A case study of IP intercom and access control at One Bedford Avenue, pictured, in London.
It’s a £33m mixed retail and office development in the West End. The project replaces a pair of redundant office blocks and offers 115,000 sq. ft. of accommodation, amde to the BREEAM environmental assessment rating of ‘excellent’ in the office areas and ‘very good’ in the retail space. The site is part of general redevelopment before the Crossrail line opens. Castel UK supplied its two-way IP audio-video intercom to GBE Fire and Security to the installer, GBE Fire and Security. The Xellip IP product will allow reception staff to see and speak with visitors before granting or refusing entry. Main contractors, Mace MEP, required an IP intercom that would interact with the video management system (VMS) used for general camera surveillance, all using just a single network cable for managing audio, video, data and station power supply (PoE).
GBE specified Castel’s CAP IP-V1B-P entry stations with integrated induction loop and vandal-proof front panel. These are Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices with built-in miniature camera using H.264 compression. Sound quality is optimised by noise and echo-cancelling. An installer can reduce site visits and pass on cost savings to the client by configuring the equipment and conducting health checks remotely. An integrated MIifare card reader for access control can be added to the stations if required.
Automated scheduling
Reception staff view and speak with visitors at the door stations using Castel’s Xellip IP intercom monitors. These seven-inch TFT touchscreens offer an interface for automated scheduling. Like the entry stations, the monitors can be configured remotely using an internet browser and the embedded web servers. One Bedford Avenue is an eight-storey building on the east side of Tottenham Court Road. Architects Bennetts Associates interspersed the facades with full-height glazing and reconstituted stone. Metal in use includes lead-coated zinc at roof level and a bronze portal and canopy at the entrance. This is reflected in the specification of the intercom panels that match with the overall aesthetics of the building, the product company says.
Stuart Hibberd, Castel’s UK Sales Director, says: “GBE knew that Castel could respond promptly to the brief of a finish that would blend with the building aesthetic. Normally we would supply intercom stations in stainless steel, but for this project we collaborated with metal-working associates to create a bronze effect on the panels. One Bedford Avenue is adjacent to the Grade 1-listed Bedford Square and every aspect of the design has been scrutinised closely.
“The metal panel is non-standard here, but the entry stations have all the core functionality and specifications of our CAP IP-V1B-P model. This includes LEDs that comply with the Equality Act [formerly the Disability Discrimination Act], IK09 impact resistance and IP64 ingress protection, which will be vital in an area that is prone to traffic fumes.”
Eco measures
GBE was appointed by Mace MEP to design, supply and install all life safety and security systems for the project. Besides intercom stations and monitors, GBE has used IP cameras by Hikvision, intruder detection by Honeywell and emergency voice communication by Baldwin Boxall. The building has been developed by Exemplar working with Ashby Capital and The Bedford Estates. The retail space is at street and lower ground level, with business tenants occupying the other seven storeys. Sustainable measures include a vegetated eco-roof, British timber throughout and use of other locally sourced materials wherever possible.
