Stedebouw & architectuur (Urban Development & Architecture) Innovation Guide

From security equipment to making an entrance, that’s the title of the article in which Stedebouw & Architectuur has devoted attention to the possibilities and support HTC offers architects for developing a car entrance which makes both building owners and users happy. View the article in Stedebouw & architectuur here. You’ll find the article text below here.

From safety equipment to making an entrancee | Urban Planning & Architecture

From safety equipment to making an entrance

A Speedgate is often used because of its intrinsic feature to be able to quickly open and close an entrance. Having said that, it can certainly also be used to realise more goals than simply security and vehicle regulation. The Speedgate can result in a genuine “wow” effect in the car entrance. That’s the message Stefan Morssink, HTC parking & security’s business innovation manager, wants to portray to architects. “The vehicle entrance is often people’s first and last user experience where a building is concerned. You can create a great entrance and provide the user with the perfect experience with the right Speedgate.”

HTC Parking & Security’s speedgate can provide a real “wow” effect.

Morssink would like to emphasise that Speedgates can be supplied at customisation levels which would far exceed what an architect might come up with. “HTC has four different basic types of Speedgates. We choose a suitable basic type and adjust its interpretation and finish, depending on the placement (indoor, facade, fencing) and an architect’s specific objectives. For example, we also build large glass Speedgates which form an integral part of a glass facade, to allow trucks to drive in and out of workshops.”

Norman Forster

Sometimes HTC needs to go a few steps further in order to realise functional and aesthetic objectives. “Norman Forster had designed a free-standing picket fence for a multinational in the US which is building a new campus, containing ‘invisible’ 12 m wide gates for the main entrance. They ended up at HTC after a careful search for someone who could realise this for them. “We have developed a new type of Speedgate, whereby the panels are in front of the columns, in order to resolve this for Forster. This has resulted in the fencing continuing seamlessly looking from the outside in. The Speedgate is truly high-end where its design, speed, security and management are concerned.” “These types of high-end Speedgates from HTC are now also increasingly being used for expensive stores and private projects in London, where the company has its own branch, as well as in the Netherlands,” according to Morssink. “These stores want all of their facades and entrances in busy shopping streets to be in absolute tip top condition. The Speedgates are often included in the fencing of wealthy individuals’ homes, who are very fond of aesthetics and privacy.”

Car entrance as a business card

HTC’s speedgates are often used in both commercial and homeowners’ associations’ car parks. “All too often the car entrance is still a neglected part of the design. In practice, we still see far too many tight and cluttered car entrance designs.” HTC uses the ‘Making an entrance’ slogan. Morssink: “This means we also want to help the architect to functionally and aesthetically define the access. Naturally with help from BIM models. That means you look into how you can help the various users to effectively and easily use the access and speedgate. This translates into the location, shape and dimensions of the entrance and exit, as well as the positioning of the Speedgate within it. But also in tools for vehicle guidance, interpretation of use and wayfinding.” A Speedgate as a car entrance can really create a “wow” effect in a car park, according to Morssink. “That’s why we’re now also working on Speedgates with, for example, all sorts of different LED lighting solutions, not only for aesthetic, but also for functional reasons.” Morssink has also noted that apartment buildings make more combined use of the car parks for storing both vehicles and other valuable objects like (mobility) scooters. “Architects want to include the car park in the complex’s secured areas. We already have certified high security Speedgates at RC4 and RC5 level, but can also supply Speedgates at RC2 and 3 level, which allows us to comply with the Police’s quality standards.”

Smart city, smart building, smart entrance

HTC has noted that the usage requirements and management of Speedgates in apartment buildings, utility buildings and office buildings are changing. “Remote management, digital security and ease of use are becoming increasingly important. Just like video incident registration, which allows the manager to identify any perpetrators of damage to the Speedgate and hold users accountable for their behaviour.” HTC has responded to this need with Xense, IoT (Internet of Things) technology which can monitor an impressive 150 parameters in the gate. This helps managers and service parties to prevent downtime and allows them to effectively resolve faults. “Xense has made the Speedgates so reliable that we supply these with a five year guarantee.” “The Speedgate is now a fully-fledged part of physical and digital security, thanks to the RC certification and the Xense technology, for high security government, companies and private individuals’ objects, where security is essential. Digital security and physical security can now be integrated.”

The customer’s needs & objective

Designing a vehicle entrance with a Speedgate starts with determining the objectives of closing the access point:

  • Rapid and controlled granting of access (vehicles, bicycles);
  • Specifically securing the entrance (bullet & burglar resistance);
  • Providing protection & privacy (wind/water/insight).

We then look at which aspects and to what extent these are of value to the client:

  • unctional aspects (speed, noise, quality, management, service, data, safety, performance of the entrance, etc);
  • commercial aspects (COP, COO);
  • emotional aspects (architecture & aesthetics, simplicity & convenience);
  • social aspects (meaning of active & passive for users).

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