Working with security systems and building technology integrator Interphone Limited, Comelit has supplied its ViP video entry system for 193 high-end apartments at Queensmead Terrace in the St John’s Wood area of London, near Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The installation was a retrofit project where cabling options were limited and there was a need to minimise engineering time on site to reduce disturbance for residents. Queensmead Terrace is a multi-block site; the specific layout meant taking a peer-to-peer approach since individual entrance panels and concierge stations could not run back to a central point.
Interphone also required a system where every entrance panel, concierge station and internal monitor would have its own IP address, could be placed anywhere on the network and was capable of communicating with other units throughout the complex, without the use of a server. The site layout necessitated long cable runs of up to 250 metres, so Interphone used Comelit network switches to achieve this.
Justin Hawkesford, Operations Manager, Comelit UK, said: “A key challenge at Queensmead Terrace was linking individual blocks with a concierge system and few of our competitors could have offered a peer-to-peer option. Comelit excels at retrofits of this kind that are well suited to our IP products. We not only met, but also exceeded the client’s high expectations on this project. Bespoke manufacture was the only means of preserving the aesthetic appearance of the exterior.”
The client’s demanding brief included the ability to record all video and audio calls made to and from the entrance panels. The logging solution also had to provide information about the various actions resulting from each call, such as ‘door released’ and a time date stamping function was also specified.
Comelit met the client’s need to fill the voids left by the previous equipment by manufacturing bespoke stainless steel video entrance panels. These panels are flush-mounted outside the nine sites at Queensmead Terrace and can be remotely configured using an Ethernet port connection.
Crucially, the Comelit system allows residents to receive calls from the entrance panels direct to a smartphone or tablet when they are off-site or even abroad. They can also grant or refuse access if they are away and families can have multiple remote users. As an IP system, Comelit’s ViP range allows integrators to carry out maintenance, system health checks and pre-installation configuration remotely. This reduces costs and minimises disruption to everyday activity at the location. Concierges are also able to send text or image messages to an individual apartment, group of apartments or all residents.
Comelit gives installers options for mixing and matching components across a whole complex in order to meet specific needs. Inside the apartments at Queensmead Terrace, residents use either the 7” Stelle touchscreen monitor or the 3.5” Smart monitor. Both units simplify essential functions, such as lock release, and can be operated hands-free. They optimise image quality by offering precise adjustment of colour and contrast, and there is ample scope for ringtone customisation, as well as precise volume control. A special ‘doctor’ function allows users who are unwell and know that their next visitor will be a trusted health worker, to set the entrance panel so that access will be granted without interaction at the internal monitor.
Facility managers using ViP can configure the system to allow automatic entry for known couriers and contractors. They are also able to fine-tune these access rights for defined areas. The apartment monitors can be configured to send alarm calls to the concierge on receipt of an input from a leak detection unit or panic button for example. Residents can also record a message to be played through the entrance panel if they are out or do not wish to be disturbed. The whole of Comelit’s ViP access control suite is focused on functionality and ease of use.
Julian Synett, Managing Director of Interphone, commented: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Comelit, which combines our integration expertise with their leading technology solutions. As a result, we have implemented a complete refurbishment project including all new cabling, monitors, handsets, control equipment and panels, helping to create a more secure environment and enhance the quality of life within the estate.”