A case study of the door entry and access control systems at the new Walthamstow Stadium development in north west London.
At the former Grade II-listed Art Deco greyhound-racing track, which opened its gates in 1933, London and Quadrant (L&Q) Housing Association provides 294 new homes, mainly apartments. Visitors announce themselves at the entrances to the apartment blocks using Urmet’s 2Voice two-wire colour video system. The external video entrance panels, from Urmet’s Elekta range, work with the firm’s IPervoice (IP) and two-wire systems.
The panels have a 3.5-inch colour display which gives visitors instructions on how to call an apartment; a block name can also be displayed. Residents, staff and contractors can gain entrance using the integrated proximity reader. The units comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) including voice announcements such as ‘call in progress’, ‘please speak’ and ‘door open’. These vandal-resistant panels offer vandals minimal potential to pry the unit away from its mount, the makers add. Their IK09 rating offers protection against deliberate or accidental damage.
Urmet also supplied its Passan wired network product for the site, with door controllers connected via a hard-wired installation. The residential blocks vary considerably in layout and number of apartments, but the Passan system copes with these variations by allowing the installer to use different combinations of panel mount readers and extra stand-alone readers. Residents and staff also have Urmet’s RF controllers for remote operation of vehicle entry gates. The development uses the stadium’s entire original structure, with buildings such as the former kennels serving as communal areas, connected through a third-party PC to the Passan system via a modem.
Residents receive calls from visitors on Miro colour video monitor handsets with 4.3-inch, 16:9 screens. The video handsets are fitted with an induction loop that works with hearing aids. They also feature a two colour LED to indicate the status of the system: such as, green LED on indicates that a call is being received, Rapidly blinking red: mute on; red on steady: main calling panel door open; slowly blinking red: secondary (lobby) calling panel door open.
Mark Hagger, Urmet’s Sales and Marketing Director said: “Our 2-Voice solution was well suited to this kind of project where you only need 2 wires throughout making the install very quick and simple. We are also well aware of the greyhound and stock-car racing history of the site and are proud to be supplying security equipment to such an historic London venue.”
Also in Greater London, Urmet equipment has been specified recently for various residential projects, including Chelsea Creek, 375 Kensington High Street, Cobalt Place (Battersea Village), One Tower Bridge, Fulham Reach and Goodman’s Fields.
