In the wake of terrorist threats and attacks and their increased focus on government and commercial buildings, it has become imperative that improvements be made to facility security with a significant element of security lying in the initial design of buildings. Included in the design phase of a government or commercial building should be an expert design consultant and an authority who understands the threat and all the processes involved in meeting the terrorist threat from both the client’s and designer’s point of view. This individual should be employed directly by the client. Without a counter-terrorist sub-discipline, terrorist resistance in most cases would be less effective. An ideal building security approach is presented for building designers and users to consider and includes: the site; the perimeter and outer compound; the main building; and training to understand design elements and to follow correct procedures.