IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 40

Perspective: What
elements are helpful in
making a space more
secure?

TUNNEL
VISION
Most air travelers have
reconciled themselves
to the notion that going
through airport security isn't
particularly pleasant-or
quick. That impression may
soon get a major makeover
thanks to technology
debuting at the Dubai
International Airport, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. The
airport has managed to turn
part of its security apparatus
into a bona fide design
attraction: a beautiful virtual
aquarium.

metal and sensors that can indicate
how many times a door opens or
when a window opens.
BROTMAN: In schools there are
ways to put interesting textures
and films on glass to allow for a very
welcoming openness and natural
light while also allowing for security.
This helps handle lines of sight,
yet you're still creating a positive,
exciting place for children and
teachers to want to come to school.

Perspective: Is there an
inherent tension between
security and design-at least
in a strictly aesthetic sense?

TINUS KANTERS, PROJECT
LEADER, LIVING LAB
As travelers pass through
DESANTIS: In hotel design, we're
STRATUMSEIND: We are
a U-shaped tunnel, an
here to be comfortable, casual,
talking a lot in the Netherlands
immersive video screen that
conjures a walk along the
inclusive, inviting, and welcoming.
about designing out crime. Part of
ocean floor will surround
Security can have an overlay that
that is technology-using sensors,
them.
takes away from that. But as it
for example, to detect aggression
becomes apparent that hotels-and
and respond more quickly. But we
What they won't see,
buildings in general-can serve as
can also use things like light and
however, is the network of
80 cameras mounted inside
a perch for [an attack], it becomes
smell to influence behavior. For
the tunnel that use faciala responsibility of hotel owners,
example, 99 percent of people are
recognition software to help
architects, and designers to get out
calmed by the smell of oranges.
airport security personnel
in front of this. Otherwise, we're
Also, police like to have white
check travelers' identities and
going to find ourselves being told,
light, so they can see everybody.
screen for potential criminals.
The tunnel replaces traditional
"Here are the preventive measures
But those white lights activate the
ID checks with the goal of
you need to take," and many of
hormone cortisol, which wakes
a faster and more efficient
those things would probably not be
up the body and gets it more
security check process.
aesthetically pleasing.
active. If you put in more orange
Our industry has to recognize
and red light instead, then the
The tunnel is set to debut
in summer 2018, and more
that a measure of security is
body starts to make melatonin,
tunnels will be installed in the
probably going to be needed. We
which puts the body into a more
airport by 2020.
want to be thoughtful, we want
restful mode.
to be measured, but it seems like
DESANTIS: Technology has just
there's probably going to be some
broken the barrier for us in the
giveaway of the freedoms that we currently have in the
security world in terms of how we monitor rooms, how
hospitality world if these acts of terror continue.
we monitor safes, how we look at theft that goes on in the
BROTMAN: I don't feel like we have our hands tied
back of house [at a hotel]-even how things are inventoried
behind our backs. There are still great ways to celebrate
and labeled. Part of that is using camera systems, but not
children and not have them feel that they are in some
all. The hotel room, for example, needs to remain a place
sort of a prison. Besides, one of the most fun things about
of privacy and solitude, where you know no one is going to
design is doing the puzzle solving and figuring out how
be able to watch you. Still, there are things you can do. For
everything fits together and how it all works best. n
example, there are strips that can identify certain types of

40

perspective

iida.org/perspective

Photo by: noomcpk2528/thinkstock

that, but the entrances just can't
be as deep. They used to be deep
enough that someone could hide
in an alcove, and that's no longer
allowed in the state guidelines. In
the same way, the floor plan locates
classrooms in separate corridors
for security and deterrence, rather
than right by the entrance in the
first line of sight.
http://www.iida.org/perspective
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018
