IP Video Entry and Access Control at Elephant Park in London

Multinational property and infrastructure company, Lendlease, is using IP video entry and access control from Urmet at a 16-storey apartment block and townhouses surrounding the largest park to be built in London for 70 years.

South Gardens is part of widespread regeneration at Elephant and Castle in the south-east of the city. The project is following sustainable building practices to minimise its carbon footprint with water-saving technology and use of durable timber. Urmet is helping the development to meet the requirements of Secured by Design, the official UK police flagship initiative supporting the principles of ‘designing out crime’. An initial phase of 360 homes, including a 16-storey brick tower block, will be using Urmet’s recently-launched Elekta inox stainless steel door entry panels. Video from the external panels is transmitted using a wide-angle camera with a 120° lens and built-in motion detection. Visitors can communicate with residents using the panel’s 3.5-inch TFT display and back-lit LED keypad, which both comply with the Equality Act. As an illustration of Urmet’s capability and broad product offering, Lendlease opted to integrate IPervoice access control readers into the panels to give residents a secure hasslefree mode of entry. Residents simply present a 13.56Mhz Mifare proximity fob to the panel to gain entry. There are 200 additional readers around the site giving access to stairwells, basement car parks, charging points for electric cars, bike storage and rooftop communal facilities. The Elekta inox has been flush-mounted to the fascia of entrances, offering increased protection against vandalism.

Concierge switchboard
To maximise convenience and safety for residents, Lendlease are employing concierge staff at the South Gardens apartment block. They will use Urmet’s PC-based concierge switchboard software, another component from its unified IPervoice suite of products. The software allows operators to send audio messages to a specific resident, a group, or all residents at the same time. Concierges will also be able to manage the resident access control by updating the user database via the Urmet software.In the apartments and town houses, South Gardens residents will be using Urmet’s Max IP video entry phone to speak with visitors at the external panels. The Max IP features a seveninch touchscreen that is Android-powered. The unit has a 2-megapixel camera and a 1024x600 pixel screen. An important feature of the monitor is a lift icon that can call the lift to a resident’s floor or send it to ground level to receive a guest or delivery person – all without the resident leaving their apartment. This function is a core requirement of Secured by Design.

‘Collaborative environment’
Mark Hagger, Urmet’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “The South Gardens project shows that IPervoice is a collaborative environment. From the earliest development stage, Lendlease was able to move forward both with our products and those of third parties in their aim to create a set of truly intelligent buildings.” Hagger added: “Urmet now works with other manufacturers on an app-based level. This means that problems with drivers and interfaces are a thing of the past. Our primary focus is video entry, but from day one we install a single device with touchscreen control from a communal LAN that also provides access control, resident communication and seamless integration with home automation.”

‘Climate positive’
A quarter of the properties at South Gardens will be affordable housing and every home will have its own garden, terrace or balcony. There are extensive resident courtyards, play areas and a rooftop function room on the apartment tower. South Gardens is part of the 9.7-hectare Elephant Park, which is one of only 18 projects worldwide forming the C40 Climate Positive Development programme. This is an initiative aimed at creating sustainable urban developments involving best green practice, broad partnerships between environmentalists and responsible use of construction materials. Elephant Park gained ‘participant’ status in the programme after demonstrating how it will become Climate Positive (net carbon negative) by 2020. This is one of the most sustainable and energy-efficient projects ever undertaken in Britain. The wider Elephant Park area will benefit from 50 new shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, with the focus on local businesses and artisan products.