The building’s location on the site

Once the geographic location of the site has been selected, the placement of the building on the site must be determined. The physical distance between the organisation and a potential threat may be relevant to security, as increased distance could reduce the impact of certain types of attack. E.g. restricting the possibility of parking vehicles close to the building. It is a good idea to try to achieve the greatest possible distance to the immediate environment, i.e. the surrounding road network, other buildings, busy squares, etc. This will ensure sufficient space for establishing a stand-off zone, where various security measures can be implemented. This can reduce the impact of an incident and extend the response time of the emergency services, giving them the chance to provide the best possible response.

It is also helpful to consider the height of the building in relation to the ground floor if the organisation is facing the risk of monitoring through direct line of sight. One way of mitigating this, is to create level differences in the terrain, that can help to limit visibility to areas that may be exposed.