A manufacturer of hostile vehicle mitigation systems, ATG Access, has launched a RIBA-approved CPD on designing safer public spaces. The firm is taking it on a nationwide tour, starting in Manchester on Wednesday, December 10.
The sessions, free to attend, are aimed at architects, landscape architects, urban designers and security people who are increasingly required to factor hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) into public realm schemes. The CPD sets out why hostile vehicle mitigation systems were developed, how the threat landscape has changed over the past two decades and what that means for urban design. It also covers the crash-test standards that govern physical-security products, an area that can be opaque even to experienced specifiers, the company notes. The aim is to give designers a grasp of how certification works and how it should be applied to real projects.
Also covered will be the realities of integrating physical security into busy, often constrained, urban settings. It will examine common complications such as underground services, structural requirements and the need to blend in with the surrounding heritage; and outline how early planning and product choice can prevent delays and unnecessary costs.
The CPD highlights design and specification considerations, making the case that protective measures need not undermine the character of a place. The team will explore how schemes can be fit for purpose, while remaining accessible, sustainably manufactured and aesthetically pleasing, drawing on recent examples where security has been integrated into the landscape (pictured courtesy of ATG, their HVM outside Paddington station; the terminus was partly re-developed as part of the cross-London Elizabeth Line).
Richard Ellis, Managing Director of ATG Access, said: “Designers are being asked to balance open design with security in ways that would have been unthinkable twenty years ago. Our goal with this CPD is to cut through the complexity and give architects the clarity they need to make confident, design-led decisions. Hostile vehicle mitigation doesn’t have to be an afterthought or a visual burden. When it’s understood and applied well, it can enhance public spaces rather than detract from it.”
The first event will run at Bloc, Bruntwood SciTech, Manchester, from 8.30am to 10.30am. Further dates are to be announced in London, Newcastle and Bristol. Tickets for Manchester can be found here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/designing-safer-public-spaces-a-practical-guide-to-hvm-tickets-1963866124444?aff=oddtdtcreator.
