Design Guide: Military Police Facilities
DG 1110-3-146
Space Organization Considerations: Physical Characteristics
December 1979
tionally desirable and effective means of providing
(6) Interior and exterior sources of natural light
the specific functional requirements of military police
and air. Consider solar gain and heat loss from fen-
activities. From the point of view of physical develop-
estration and indicate existing potentials for energy
ment, accomplishment of this desirable characteris-
conservation.
tic depends on a number of physical characteristics.
f. ALTERNATIVE FACILITY CONFIGURATIONS
The principal factor affecting the choice of building
When considering site and building characteristics and
structure is the selection of a site with adequate
requirements for expansion and flexibility, the using
development potential for expansion and the flexible
service should study a variety of building forms to ascer-
arrangement of component activities. A multi-story
tain their suitability to a particular scale and intensity of
facility would be appropriate where the development
operation. Alternative building forms should be devel-
potential of a single-story structure is questionable
oped for individual project requirements, taking into
or where alternative site evaluation determines that
account the basic functional characteristics of military
the most appropriate location in terms of essential
police activities. The following should be considered:
external functional relationships has site limitations
requiring a more concentrated form of development.
(1) Principal Characteristics There are few func-
Several forms and patterns for building structure
tional activities within the military police organization
should be studied in establishing an appropriate
that can maintain a consistently high level of indi-
approach. Two building alternatives with schematic
vidual mission effectiveness if they are isolated from
diagrams are provided below in Figure 4-12.
interdependent or subordinate activities. Therefore,
the principal characteristics of building size and the
(5) Future Requirements The need for internal
configuration of interior spaces should enhance the
flexibility and the need for external expansion are the
cohesive nature of military police operations.
two principal aspects of future requirements that
should be carefully considered in developing space
organization principles. These and more specific
military police facilities require close physical rela-
concerns which might affect facility configurations in
tionships between dependent operational activities
the future are discussed below. Also refer to Figure
on the private side of the facility. Thus, configurations
4-13.
of space (structural systems, etc.) that allow admin-
istrative and community service activities on the pub-
(a) Internal Flexibility Space organization princi-
lic side to interact with critical operational activities on
ples emphasizing the need for internal flexibility will
the private side without prohibiting essential relation-
require the consolidation of compatible functional,
ships will enhance the cohesive nature of military
physical and environmental requirements. Consid-
police activities. As an example, the core of space
eration should be given to concentrating on stable
organization is comprised of the on-duty military
activities with a low potential for expansion, fixed
police personnel and essential operational and
requirements for function-specific operational space
supervisory activity areas. Intermediate areas include
not amenable to change, open or general office en-
the military police staff areas that respond to inci-
vironments and special public spaces. Relatively un-
dental and routine requests for assistance as well as
constrained spaces should be placed on the building
those which occupy general administrative or super-
perimeter at locations which are most liable to
visory positions related to operational activities.
change. This should be done with the understanding
These staff activity areas have a direct physical and
that future space adaptations will depend on changes
functional relationship to the operational areas they
in staff size and sophistication or on Internal space
supervise and the administrative activities they re-
adjustments caused by the incremental expansion of
quire for support.
operational areas. These adjustments will ordinarily
(3) Building Area Since cohesive functional organ-
move from more stable interior spaces outward to-
ization is essential to space organization, the physical
ward general office spaces.
characteristics imposed by building form must follow
from this need. Therefore, the differences in building
(b) External Expansion When identifying site-
size in terms of floor area or required number of
related principles for future development, considera-
floors will vary in direct relationship to the physical
tion should be given to alternative configurations of
various component activities. Emphasis should be
limitations imposed by desirable functional adjacen-
placed on identifying future physical requirements
cies. These limitations will depend on the individual
and functional relationships. Expansion and location
scale and intensity of operations and not directly or
factors should be identified for such support facilities
primarily on staff totals or the official organizational
as visitor, administrative or operational parking, utility
structure.
lines, mechanical equipment space and outside stor-
age areas, and any other special space requirements
(4) Building Structure A single-story, cohesive or-
ganization of building structures represents a func-
essential to adequate site development.
4-12
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