Open and safe campus NHTV – Breda University of Applied Sciences
For some time, the NHTV had wanted to house all students and staff at one location.
With the purchase of the old monastery next to the current main building, this wish can be realized.
In the coming years, not only will this monastery be renovated, but the existing buildings and grounds will also be refurbished.
In 2020, the open and safe NHTV campus will be a reality.
NHTV is Breda’s educational institution for university and higher professional education programmes in the field of games, media, hotel, facility, logistics, mobility, tourism, urban planning and leisure.
The school has 5 academies where a total of about 7,500 students study.
At the moment, the academies are spread over several buildings in Breda.
From the 2020-2021 academic year, students will be able to study on the beautiful new NHTV campus.
A park-like area with three buildings in which all the study programmes and staff departments are located.
One of them is the old convent that was abandoned by the last nuns this spring.
Open and safe campus
In order to create a safe learning and working environment, NHTV takes appropriate security measures.
“Although students now feel very safe, a safe campus is certainly not self-evident,” says Tim van Leeuwen, Manager Accommodation, Facility and Planning at NHTV.
“With the major renovations just around the corner, we thought it was important to develop an adapted security vision.”
Astrid Vermee, safety and security officer at NHTV, adds: “The new campus will have an open character. We think this is important for students, staff and local residents. The site and parts of the buildings will also be accessible to outsiders, such as local residents. For example, they can exercise in our sports facilities and eat in our restaurant. In addition, there are public cycle paths across the campus towards the centre of Breda.”
Inventory and analysis of risks and incidents
Because of the value that NHTV attaches to the open character, the new security vision is: Open if possible, closed if necessary.
To give substance to this vision, NHTV has engaged Mactwin.
Harold de Kruijs, consultant at Mactwin: “An open campus with all kinds of facilities is also attractive and accessible to undesirable people. Due to the increased scale of the new campus, the level of involvement may decrease and the anonymity of visitors/users may increase. Social control may be reduced as a result. However, because the risks are clear and there is no extensive incident history, we in principle opt for a security level in which accessibility and security are optimally balanced. Openness is still paramount and that implies a few things. For example, that access to the buildings does not take place through entrance gates and that the campus is not overcrowded with cameras that can see everything and everyone.”
Octagon with risk areas
After the inventory and analysis round, Mactwin made a Security Octagon for the three buildings; a visual division of the building into risk areas.
For example, in every building there are spaces that are accessible to everyone, educational areas, office spaces that are only accessible to employees and rooms with technical installations or valuable and therefore attractive goods.
For each possible transition, the security measures were later ‘drawn’ in the Octagon.
Measures that fit the risk profile and the desired open culture of NHTV.
“Flexibility and future-proofing were central to the choice of measures,” says Tim van Leeuwen.
“We are starting with a minimal amount of measures, but we do want to be able to scale up at any time. Furthermore, we have opted for situation-oriented security. The physical security of the buildings is set up in such a way that the building, parts of the building or the rooms are only locked when necessary. But at certain times, such as at night and early morning, we want to be more closed; Then a higher level of security will apply. The areas with attractive items, such as the gaming labs, will also be more heavily secured. With these appropriate security measures, a safe working and learning environment is created and NHTV ensures the protection of property and the risk of vandalism is limited.”
Social safety outside area
When designing the campus, a lot of attention was paid to social safety on the outdoor grounds.
Visibility on the site and around the buildings is important to prevent vandalism, for example, and to increase the sense of safety of people walking or cycling on the site.
That is why sufficient terrain and outdoor lighting is installed, niches and porch-like situations are avoided and the plants remain low.
Huge challenge
Tim van Leeuwen’s team is facing a big, but fun challenge.
Three years of renovating and moving.
And then deliver a new and safe campus in 2020.
Tim van Leeuwen: “The expertise that Mactwin brought to the start-up phase was very valuable. This has laid the foundation for an open and safe campus.”