Comment
I was pleased to be able to choose Oasys MassMotion as Editors Choice for last November’s Hammers Awards. It has long been a favourite piece of software of mine, dealing with the passage of pedestrians through a concourse, airport terminal or other high density occupation building. Not only is it able to pinpoint contention on the many routes, chosen by free routing agents tasked with merely getting from one point in a building to another, but it is invaluable in highlighting areas of concern in buildings targeted by terrorists, or engulfed by fire – examples of which are becoming only too frequent as evidenced on the news recently.
How fast can you evacuate a building? How can you set up alternative escape routes if one or another is blocked. We are building taller and bigger, especially in the Far East, where some terrible tragedies have occurred as companies put profit before occupants safety, and terrorists are purposely targetting events where many congregate in confined spaces – stadia and dance halls – to commit maximum outrage. Wider use of MassMotion, and its architect focussed edition, Flow, as a safety tool, rather than just as a space and access planning tool, must be the aim of developers of large public amenities everywhere.
David Chadwick
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