Design Guide: Military Police Facilities
DG 1110-3-146
General Planning and Design Guidance: Building Design Considerations
December 1979
perception of the functions that they either contain
(3) Special Considerations Special design and
or support. For law enforcement facilities that depend
construction criteria related to critical operations
on the maintenance of a positive public image, this
areas must be established prior to concept develop-
is a particularly important consideration. Aesthetics
ment in order to provide a firm basis for the accom-
must, therefore, influence functional planning and
plishment of a high level of quality in the architecture
design decisions that establish the appropriate treat-
of military police facilities.
ment of various site and building elements.
b. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER Emphasis
c. PHYSICAL EXPRESSION Military police facilities,
should be placed on the fundamental importance of
for the most part, contain activities that are generally
maintaining a consistent level of design quality and
non-distinctive in their physical form. With theexception
aesthetics in the architectural character of individual
of the MP Desk area, which is usually an interior space,
military police facilities. Recognizing this, the develop-
these spaces have the same basic floor-to-ceiling di-
ment of aesthetic concepts must clearly reflect both
mensions and the same roof support and basic en-
the generic and uniform functional requirements of
closure requirement. However, individual operational
individual military police activities.
activities and non-operational spaces may have special
(1) Basic Requirement The basic requirement
functional requirements that can be expressed architec-
that should govern the development of architectural
turally. The need for natural light, outside awareness,
character for individual projects is that building de-
privacy, security, etc. should be the basis for physical
sign should be used to visually convey a purposeful
expression. Other factors, such as local architectural
image for the law enforcement and community ser-
traditions, the need to achieve aesthetic unity, and the
vice functions housed by military police facilities.
need to create as barrier-free an environment as possible
(2) Aesthetic Characteristics The aesthetic char-
for the physically handicapped, should be considered in
acteristics of military police facilities should primarily
developing an appropriate physical expression for
reflect the seriousness and responsibility of law en-
military police facilities.
forcement activities. In most cases, the public ap-
(1) Operational Spaces Although On-Duty opera-
proach to the facility should convey a positive first
tional areas have space requirements which are es-
impression, be Inviting and not Imposing in scale,
sentially function-oriented, there may be unique
and, without being overly somber, indicate that a
opportunities for the physical expression of basic
military police facility is a place of serious work and
requirements. For example, activities such as those
genuine community assistance. Contrived or artificial
at or near the MP Desk: communications, briefing,
details should be avoided. The use of straight-forward
prisoner-processing, or specialized interview or re-
materials, a sympathetic relationship of form and
port-writing rooms, might be manned or in some way
structure to human scale, and the sensitive place-
occupied on a 24-hour basis. This staffing pattern
ment of strong and vibrant colors as an accent to a
might necessitate the need for outside awareness,
basically reserved color scheme should provide ap-
which could be satisfied by limiting fenestration to
propriate opportunities for individual expressions of
skylights. This would provide a more perfectly con-
the basic spirit and tenor of an important community
trolled environment and would also provide a more
activity. Great care and sensitivity must always be
secure area. If critical or confidential operational
exercised to avoid whimsy in aesthetic expression.
activities are required. Other physical elements might
For found space projects, the aesthetics of existing
be used to express functional requirements in a way
barracks, mess halls, clubs, warehouses or other
that would give relief from what might otherwise
similar types of military service facilities will not, in
become an unimpressive exterior wall treatment.
terms of their present outward appearances, befitting
Similar function-based opportunities for physical ex-
for the military police. Some improvement will be
pression exist for other building forms, such as en-
necessary.
trances or roof lines
(3) Unification of Design Elements Unification of
design elements is a basic aesthetic requirement that
(2) Non-Operational S p a c e s N o n - o p e r a t i o n a l
can be accomplished by setting an underlying phys-
spaces, that is, building elements used to achieve
ical, psychological and social tone in the design of
the proper organization or physical and functional
the facility. Aesthetic concepts can be carried
requirements, could be expressed as distinct build-
ing forms. Entrances, corridors, lobbies, vertical
through in architectural forms and details that reflect
a concern for human sensitivities and human scale.
circulation, mechanical cores and other building ele-
ments can also give clarity and identity to the external
These are two primary concerns in unifying the
expresston of internal function, provide interest by
aesthetics of a building and should be placed on
an equal level with functional requirements as a
varying the volume and character of enclosures and
determinator of the quality and form of architectural
the play of light and shadow, and can be used to
design. The overall sense of unity and scale in phys-
emphasize the main points of access. An expression
ical facilities should relate directly to the human
of functional requirements contributes to aesthetic
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