Background

Royal Wharf, a joint development project between Ballymore & Oxley Holdings, is the largest residential construction project within Europe, with 3,385 residential units in its prime riverside location.

This is a rich, textured neighbourhood just minutes from Canary Wharf, that is focused on a lively central high street, a broad market square, and a rolling riverside park. Its luxurious apartments are accompanied by a school, GP surgery, high street, pier, pub, and community fitness centre.

CAME ENTROTEC worked with a selection of M&E consultants to develop a project tender that would meet all project requirements. Once the project was accepted by the developers, Ballymore and Oxley Holdings, CAME ENTROTEC worked closely with approved installers Certus Security, to ensure the successful completion of the installation.

Project requirements

A fundamental element of the project was for the access control solution installed to feedback to a centralised concierge office so access could be managed and monitored across the site. Therefore, it was vital for the access control system to seamlessly integrate with CCTV cameras, allowing security teams and concierge staff to have full site visibility.

Residents, employees, and visitors all require various permissions across the multi dwelling development, therefore an effective access control system was required to manage the flow of people.

The Royal Wharf project was influenced by Secure By Design requirements. These design parameters altered as the project progressed through each development phase, therefore CAME ENTROTEC and Certus Security had to remain responsive in the system they delivered.

Solution

Providing security with full site transparency through the CAME ENTROTEC access control solution was a project priority. Powered by the Easitag solution, the centralised concierge office is able to control access across the 3,385 dwelling development.

Door Entry Panels

Throughout the development, CAME ENTROTEC Apex door entry panels were installed. Each access panel was individually designed and pre-programmed, and fitted with a proximity reader, an integrated camera, and an Easitag concierge system. Additionally, lift control modules were used in a number of entry panels to manage lift access.

Secure By Design regulations require each block to have a secure holding entrance area, to eliminate tailgated and unwarranted access, providing residents with more security. Across the Royal Wharf development main entrances feature an external vandal resistant video entry panel, paired with a dome CCTV camera for concierge visibility, which grants initial access into the apartment foyer area. To proceed, an access token must be presented to the secondary video entrance panel.

Visitors can use these door entry panels to contact apartments within the block. These calls can be intercepted by the concierge team who can verify the call before forwarding it onto the appropriate resident. These calls would then be received on the CAME ENTROTEC EV video handset.

Receiver Units

Over 3000 CAME ENTROTEC EV handsets have been installed with more to follow in the next phase of the project. Loaded with features, the EV delivers a 4.3-inch TFT LCD screen, timed privacy function with an LED indication, door release indicator, handset latch, and concierge compatibility. The EV is finished in a robust and long-lasting ABS plastic offering excellent mechanical qualities, impact resistance, and durability.

Access Control and Proximity Readers

Easitag proximity readers are situated throughout the development to control entry to specified areas such as gardens, bike stores, and bin shelters. Access to these areas is controlled by the concierge office who manage fob administration.

Residents with a fitness membership can use these facilities, which are managed by the concierge team. The extremely adaptable Easitag system enables proximity readers to be integrated into third-party equipment, such as speed gates, allowing for a smooth user experience since only one fob is needed.

Lift Destination Control

Lift destination control was added as an essential requirement to Secure By Design compliance with the development of Homes 2019 regulations. Subsequently, CAME ENTROTEC and Certus Security proceeded to implement a secure lift management system in the later phases of the Royal Wharf project. Door entry panels were integrated into the lift control system so residents could only access the floors in which their fob was assigned.

Results

The project has been a huge success for all parties involved, due to the unparalleled access control solution delivered by CAME ENTROTEC and Certus Security which ensures the safety of residents across the Royal Wharf development.

Since 2019, when the development began, all apartment blocks have been sold and the complex is fully occupied highlighting overall project success. Due to site popularity, Ballymore & Oxley Holdings have started another construction adjacent to the Royal Wharf development. The new Riverscape complex will have 10 blocks and around 700 more flats, all of which will use the same CAME ENTROTEC access control solution and will be linked directly to the Royal Wharf concierge office.

Better by design.