G20 summit draws attention to the threat of attacks to buildings as research reveals regulations fail to take this into account

The British Council for Offices is pushing for increased security measures in office designs, after the security concerns raised by the G20 summit.

The calls came after a BCO Guide, due to be published shortly, found that current Building Regulations did not consider the threat to buildings from terrorist or activist attacks. There are also no government regulations directed at reducing the risk of damage to buildings.

Richard Kauntze, chief executive of the BCO, said: “The alarm caused by the G20 summit is throwing into relief the need for more offices that are designed with security in mind - not as an afterthought.

“Too many buildings leave security-conscious occupiers struggling to adapt their buildings to meet even the most basic security principles,” he added. “More future-proofing is needed to make it easier to adapt office buildings to the changing levels and nature of the security threats we face.”

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