Federal buildings, courthouses, customs houses, and border stations have always served two crucial functions in the symbolism and operation of the government. They have the responsibility to express to fellow citizens the stability and endurance of their government, while representing the openness and transparency that is vital to democracy. This responsibility continues to motivate us today, even as we respond to changing security requirements that call for innovative physical solutions.

Security is an opportunity—to achieve the best design, contribute to the sustainability and environmental preservation, create a portfolio of buildings that will endure into the future, provide safe and productive federal workplaces, and improve the communities in which we work. Thoughtful security design can demonstrate and represent permanence and encourage citizen participation. A new process entails looking beyond the scope of buildings to include the surrounding site and community. This course will provide an introduction to these principles and the process of effective site security design.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the intent of the Vision and Hallmarks of effective site security;
• List at least 3 of the security zones;
• Select at least 2 appropriate elements/actions to apply to specific security zones;
• Describe the phases of the site security design process;
• Define at least 3 landscape elements to consider for security strategies; and
• Understand the importance of setback distance and strategies to achieve it.