Artful security: Design elements that ensure security, but also emphasize style

Can security, often seen as obvious and ugly, actually be stylish and suitable for a building? Architect Rick Reeder gives us a tour of a property he designed with artful security as the goal

By Joan Goodchild, Senior Editor

July 21, 2010 — CSO —

From bright yellow bollards, to iron gates, to jersey barriers, perimeter security is not typically the most attractive part of a building. But perhaps these elements don't need to be an eyesore. Is it possible to make a building that requires heavy security both secure and stylish?

Rick Reeder, architect and owners of the firm designStream, is proof that security can look good. Reeder designs what he calls "artful security." His designs keep dangerous intruders out without reminding everyone in the area that the building is highly secure.

We toured the perimeter security of a building in downtown Boston that Reeder had designed and he explained his creations and inspirations.

Anti-ram Bench
The first thing we looked at is what Reeder calls an anti-ram bench. It is a massive stone block shaped similarly to a boat and is cut up in several chunks. The structure, a thirty-five-foot slab of black granite weighing 43,000 pounds, sits at the entrance of the building as a deterrent. It plays a security role similar to bollards.

Also see Protecting Joe's Office

"It seemed to me it would have been easy enough to put bollards here. But a string of bollards would have been overstating the case for security. So I wanted a device that was disassociated from security," explained Reeder.

The shape of the block and its placement on the sidewalk give the illusion of a boat sitting in water on a busy day.

"If you were to look at a flow chart it basically sits as a stone in water. And the people, as they walk down the street, flow around it very gently," he said

Reinforced Planters
When Reeder was asked to design security components around the building, it already had some elements in place that were put there by the previous architect. They included large planters around most of the edge. While their main purpose was to showcase flowers, Reeder pointed out that they also serve a security purpose.

"These planters were built sometime before 9/11. I know they happen to be heavily reinforced. So we were able to use them as part of perimeter security. They were fortunately already an integral part of the design of the building. So they match well."

Bollards
While the anti-ram bench takes the place of bollards at the building's main entrance, Reeder did place some bollards at other points of the perimeter that posed potential vulnerabilities. The bollards are cast out of stainless steel, are roughly five hundred pounds apiece and are extremely sturdy, said Reeder. The tops have a ripple-like pattern for aesthetic purposes.

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