How to achieve this when building a forensic facility

Planning a psychiatric hospital, and especially a forensic clinic, requires a high level of expertise and experience in dealing with security requirements and the technical possibilities for standard-compliant and adequate implementation. At the same time, the planners and architects responsible must develop a building concept that deliberately counteracts a provocative ‘prison character’ and reflects a fundamentally appealing and thus health-promoting atmosphere. Marco Zepper, Dipl.-Ing. Architect BDA and partner at general planner RDS Partner, is an expert in this field and explains in an interview how this balancing act can be achieved.

What is the biggest difference between planning a forensic clinic and ‘normal’ public sector construction projects, such as government offices, agencies or other administrative buildings?

Marco Zepper: In forensic facilities, the security requirements are significantly more complex than in comparable buildings with different user groups. You have to develop an overall security concept that, on the one hand, ensures the safe accommodation of patients at all times. On the other hand, the conditions must also be created to ensure that, in an emergency, those affected can be safely rescued to a secure area outside the danger zone. This careful planning is very time-consuming and also requires intensive cooperation with clinic operators, security and technical managers, and nursing service managers in advance. Apart from that, as architects, we insist that the security systems can be integrated inconspicuously and unobtrusively into the overall building concept in order to minimise trigger points for patients.

Are there different requirements for security technology, or could a uniform security solution be used for all rooms?

Marco Zepper: Basically, every area of the building needs its own security concept that is tailored to the required level of security. Entrance areas with or without security gates, patient and consultation rooms, and even crisis intervention rooms require different security equipment. A uniform security solution for all scenarios does not work here. In addition, different building requirements and standards must be taken into account depending on the federal state. Nevertheless, it can be said that the planning process always follows the same principle: we take a close look at every single route from the main entrance to the gate and further into the interior of the building and how the security-relevant access and authorisations can best be implemented and controlled on each of these routes.

?What is the significance of doors in a forensic clinic in this context? How do you ensure that they can be opened and closed securely?

Marco Zepper: Door systems in every building are central entry and exit points and therefore always play an important role in the planning of escape and rescue routes. In the particularly challenging area of fire protection, security and evacuation concepts in a forensic facility, experience shows that it is advantageous to consider the fire protection concept based on the EltVTR guideline and the EN 13637 standard before the other two concepts. In other words, rescue and escape route security technology is paramount and must be taken into account in the clinic’s security concept. Imagine, for example, that the general access control system fails due to a power outage. Thanks to the above-mentioned premise, it is still ensured that, in such a case, the escape route technology reliably ‘takes over’ the security function in areas with a lock function, for example. An important part of the planning process is deciding how and in what number the corresponding emergency circuits are to be installed and whether the door systems are to be controlled centrally or decentrally or opened personally by emergency services in the event of danger.

Another important point is that doors in forensic psychiatric clinics must be particularly resilient and robust. This includes protection against vandalism and tampering, but also faecal contamination when selecting suitable door openers and locking technology. For this reason, we are very happy to work with security technologies and systems such as those offered by ASSA ABLOY, for example the control terminals, which are tamper-proof and installed with high-quality stainless steel plates. Or the effeff 352M escape door openers, which can guarantee high break-in resistance as a multi-point lock and still enable safe rescue at any time thanks to their escape route function.

Are there any typical sources of error in the construction planning of a forensic clinic? How can these be eliminated as far as possible?

Marco Zepper: As I said, I believe that intensive discussions with all parties involved are the best way to minimise risks and sources of error right from the start. We also rely on our long-standing partnerships with security experts from suppliers such as ASSA ABLOY. We have benefited from their expertise in forensic issues in every project to date. For example, when clinic operators often ask why they cannot do without an additional burglar alarm system if the planned escape door systems are already electronically controlled. The clear answer is that an electronic escape door system alone is not sufficient to ensure VdS-compliant door locking. Only the integration of additional bolt and magnetic contacts in conjunction with a hazard management or building management system (GMA/GLT) enables continuous security monitoring. This not only prevents tampering, but also ensures that escape routes function reliably in an emergency without compromising the level of security.

?Safety plays a very important role in the construction of forensic facilities. Are you still able to implement aesthetically creative ideas, or are you restricted in any way?

Marco Zepper: It is precisely this tension that makes these construction projects so appealing to our team of specialists at general planner RDS Partner. Of course, we have to take the building requirements and special security demands into account. And yes, certain materials also play a role. Nevertheless, we do not see this as a limitation. Even in this special clinical environment, you can create highly secure, friendly and bright rooms that do not create an immediate sense of threat, while still complying with all regulations. Apart from forensic hospitals and high-security detention centres, many facilities also deal with day patients and day release prisoners who interact with staff on a daily basis. Our goal is always to design a suitable environment that enables the best possible interaction and cooperation with minimal stress.