Protective
Design
Protective design is an engineering discipline, not a catalogue selection exercise. Blast, HVM, and ballistic protection engineered to the specific threat — with performance specifications your structural engineers can design to.
Engineering to the threat, not selecting from a catalogue
Protective measures work only when they're engineered to the specific threat — and that requires analysis, not product selection.
Equally important: protective measures specified without rigorous threat analysis waste money. We use structured attack analysis and empirical threat data to test whether proposed treatments are proportionate to the actual risk. When they aren't, we build the evidence to challenge inherited assumptions — differentiating protection levels across complex precincts rather than applying uniform measures. The analysis tells you where protection is needed, where it isn't, and exactly what performance is required.
Capabilities
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Blast-informed design inputs
We work with our trusted protective design partners to determine blast requirements to ensure structural elements, facades, and glazing systems are specified to resist blast loading from defined charge sizes and standoff distances — across new-build and retrofit contexts.
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Hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM/VAAW)
Vehicle dynamics analysis, perimeter treatment design, and landscape-integrated measures that defeat vehicle-borne attack scenarios while maintaining site functionality. Our approach is informed by analysis of 132+ global VaaW incidents and a longitudinal HVM performance database — enabling us to define design basis threat vehicles empirically, differentiate protection by sub-precinct, and embed measures into landscape design rather than overlaying barriers.
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Ballistic protection
Ballistic-rated materials and construction details calibrated to assessed weapon threats — with clear protection levels referenced to recognised standards, not generic "bullet-proof" claims that mean nothing under audit.
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Traceable basis of design
Every protective measure documented with its threat justification, performance requirement, and verification method. Assurance teams and certifiers can trace the logic from threat scenario to installed measure.
How we work
We start with the threat basis established through risk assessment, define performance requirements, and coordinate directly with structural and facade engineers. Our specifications reference recognised standards and testing protocols. Protective requirements are resolved in design — not discovered in construction.
For: Project directors, structural engineers, facade engineers, architects, and asset owners who need protective measures engineered to the threat.
See this in practice
Need protective engineering advice?
Whether at concept or detailed design, we define the protective requirements and work with your engineering team to deliver them.