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Communal spaces can be difficult to manage in terms of vulnerability to crime. Places where people gather are attractive to brazen criminals, who see this as an opportunity to gather a stash of resalable items such as cell phones, watches and jewellery.
The fact that there is a crowd does not seem to deter them. Good public space design, however, can help prevent these incidences from happening.
Access control
Club houses, restaurants, community centres, bars and other communal spaces within an estate are generally open areas where people are free to come and go. This is one of the most attractive selling points of estates of all types, from retirement villages to golf estates and eco-estates.
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Crime syndicates have found ways of getting into estates undetected until they invade a gathering in one of these venues. Sometimes they rent a home within an estate. Or they manage to get enough information from someone that works in an estate to sound like genuine repair services and get in on a fake call-out.
Access control in communal spaces is therefore critical, with the trick being to create a safe space without spoiling the ambience or giving the impression that the estate isn’t properly protected. Trellidor has some excellent product solutions that do all these jobs without looking like over-blown security measures.
See-through screens are the top choice for windows, doors and patios in public areas in estates. They do not look like security barriers at all and in fact, are often mistaken for actual doors and windows. They are fitted next to glazed doors and windows or around verandas.
These screens can be kept closed and locked during large functions, with limited access doors kept open and monitored by staff members. This is a deterrent to criminals, who prefer freedom of movement when terrorising a large group.
The screens have additional benefits apart from security, such as keeping mosquitoes out of the venue during summer or preventing access to monkeys looking to steal food off the tables. They are also useful for eco-estates where wandering wildlife can become problematic, such as snakes.
Louvre shutters, usually found in homes, can also add value to public spaces. They are an attractive window treatment for restaurants, pubs, communal lounges amongst others. Trellidor produces a security shutter that provides a high level of protection when closed and locked.
The louvres can be tilted to allow guests to see outside while remaining safe inside. The louvres can also be positioned to allow in a comfortable level of airflow at all times, and sunlight penetration during the day.
Estate management teams are welcome to contact Trellidor to discuss options that would suit their developments. If your team is interested in approving Trellidor products for use in communal spaces within estates that you manage, please contact Lloyd Makanza on lmakanza@trellidor.co.za
