Commercial Projects
Highly specific expertise for the commercial market
The Engineers and Architects who make up the Hardened Structures core team of professionals each have far greater years and depth of experience in commercial, institutional and government class projects than our background in hardened shelters for residential clients.
We see in throughout the entire sector of commercial building types and corporate campuses there is a need for higher levels of security infrastructures, physical security improvements, and planning for response to natural and made events to protect the assets and employees of corporations.
The physical improvements to the built environments need to be supplemented with standard protocols and procedures, trained to key staff to know how to react correctly to various types of events. To achieve this holistic approach to Security infrastructure improvements we have joined together with security consultants to integrate our services.
The approach to commercial building improvement requires meeting with our clients key stakeholders for interviews, surveying the facilities and preparing a written and graphic set of documents to recommend improvements.
These recommended improvements may take on much different aspects including but not limited to the following:
- Modifications and or retrofit to the built environment, such as structural modifications and new spaces for secure purposes
- Electronic monitoring
- Perimeter security measures, electronic entry control, visual monitoring
- Enhanced programming and training for applicable staff
- Advanced telecommunications improvements
- Standby and backup power planning
Commercial structures face differing levels of risk associated with CBRN threat, climate change and natural events, accidents or intentional (criminal or terrorist) events. The development of effective and efficient client/project-specific mitigation strategies requires the use of Risk Assessment. Risk is a combination of credible threats, vulnerability and consequence. Certain geographical areas have particular risk factors that affect facility capability need and placement such as population density, presence of critical infrastructure, location in a high terrorist threat or high natural disaster areas and military base/complex proximity.
Hardened Structures employs the latest Department of Homeland Defense and approved sensory and filtering equipment to protect commercial and government buildings. Hardened Structures is currently working to protect commercial and government facilities from the Mid-East to California.
The CBRN Threat
Counter-terrorism experts within the DHS, CDC, and NIOSH are vexed by commercial and public building vulnerability. An office building has a high concentration of human life encapsulated in a small space; an ideal target for today's merciless terrorist. The experts repeatedly identify the HVAC system as the most likely distribution point for a toxic attack.
Structural Hardening of Buildings and Structures
Innovative structural solutions are needed to "harden" new or existing commercial structures to accommodate client priorities. The Hardened Structures Team of specially trained independent design firms and general contractors has the required experience to design, engineer, and manage the construction of these specialized projects.
