evacuation procedures and adaptation of original building designs)

View from the RIBA

Speaking this morning, RIBA president Ruth Reed said: “This guide is an essential brief for architects, planners and engineers. It details the key agencies, the nature of the threat and possible design solutions for counter-terrorism measures, and brings together guidance from many public bodies. In turn, it provides an invaluable resource that will inform briefing, design and delivery on many building types."

In addition, Reed commented: “Architects and other designers are now being required to take into consideration counter-terrorism measures when designing public access buildings and public open spaces. This extends the requirement from high risk targets to the wider environment and, with it, the need to deliver good design that creates a sense of security without a siege mentality."

Concluding her speech, Reed explained: "It's important that our built environment continues to reflect the fact that we're an open and inclusive society and that, in interpreting these new requirements, our buildings do not convey that we are driven by security measures.”

Sensitive and complex issue

Peter Heath of Atkins Global, who contributed to the report, told SMT Online: “This RIBA document is an initial response to Home Office counter-terrorism initiatives that include new guidance, identifying recommended design and management approaches aimed at minimising terrorist risks."

He continued: "As a public realm improvement specialist, I feel that this guidance document will provide valuable design data and sources of further information. It sets out, in a very clear way, the context and principles of what is a sensitive and complex issue of our times. It's an issue which needs to be considered at all stages of the built environment planning and design processes.”

Professor Geraint John of Populous added: "This briefing document is a most valuable guide to all those who have some awareness of the threats posed by terrorism, but who do not yet know what might practically be done about them from a design standpoint."

Only last month, the RIBA welcomed guidance published by the Home Office advising on how protective security measures can be incorporated intelligently into both new and existing public access buildings and open spaces while ensuring that they are of the highest design quality.

The report 'Working Together To Protect Crowded Places' was published after a public consultation in 2009, to which the RIBA contributed. As part of the suite of documents released by the Government, 'Protecting Crowded Places: Design and Technical Issues' features design and technical counter-terrorism protective security guidance of particular interest to architects and designers and their clients.

Recommendations of interest to the RIBA

The following recommendations in the report were of interest to the RIBA:

counter-terrorism measures should not be designed in isolation, rather they should contribute towards creating places that have a good range and mix of homes, services and amenities that are well designed and maintained, that afford high quality green spaces and are sensitive to their surroundings
ensuring a standard approach is adopted across the UK by ensuring risk assessments are undertaken by a local police Counter-Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) using guidance issued jointly by the Home Office and the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office
recognising that each site is clearly different, and that there's no ‘one size fits all’ solution - different sites present unique challenges and considerations that will often require bespoke solutions
the local CTSA will distinguish between those measures needed to mitigate risk in the two highest risk severity categories (high and medium-high) and those in the lower two categories (medium and low)
the local CTSA - and, in some cases, other specialist advisers - will advise applicants on specific counter-terrorism protective security measures that would mitigate the level of risk they have identified

Ruth Reed commented: “The guidance on crowded places is a highly valuable resource for architects and other design practitioners working to create public access buildings and open spaces that are safe, and uphold the principles of good design. In particular, we welcome the guiding principle that designing for counter-terrorism cannot be done in isolation from other concerns of the built environment, or detract from the overall aim of the Government in its strategy to create 'World Class Places'."

For its part, TPS completed the technical authoring of the guide by providing the detailed input for the design of structures and glazing to resist blast, detail on the conduct of threat and risk assessments and the application of technical security measures.

Mark Whyte (director of TPS Security and Explosion Effects) told SMT Online: “By joining together information on threat and risk assessments and the need for designing integrated security solutions, the guide has marked out a major step in bringing security to the forefront of the design and construction process."