​‘Building Security’ (including security for building and by building design) was the original purpose for all architecture and its evolution. It is even more relevant today in the face of Terror and newer forms of crime. As architects while we feel distanced from contributary geo-political developments, it continues to terrorize almost every aspect of urban living across the world.

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The militarization of the public realm reflects these fears, that multiply the indignities every day, affecting us at physical and mental levels on a perpetual basis. Yet, despite all the inconveniences, there is no assurance of the efficiency of the security provided, no dependability, which heighten the sense of uncertainty and fear.

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Security today is a developmental pre-requisite, necessary for economic progress and investment. It is a vital component of the comprehensive sustainable approaches especially for the socio-economic sustainability, contemporary livability and smartness. These today are necessitating a collaborative consideration to the threats in a building, by the designers and security professionals.

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Security protocols today (unlike through history) struggle with little support from their built contexts. Just like most architects and planners, security professionals are mostly oblivious of the role of design in the efficient performance of security. In the developing context of a populous and financially disadvantaged context of India these are further exaggerated and even more critical.

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Research shows that due consideration to these aspects in design and their integration can achieve magical outcomes from humble investments. Yet, there are more than many examples of glaring omissions and even catastrophic blunders in design, that endanger lives for decades and warrant management at huge running and capital costs.

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Globally, there is already an uptick towards ‘design integrated security’, where a lot of efforts and financial budgets are being committed. But research shows that the output achieved is not always proportional to the inputs. This leads to a need to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of security in a physical design. The objectification of the subjectivities would make the readings dependable, trustworthy and justifiable.

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Especially in India where the post 26/11 mandates have reduced urban security to mere ‘theatrics’, a qualitative quantification of security should revolutionize its incentivization, ergonomization and enforcement. It should help us free our urban realm from terror, aesthetically enhance the ambience while integrating more dependable forms of security that respect human dignity and at much lower initial and running costs.

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This tool is the result of an intensive study of all available global literature, standards and codes worldwide, including US-DOD (United States Department of Defense), FEMA- Buildings & Infrastructure Protection Series, RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), API (American Petroleum Institute) rating system, ASIS rating systems as the significant ones. The evaluation system is based on simple arithmetic calculations without complex formulae, based on simple security logic. This a first ever comprehensive audit that evaluates both counter-terror and crime prevention techniques as per context and building type.

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The greatest advantage of the systematic assessment methodology is not limited to its verdict on the security reality of the built environment but the collaboratory process of identification of gaps if any and the emergence of various design and feasibility related possibilities to overcome them. While the matrix is most efficient in savings costs when applied from early stages of design, its contributions towards security in post-construction applications is huge.

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At the end of the process, the rating awarded is meant to be a certifiable reflection of the security reality of that built space that can be relied upon, free of subjectivities and is an absolute statement of the security health of the building. This is expected to be a major marketing tool for commercial applications by building owners and promoters, that will lead to making our cities thoroughly secure and peaceful.

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The evaluation system is expected to follow the trajectory of the ‘green building rating systems’, as a noble cause that is commercially viable. The long-term plans for the brand include dissemination of knowledge, consultancy and audits for the benefit of builders who would like to build better, cheaper, certifiably secure, marketable and sought-after buildings. Its future propagation foresees many training programmes to train the design fraternity, security professionals, project managers and policy makers in the basics of this science. As the audits gain favour across the world, they would require many certified auditors and trainers to be trained. This would generate a new employable skill and create opportunities for worthwhile engagement of the youth associated with the subject already and many more in the future from the fields of design and security.

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The final goal is public knowledge and critical to the end game against terror. The final system is expected to attract partners that would promote the system commercially in global environments, to make it as sought after as the rating systems for green buildings. Further, we may anticipate affiliation to reputed and desirous global agencies that provide the requisite platform to make a meaningful impact for all mankind.

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The Evaluation System development is found by research to directly :

• Evoke trust in the users and incentivize more secure and terror-free built environments;

• Ergonomise security provisions and thereby reduce capital costs by judicious provisioning, material selection, layout etc.;

• Minimize running costs and enhance efficiency by limited dependence on vulnerable forms of security;

• Allow designers to innovate and embed to extract best aesthetic solutions;

• Enhance mental peace;

• Appreciate market value of the properties;

• Reduce insurance premiums;

• Eliminate inadvertent errors blunders and catastrophes due to design omissions/errors.