Where (And Why) To Use Bullet-Resistant Glass for Commercial Interior Design Projects

Bullet-resistant glass can be used in commercial interior design projects in a number of ways to boost security without compromising on aesthetics.

In this article, we’ll examine the benefits of using bullet-resistant security glass for interior design projects, as well as give you some specific ideas for how it can be used to reinforce different types of glass surfaces inside commercial buildings.

What Are the Benefits of Bullet-Resistant Interior Glass?

Bullet-resistant glass, or non-glass ballistic glazing, offers enhanced security for interiors of commercial buildings in a number of ways.

For starters, ballistic glass provides additional access denial barriers to keep bad guys out of key areas — in the event that they manage to gain entry to a building in the first place.

Keep in mind that exterior glass should also be reinforced with forced entry-resistant or bullet-resistant glazing, so there’s a first line of defense against intruders.

Ballistic-grade security glazing offers a high level of forced entry protection, and attempts to break through it using sledgehammers or other common burglary tools will bounce right off.

Even when riddled with bullets, certain types of bullet-resistant security glazing don’t significantly diminish in strength or give way to allow an attacker to pass any part of their body through.

Although there’s no such thing as truly, 100% bulletproof glass (all ballistic glass can be penetrated eventually), bullet-resistant glazing can stop one or more rounds from specific types of firearms.

This provides additional physical protection for people and property during active threat scenarios, as well as protects them from other types of impacts, including blast impacts, storm debris impacts, and more.

Bullet-resistant glazing does all this without significantly changing the appearance of indoor spaces, blocking visibility, or reducing light transmission.

If there are other interior design considerations, such as privacy or decoration, ballistic glass can be enhanced with frosting, tinting, or a variety of graphics using different window films.

Summary of the benefits of using bullet-resistant glass in commercial interior design:

• Enhances security inside commercial buildings
• Creates additional access denial barriers to keep unauthorized individuals out of key areas
• Offers a high level of forced entry protection
• Can stop one or more rounds from specific types of firearms, 
• Provides additional physical protection during active threat scenarios and 
• Protects against other types of impacts, including blasts and flying storm debris
• Doesn’t change appearance of interior glass surfaces, block visibility, or reduce light transmission
• Can be modified with window film to achieve different finishes for aesthetics and functionality

Four Ways To Use Bullet-Resistant Glass in Commercial Interior Design Projects:

1. Partitions/room dividers
2. Countertop/reception desk transaction windows
3. Private offices/conference rooms
4. Classroom windows

Partitions/room dividers

Many types of commercial buildings have glass partitions and room dividers between certain indoor spaces. 

These types of architectural glass surfaces provide lots of benefits for interiors, including allowing more transmission of light, maintaining high visibility and an open feeling, and adding visual interest.

However, glass partitions and dividers also provide far less security than solid walls do, especially because an armed attacker can see right through them and know exactly where people are in a room.

In the event that a burglar or an armed intruder gains entrance to a facility through an exterior door or window, they’ll easily be able to smash or shoot their way through regular glass walls to gain access to additional areas.

Bullet-resistant glass stands up to all types of impacts, including bullets, so it’s much harder for intruders to get past glass partitions and room dividers that are reinforced or made with ballistic-grade security glazing.

Countertop/reception desk transaction windows

Bullet-resistant security glass is also ideal for countertop and reception area transaction windows, especially for certain types of high-risk businesses that may be more at risk of armed robbery or violent attacks, such as:

• 24-hour convenience stores (including convenience store-gas station combos)
• Check-cashing businesses
• Pawn shops
• Cannabis retailers

In commercial interior designs for these types of businesses, bullet-resistant glass can be implemented to create secure transaction windows and booths to physically protect workers from criminals. 

The ability to repel attacks and stop bullets gives employees time to react to robberies or violent attacks by taking cover and calling 911 or pressing a panic button.

Private offices/conference rooms

Ballistic-grade security glazing can also be used for office and conference room windows and walls, especially when it comes to executive protection.

C-level executives, government workers, law enforcement officers, and other high-profile individuals are often more at risk of physical harm than the general public, and therefore may need higher levels of security measures for their offices, including ballistic protection.

Classroom windows

With so many active threat scenarios unfolding in schools these days, it’s more important than ever to find ways to protect students and faculty from physical harm when class is in session.

In many schools, finding such solutions is complicated by the fact that there are lots of glass windows, including classroom windows between rooms and hallways.

Retrofitting schools’ interior windows with bullet-resistant security glazing, such as Riot Glass®, creates effective access denial barriers to mitigate active threats. 

These ballistic barriers protect lives against ballistic fire and keep attackers out of classrooms, buying valuable time for teachers and students to react by running, hiding, barricading themselves inside, and waiting for the authorities to arrive and neutralize the threat.

Final Words

Implementing bullet-resistant security glass or glass-like glazing in interior design projects is an excellent way to drastically improve security without hurting the aesthetics of indoor spaces.

In fact, whatever your goals are for your commercial interior design project, you can almost certainly achieve them using security glazing, allowing you to get the best of both worlds — the functionality and appearance of regular glass with the security of ballistic-grade glazing.

At Riot Glass, LLC, our experts in fenestration security are here to help you choose the right retrofit ballistic glazing solutions for all your commercial interior design needs.

Contact us today for a free consultation!