Q: How has design of Chinese buildings evolved over the years to accommodate security concerns?

A: When we first worked in China, we found them uncertain as to how to address building security. Although they were knowledgeable about security products -- access controls, surveillance and monitoring equipment -- they were unsure of the design concepts to employ. We found them to be very open and concerned and wanting to do the right thing to begin developing the correct infrastructure and they were willing to learn from our experience. Over the past 10 years, the Chinese have come a long way in developing sophisticated, reliable approaches to building security systems. In recent projects, security issues have been brought into the design early to enable blending the security with the overall design rather than adding it as an afterthought. This allows much better flexibility in achieving security objectives without compromising building design and functional intent.

Thanks to Randolph W. Tucker, P.E., who is executive vice president of The RJA Group Inc., a global fire protection and security consulting firm that has worked on construction projects in more than 60 countries. The RJA Group's Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc. subsidiary has established a representative office in Shanghai and plans to open a second location in Beijing in 2005. He can be reached at rtucker@rjagroup.com.

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