Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa June 2013 | Page 52

SMART MOVES

BY ANGELIQUE REDMOND

Secure Is Business Savvy

Key elements to a better commercial building

O

ne important question you should
ask yourself as a commercial builder,
owner or developer, is how secure is
your commercial building? In a world of rising
crime rates, security is one aspect you cannot
afford to overlook whether for your safety
or that of your tenants; a safe building is a
desirable one.

Three areas of safety in your
commercial building
Outer perimeter security
The outer perimeter security is your actual
property lines. You want to control who can
walk or drive onto your commercial property.
You want your property to be inviting to your
customers and at the same time a deterent
to intruders. Criminals like to move about
unnoticed. By clearly marking public versus
private access to the property, you can create a
sense of the people who belong and those who
are intruding. Outer perimeter security could
involve fencing in various forms. Landscaping
features such as hedges can also serve this
purpose.
In deciding what type of perimeter security
to implement, you need to weigh the risk of an
intruder entering your property with the cost of
the available physical security measures.
Two security concepts involved in perimeter
security are Natural Access Control and
Territorial Reinforcement.

in control, they have a low perception of risk,
since they believe they are able to move about
unnoticed. However, limiting and clearly
marking the approaches to buildings and
properties, thereby channelling visitors into
a defined area, can deny this sense of control.
Natural Access Control is the use of building
and landscaping features to guide people as they
enter and exit a space. When applying Natural
Access Control, both entrances and exits should
be taken into consideration. Not only do you
want to discourage intruders, but you also want
to close any of the potential escape routes.

Territorial reinforcement
The purpose of Territorial Reinforcement is
to prevent unauthorised entry and to create a
clear distinction between public and private
property. This distinction is important for two
reasons: legitimate occupants have a sense of
ownership and will notice people who don’t
belong; intruders, on the other hand, will
have a hard time blending in. Territorial
Reinforcement is not the same thing as
perimeter security, but the goal of both is the
same: keeping intruders off of your property.

Natural access control
Criminals like to feel that they are in control
as they enter and exit an area. When they are
50

June 2013 SA Real Estate Investor

www.reimag.co.za