Jonathan Goss, managing director at Townscape Products Limited, discusses the twin challenges of providing security and sustainability on campus and the innovative street furniture solutions available.
When it comes to the built environment, two concerns are currently and quite rightly gaining more attention than the rest – security and sustainability.
On the one hand, we have the phenomenon of globalisation which has brought with it great benefits. However on the flipside, it has also led to increased security threats across international borders. Tackling this has necessitated the creation of innovative solutions on campus, capable of providing robust security without impacting aesthetics.
On the other hand, we see innovation in the built environment that is geared up to tackle another of the salient issues of our generation – climate change. Government, businesses and organisations across Europe want to make progress towards improved sustainability, which often brings with it reduced costs as well as environmental benefits.
We have seen the creation of Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM), with 2,219,000 BREEAM registered buildings across the globe. In the UK we’ve seen the imposition of Government sustainability targets for 2025. These ambitious targets require both the construction cost and whole life cost of built assets to be lowered by 33 per cent and emissions to be reduced by 50 per cent.
Put simply, driving sustainability through the built environment is a serious business – and that’s no different for university campuses
Tackling the twin challenges of security and sustainability simultaneously has the led to the creation of increasingly innovative solutions. This is true of the construction of buildings on campuses themselves and true also in the street furniture industry – where the external infrastructure plays a vital role in enhancing security and sustainability. On campuses in particular, effective street furniture is especially important as it helps both buildings and open spaces with high footfall against security threats
Street furniture’s role on campus
As part of the drive towards achieving long-term sustainability on campus and indeed across the education sector, traditional street furniture has been re-imagined. Street furniture infrastructure which adorns university campuses across Europe premises and public spaces is now an asset which must demonstrate strong security and sustainability credentials. It’s no longer the role of street furniture to simply provide just security. At a time when environmental issues are key, it is important for street furniture to adapt to meet these pressing concerns and provide solutions which provide security in an environmentally sustainable way.
If we take the traditional bollard as an example, we can see how street furniture is evolving to meet the growing need for improved sustainability. Solutions previously associated only with safety and security now serve to meet the challenges of sustainability which lie at the forefront of urban planners concerns in the 21st century.
The advent of solar bollards is an example of how innovation in street furniture has led to solutions which meet these challenges head on. Adding solar panels to bollards means these traditional street furniture elements can now be utilised for both lighting and security. This is a good example of how the drive towards being green has had a big impact on the street furniture industry and how innovation in traditionally security-based street furniture can play an important role in helping universities eat away at the carbon footprint of their campuses.
So how exactly can solar bollards increase sustainability in the built environment? First of all, the solar bollards reduce the environmental costs typically involved with street furniture installation. There is no trenching or cabling required as part of the installation process and, consequently, no need for resurfacing – itself a process which has a detrimental environmental impact through noxious fumes and the transportation of equipment.
Once installed, there are both zero running costs and zero environmental costs associated with solar bollards. Something which allows them to offer financial and well as environmental benefits. A solar bollard will charge throughout daylight hours and then provide lighting throughout the evening and night. Proximity sensors within solar bollards also serve to increase illumination they provide when approached – an important aspect which can help those on campus feel more secure, especially late at night or during darker winter months. This feature allows solar bollards it to conserve energy and provide stronger levels of lighting when necessary.
The evolution of the humble bollard to the solar bollard is a direct example of how the street furniture industry is adapting to provide sustainable solutions increasingly demanded in the built environment as a whole. Capable of providing security and lighting across campus walkways, car parks and entrance and exit areas, the solar bollard represents a marriage of sustainability and security which will characterise campus settings for years to come.
A new sustainable standard
Multifunctional items like this are key to helping stakeholders across the education sector achieve their sustainability goals and provide wider benefits too. It is this kind of innovation which will see a whole range of products become not only more sustainable, but also more advanced generally, providing a higher level of performance across a range of areas.
As more solutions combining security and sustainability are unveiled, expectation levels will increase, in turn leading to further innovation. This ‘virtuous circle’ is the mechanism through which we will see increasing innovation on campus in the future, leading to the creation of increasingly high class environments for both teachers and students.
As universities look to unlock these benefits, they need not only to consider lecture theatres, libraries and seminar rooms themselves, but also the infrastructure which surrounds them. It makes little sense to build highly-sustainable building only to then surround it with infrastructure without similar attributes. Such a move undermines the sustainability credentials of the project of a whole and makes it less likely that sustainability targets will be met.
With sustainable innovation occurring in virtually every aspect and area of the construction process, it is important not to underestimate the benefits which the restless innovations in street furniture can bring.
Website: www.townscapeproducts.co.uk