Protecting New Park Facilities with Certified and Aesthetic Security

Published: November 29, 2022

As part of the £2.5 million investment in upgrading Mote Park, Obexion Shutters were specified for protecting the new café from vandalism – following several attacks in the past.

The new facilities in the 440-acre park aimed to provide a modern space with indoor and outdoor seating, learning and meeting areas for hire as well as a new and spacious café that was designed to aesthetically fit with the surrounding landscape.

Located in the heart of Maidstone, Mote Park is a huge green space extremely popular with both visitors and locals alike.

The previous buildings in Mote Park had suffered extensively from vandalism, therefore, the work carried out in collaboration with the architect, local council, and contractor was heavily focused on installing shutters that would provide the optimal level of security to protect all the glazing.

It was essential that the security shutters did not detract from the modern and aesthetic design of the facilities.

Designing Security Solutions for Identified Threats

The café’s ample glazing implied architectural constraints and exposed the building to several security risks.

Clearly, an SR3 level of security was ideal for protecting the property. 14 Obexion UD SR3 and 11 Vortex+ security shutters were installed for this project.

A Short Insight Into LPS 1175 and Security Level 3 (SR3)

Security rating 3 (SR3) is one of several certifications from the LPS 1175 security standard. The Loss Prevention Standard (or LPS 1175) is regulated and accredited by the Loss Prevention Certification Board – a globally recognized certification body.

The third-party certification confirms that the Obexion Shutters perform in accordance with the stated specifications, reducing security risks.

Products certified to SR3 provide resistance to determined attempts of force using bodily force and a wide selection of attack options including SR2 tools, short axe, chisels, crowbars, gas torches and more.

If you’d like to understand more about the LPS 1175 security ratings, you can read our comprehensive article here.

The Obexion UD SR3 Shutter is the only certified security shutter that does not require any additional auxiliary locking.

LockDown technology allows the security shutter to be used at first points of entry and ensures the security shutter is never left in an insecure position even when left partially open.

Design Requirements

The building’s design presented architectural limitations such as small headroom for housing the shutters above the openings – this demanded a solution that could fit the available space yet maintain the security level.

Preserving the cafés aesthetic design was also a key requirement, meaning the security shutters could not visually impact the building’s modern style.

The unique design of Vortex+ security shutters uses varying lath sizes to allow intelligent and small roll zones – a unique solution for housing the shutters inside the ceiling voids of the building.
Integrating the security shutters seamlessly into the building design is essential for every project. For Mote Park, the shutter curtains were retained within the built-in side guides.

The side guides were then recessed into the cladding and stonework with aluminium flashings. These efforts resulted in a neat architectural finish for the stunning new café.

The shutters were gathered into groups to allow zoned control key switches across the facilities. All the shutters were finished in a polyester powder coat to RAL7021 Matt which matched the look and feel of the property.