defence architecture uestiontime


Defence, a colossal word that rings through TV news sta- tions and over radio waves the world over. Defence and protec- tion means so much more than simply the reliance on our front lines, the army, navy and marines. Public buildings require pro- tection of their own kind. This month we are discussing security and the lengths that Architects can go to when dealt a brief of the utmost secure nature. Government buildings are, as you would expect a top priority in designing to a robust and secure brief, as well as colleges for the forces and barracks around the globe. How do we protect them? How do you create a building of strong physical stature that will stand the test of more than just time? What sort of technologies do you implement in these designs and are you as an architect receiving more design briefs of this nature as a result of our chang- ing world?


WARREN BARNETT FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, BARNETT NORTH LLP


A defence building, one designed to enable the defence of the state has now with world terrorism become a building which in by its very function now needs defending from attack, both in physical and cyber terms itself. This defence has gone beyond the role of a sentry and armband. Historically buildings designed


specifically for the dense of the realm have tended to display the “power” of the nation, England has historically many examples ranging from Admiralty Arch to the MI5 building on the Embankment, this visible display of power and ambition no longer can be the case. No longer can the philosophies of Speer be employed to code a building. Modern missile technology can


puncture concrete structures many metres below the surface, so the simple idea of burying installations such as the French did with the Maginot line in the 1930s is also no longer a practical solution. The Dutch have now taken to


placing “dazzle patterns” across satellite maps of the WWW – world wide web? - to stop low grade intelligence gathering. This retro-fit solution will not stop high level information gathering, but does mitigate low level threats.


Our industry


experts provide a compelling


insight into the issues


surrounding today’s


architecture One has to assume a degree of


civility, and adherence to accords such as the United nations protocols and not use public buildings to become” human” style shields as seen in many of the current middle east conflicts. The new brief for any new


defence building must be for the typology to be designed to blend into and become part of an holistic defensible landscape. As a result our civic defence buildings will need to become “faceless”. This does not however limit the


scope or imagination of the architect, there are fanatic opportunities for the development of new forms of “double coding”. Working with established defence principles employed on early battleships, the use of “dazzle” camouflage and the angling of facades as seen on tank design


since the 1920s, there is a true opportunity to develop buildings which are visual difficult to identify via satellite and also able to “throw off blasts” yet are able to be viewed and read as civic buildings if required to do so (cf Zaha Hadid). More domestic scaled defence


building such as ancillary support facilities such as barracks and hospitals can be designed to “sunk”, merging into landforms for security purposes and at the same time delivering highly sustainable design via employing passive and thermal mass design principles. However, the greatest threat to


our buildings is now the technology that runs them and the every present threat from cyber terrorism; this is a whole other debate as to how we live with intelligent buildings that are immune from such attacks.


THE ARCHITECT


WARREN BARNETT FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, BARNETT NORTH LLP


Warren has in excess of some 20 years of experience in architecture, and has worked throughout the UK for regional, national and international clients. Having spent the majority of


his career working in established partnership practices Warren identified a niche for architects and designers with the passion and ability to deliver large-scale projects with the small-scale attention to detail, resulting in Barnett North LLP being launched.


This month’s question: How can we protect public buildings?


Image: The old Royal Military Academy at Woolich Arsenal, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor c1719


Architects Choice 7


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