When planning a new building—whether it’s a commercial property, residential complex, or public facility—security is frequently relegated to an afterthought. Architects, developers, and project managers focus their attention on aesthetics, functionality, and costs, with security systems often addressed only at the tail end of the process. This reactive approach not only compromises the building’s safety but also results in inefficiencies, inflated costs, and vulnerabilities that could have been avoided with early planning. The question is: why does this happen, and how can we change it?
Why Security Gets Overlooked
Several factors contribute to security being treated as secondary during building planning:
- Aesthetic Priorities: Designers and architects often prioritize a building’s visual appeal, fearing that visible security elements might detract from the desired aesthetic.
- Budget Constraints: Developers may see security as a non-essential upfront expense, mistakenly believing it can be deferred or minimized without consequence.
- Delegated Responsibility: Perhaps most significantly, the responsibility for security is often handed off to the electrical contractor. While skilled in their trade, electrical contractors typically lack the specialized expertise needed to design effective security systems.
- In such cases, security is outsourced to a third-party security company, with the electrical contractor adding a markup to the costs.
- This approach leads to fragmented decision-making, misaligned priorities, and inflated budgets, with the final system often being less effective than it could have been.
- Delayed Perceived Need: Security is sometimes only seen as necessary once the building is operational, when real-world risks become apparent. Unfortunately, by then, making changes is significantly more expensive and disruptive.
The Flaws in the Current Approach
Entrusting security planning to electrical contractors may appear convenient during the construction phase but often introduces significant inefficiencies and risks:
- Lack of Expertise: Security system design is not the primary skill set of electrical contractors. While they may handle the installation of conduits and cabling, they are rarely equipped to assess vulnerabilities, design strategic coverage, or specify advanced systems tailored to the building’s needs.
- Increased Costs: Security companies engaged through electrical contractors often inflate costs to account for unnecessary design modifications and late-stage installations. Additionally, the contractor’s markup further drives up the final expense.
- Reactive Variations: Without early input from a security specialist, the project often faces costly variations later in the process to address overlooked risks, poorly placed infrastructure, or inadequate systems. These variations can delay the project timeline and strain budgets.
A Better Approach: Engage a Security Advisor Early
To avoid these pitfalls, developers and project managers should prioritize engaging a qualified security advisor from the design stage of the project. A dedicated security professional brings the expertise and foresight needed to create a system that is both effective and cost-efficient. Here’s why this approach is more beneficial:
- Strategic Design from the Start: A security advisor evaluates the building’s unique risks, ensuring that all high-risk areas are covered and that security systems integrate seamlessly with the building’s overall layout.
- Cost Efficiency: By designing security systems early, unnecessary expenses such as retrofitting, re-cabling, or multiple variations are minimized. Developers avoid paying unnecessary markups to contractors and can allocate budgets more effectively.
- Future-Proof Systems: Security advisors design systems that are scalable and adaptable to future needs, accommodating emerging threats and technology upgrades.
- Improved Collaboration: Engaging a security advisor fosters collaboration with architects and contractors, ensuring that security measures enhance rather than disrupt the building’s functionality and aesthetic.
The Case for Making Security a Core Priority
When security is integrated into the early stages of building design, the outcomes are significantly more effective, both functionally and financially. Early-stage engagement with a security advisor ensures:
- Seamless Integration: Cameras, access controls, and alarms are optimally positioned without compromising the building’s appearance.
- Regulatory Compliance: Security systems meet all relevant standards and codes, avoiding costly retroactive fixes.
- Proactive Risk Mitigation: Strategic planning reduces vulnerabilities from the outset, protecting occupants, assets, and operations.
Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Security
The reliance on electrical contractors to manage security is a symptom of a broader issue: the undervaluation of security as a critical component of building design. By shifting this mindset and treating security as a core priority, stakeholders can create safer, smarter buildings without the need for costly post-construction fixes.
To achieve this, developers must embrace a collaborative approach, bringing security advisors into the conversation early. These professionals offer the expertise needed to design systems that protect the building and its occupants while aligning with project timelines, budgets, and aesthetic goals.
A Call to Action
It’s time to rethink the way we approach building security. By involving the right experts at the right time, we can move beyond the cycle of reactive fixes and create buildings that are secure, efficient, and future-ready from day one. Security isn’t just a feature to be tacked on—it’s a foundation for everything else. Let’s build smarter, safer, and more resilient spaces together.
