LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this article, you should be able to:
+ LIST 3 myths related to the use of video cameras in apartment and condominium communities.
+ DEFINE "choke points" and their application to the siting of video surveillance cameras.
+ DISCUSS several physical design factors that can impede the efficacy of video surveillance systems.
+ REVIEW the impact of intensity, uniformity, and color rendering in lighting and their effect on video cameras.
“Cameras can be part of a security program, but they’re not the security solution itself.” That’s the first thing to understand about video surveillance systems for apartment and condominium projects, according to veteran security consultant Michael Silva, CPP.
You need to establish your security needs and develop a comprehensive security plan in the early stages of design. “The questions that don’t get asked during the design phase are almost impossible to correct when the concrete’s being poured,” said Silva. (See our 2017 BDCuniversity AIA Course for guidance on creating a security plan.)
In most cases, you’ll want to hire a specialist to help you design your system. “It’s a professional skill,” said Silva, a Certified Protection Professional, considered the “gold standard” by ASIS International, the organization that certifies security professionals. “You wouldn’t want anyone but a structural engineer to tell you where to place your columns. Same idea for your video surveillance system.”
Some architectural and electrical engineering firms have security system specialists on staff, but if that’s not the case, said Silva, hire a reputable security consultant to help choose your video system and advise you on how to deploy it. (Best source for locating a qualified security consultant: International Association of Professional Security Consultants.)
In planning your system, you need to be aware of what Silva calls the “three dirty secrets” of video surveillance systems:
1. Video cameras rarely deter crime. Most petty criminals either know they’re being recorded or don’t care, because they know local police departments don’t have the manpower to investigate minor crimes.
2. Most recorded video is useless as evidence. The image quality is rarely good enough to present in court, said Silva, and it would be cost-prohibitive to have a system that, for example, covered every square foot of a parking garage just so a tenant could determine who backed into her car.
3. Even the most up-to-date “megapixel” security cameras won’t cure all your video surveillance problems. They can’t “see” through concrete columns, and they may not be focused at the right angle. (For more discussion of security cameras, see Silva's report, "Three Dirty Little Secrets about Video Surveillance Systems.")
In other words, despite what you see on “CSI” and “Law & Order,” video surveillance systems won’t completely prevent crime from happening on your property and won’t solve those crimes if they do happen. “Their primary purpose is to tell the story after the fact,” said Silva, so that the property manager can tell when and where an incident may have occurred and who may have been involved in it. Silva said he does encourage leasing offices and building managers to have a live video on display at all times, so that suspicious activity—“Who’s that person hanging around the loading dock?”—can be detected before something serious happens.
The most cost-effective route, said Silva, is to install cameras at “choke points”—critical intersections where cameras have the best chance of capturing a good image, such as the parking garage gate, the elevator lobby, and stairway entrances.
When you get to the point of actually specifying products, your security consultant should be able to give you a list of several reputable manufacturers to choose from. Silva recommends specifying security-grade cameras that work well on dark nights and in light fog (no video camera works well in dense fog, he noted) and that counteract headlight glare and lighting hot spots.
Don’t forget to check out the manufacturer’s support services. “If you get some product from outside the U.S., they may have only one domestic office for support, and it could be miles away,” Silva warned.
For a well-designed system you should budget about $2,000 per camera, including cabling, conduit, recording equipment, and installation, and negotiate downward with your supplier from that point, said Silva. But be aware that image quality can vary greatly even for the new megapixel cameras. “Cameras with a higher megapixel rating don’t necessarily produce better quality images than cameras with a lower megapixel rating,” he warns.
GET THE SECURITY LIGHTING RIGHT TO MAXIMIZE surveillance cameras IN APARTMENTS
Your video surveillance system won’t be effective if the intensity (the brightness of the light), uniformity (the consistency of the light level from place to place throughout the lighted area), and color rendering (how accurately the lighting renders colors) of the lighting aren’t right. This is especially true for outdoor lighting and lighting in parking garages.
Uniformity is the ratio of the maximum lighting level to the miminal lighting level in a specified area. Silva recommends a maximum uniformity ratio of 3:1 for most outdoor parking lot applications. If the uniformity ratio is too high, you’ll have “hot spots” (bright areas of glare) and “cool spots” (dark areas); in either case, the image quality will be poor.
In general, it’s better to have more lighting fixtures, more evenly spaced, than to rely on one or two high-powered luminaires. Silva further cautions against putting high-intensity lighting fixtures high up on your building and expecting them to “cover” the entire site; in most cases, the fixtures will not “spread” the light for optimal uniformity.
For courtyards, make sure you have adequate lighting along walkways. As they grow, trees and other plantings can block lighting, so be sure that landscaping is properly trimmed to prevent this.
For surface parking lots, Silva recommends an absolute minimum light level of one foot-candle throughout the entire area; 2–4 fc would be even better. Lighting in parking garages can be more difficult, given the many blockages from columns, elevator areas, etc.
Until recently, metal halide lamps were Silva’s preference for outdoor lighting; he said they’re still suitable for projects with smaller budgets. Now, however, Silva recommends LEDs. “They cost more than other systems, but they’re worth it,” he said.
He recommends LEDs that provide a white light spectrum, for more natural color rendition. “Architects will often specify colored lighting for aesthetic reasons, but for security purposes pure white light is best,” said Silva.
In siting the luminaires, minimize light intrusion into living spaces. You also want to use fixtures with shielding that guards against light pollution, especially if you’re going for LEED certification. |M|
For more from Michael Silva on lighting your parking lot for security, see lighting for security.
Related Stories
| Jan 28, 2014
First Look: BIG's Honeycomb building for Bahamas resort [slideshow]
BIG + HKS + MDA have unveiled the design for the new Honeycomb building and adjacent plaza in The Bahamas – a 175,000-sf residential facility with a private pool on each balcony.
| Jan 28, 2014
2014 predictions for skyscraper construction: More twisting towers, mega-tall projects, and 'superslim' designs
Experts from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat release their 2014 construction forecast for the worldwide high-rise industry.
| Jan 28, 2014
16 awe-inspiring interior designs from around the world [slideshow]
The International Interior Design Association released the winners of its 4th Annual Global Excellence Awards. Here's a recap of the winning projects.
| Jan 24, 2014
Urban Land Institute, Enterprise outline issues in rental housing shortage: Report
Bending the Cost Curve: Solutions to Expand the Supply of Affordable Rentals outlines factors that impede the development of affordable rental housing – causing the supply in many markets to fall far short of the demand.
| Jan 22, 2014
SOM-designed University Center uses 'sky quads,' stacked staircases to promote chance encounters
The New School's vertical campus in Manhattan houses multiple functions, including labs, design studios, a library, and student residences, in a 16-story building.
| Jan 13, 2014
Custom exterior fabricator A. Zahner unveils free façade design software for architects
The web-based tool uses the company's factory floor like "a massive rapid prototype machine,” allowing designers to manipulate designs on the fly based on cost and other factors, according to CEO/President Bill Zahner.
| Jan 8, 2014
Strengthened sprinkler rules could aid push for mid-rise wood structures in Canada
Strengthened sprinkler regulations proposed for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) could help a movement to allow midrise wood structures.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Jan 3, 2014
World’s tallest vegetated façade to sprout in Sri Lanka [slideshow]
Set to open in late 2015, the 46-story Clearpoint Residences condo tower will feature planted terraces circling the entire structure.
| Dec 31, 2013
BD+C's top 10 stories of 2013
The world's tallest twisting tower and the rise of augmented reality technology in construction were among the 10 most popular articles posted on Building Design+Construction's website, BDCnetwork.com.