At a gated mews development in Twickenham, built by nationwide property developer, St James, Comelit’s IP (ViP) video door entry and access control has been used at apartments and townhouses. Brewery Wharf, pictured, stands on a tributary of the Thames in south-west London. It features 82 warehouse-style flats spread across three blocks and 28 gated houses built in a Georgian style.
St James, a member of The Berkeley Group, opted to secure the riverside development using Comelit’s 3one6 Sense digital entrance panels, which feature a built-in colour camera. The panels have been installed at all the entrances around the complex and are connected over a dedicated Cat6 network.
The 3one6 Sense was a “Red Dot Design Winner” when it was launched. Calls are made using buttons that are integrated into the panel. The panel has no mechanical keys, but uses capacitive technology instead. This external panel, which has an IK08 rating, offers protection against vandalism. To aid sound quality the product ha echo-cancelling and the panel display, visual indications (pictograms) and keys with Braille characters all comply with the Equality Act.
The Wharf project uses a range of Comelit’s IP (ViP) door entry products. The security installation company, Editquest, has integrated the SimpleKey access control product into the entrance panels to reduce the need for other control equipment mounted on the wall.
The panels are fitted with13.56MHz proximity readers, which are activated by residents or approved third parties, using MIFARE key fobs. The site includes several vehicle barriers and car owners are issued with extra fobs that allow longer-range communication to activate 868MHz radio transmitters for opening the gates. All this has been achieved within the ViP system, demonstrating Comelit says its ability to supply access control on a single unified platform.
Residents in the apartments can speak with visitors at ground level using Comelit’s Smart monitors, which feature a full duplex hands-free loudspeaker and a 3.5-inch LCD display. The units can be flush, surface or desk-mounted. The product firm says the sleek design and white finish contribute to the overall minimalist interior architecture.
Residents and building managers can use a desktop audio-video porter switchboard within the ViP suite. The switchboard lets the concierge send messages to the monitors in all apartments or just to specific groups of residents. For example; if notifying residents that the lift serving their part of the development is out of order.
Editquest used Comelit’s six-port PoE switches on a Cat6 cabling structure. The switches achieve transmission distances of up to 250 metres between connection points. This saves costs for the developer and – just as crucially on a project of this kind – makes efficient use of space since the switchgear for multiple apartments is centralised.
Chris Carroll, Business Development Manager at Comelit Group UK, said: “The installer was able to programme all the Smart monitors from its own workshop in Bedfordshire, using a barcode scanner. This and a great deal of pre-assembly of our equipment before visits to site meant a smooth, quick install and minimal disruption to contractors from other trades – something that is particularly valued by property developers.”
