2.1 Goals and Objectives
2.2 Site Security
Site Design. Federal facilities must be safe and secure,
yet still be accessible, welcoming, and effective workplaces.
A successful site and landscape design addresses building
and personal security while creating a setting that is
engaged with the larger context in which it sits. Building
setbacks for new construction are required to keep
vehicles and other potentially harmful devises away
from the main structure of the building, and the
resultant spaces must be carefully designed. Security
countermeasures shall be customized in each case, based
on established principles, criteria, risk analysis, and site
conditions. While entrance lobbies, garages, or other non-
workspaces may, in some cases, be included within the
setback, no building workplaces shall be within the
setback without a waiver from the Commissioner of the
Public Buildings Service. In establishing secure vehicle
setbacks, planters, low walls, water features, trees,
hardened street furniture, and landscaped berms may be
creatively employed as perimeter barriers. Bollards also
are quite acceptable when integrated with the design of
Southeast Federal Center Master Plan, Washington, D.C.
the building and its surroundings. Barriers should be
visually punctuated and as unobtrusive as possible to
pedestrians. Consideration should be given to
The quality of the site design is a direct result of the
incorporating security features that allow for flexible use
building's integration with the site. It represents
of the site, such as a gathering space away from the
significant Federal investment and should, wherever
building, or a setting for artwork. High blank walls should
possible, make a positive contribution to the surround-
be avoided; lower walls with sitting edges are preferable.
ing urban, suburban or rural landscape in terms of
Where feasible, features that provide required security
conservation, community design and improvement
should also provide visual and functional amenities for
efforts, local economic development and planning, and
building users and visitors. Existing building security,
environmentally responsible practices.
where the current setback cannot be achieved, can be
See Chapter 1: General Requirements for a complete
addressed through design of landscape elements at the
discussion of model codes and standards adopted by
perimeter, removal of on street parking, and expansion
GSA. This section highlights regulations and standards
or acquisition of additional perimeter space. Security
that apply to site design.
features in these areas must be carefully integrated with
31
SITE,
LANDSCAPE
AND
COMMUNITY
DESIGN
2.1
Goals and Objectives/Site Security
Revised March 2005 PBS-P100
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