Lancroft installs integrated IP security at London’s Great West Quarter

17 Dec 09

By Anthony Hildebrand

A new riverside development in London has benefitted from an integrated access and CCTV security solution from Lancroft, supplied by Norbain.

Located near the river Thames in the fashionable area of Chiswick, GWQ (Great West Quarter) represents urban regeneration on a grand scale, and comprises a fusion of architectural styles billed as, ‘The Past, Present & Future as one’.

Over 750 new homes are being created in this three-phase project, alongside shops, offices, cafés, restaurants, a gym and hotel. At GWQ, outdoor space is equally as important as indoor space, and is executed in practice, with a series of piazza squares, and landscaped public areas and gardens.

In addition to ample residential car parking, GWQ has been designed to accommodate public transportation. A ‘buses only’ main street serves the development, and features restricted access for non-authorised traffic, protected via access controlled automatically retracting road bollards.

Security from the start

A Barratt Homes West London (BWL) project, security and access control was written into the design concept from the outset, as James Ansell of BWL explains: “A very important factor of the development for us is to ensure that residents will be able to enjoy GWQ’s high-spec urban living experience to the full, and feel safe in their homes and across the outdoor areas of the development.

“In addition to our own standard of security, the specification of the site’s access control and CCTV systems deployed are geared to fulfil the ‘Secure By Design’ criteria, as administered by the police.”

To provide the site-wide integrated security solution they required, BWL turned to security design and project management specialists Lancroft for help.

Steve Wiltermood, director of Lancroft explains: “We designed an integrated CCTV camera and access control network alongside door entry systems for the residential blocks, and worked around other contractors on the busy site to strict completion deadlines.

“The GWQ site includes a number of diverse buildings, from the refurbished Wallis House apartments (a former Beecham factory in period Art-Deco style), through the new Moderna housing complex, to the planned Skylon apartment and luxury hotel.

“For the overall security network, we recommended and installed a dedicated 1GB IP network to form the basis of both the IP CCTV and IP access control transmission systems. This provides a true ‘future-proof’ platform, which will allow other systems to be readily added, as and when they are needed.”

Comprehensive coverage

To provide CCTV surveillance coverage of the residential car parks and external areas of the vast site, Lancroft installed Norbain supplied Axis 225FD fixed dome and 233D network dome cameras, and Bosch NWD-455 FlexiDome cameras.

In the lobby area of the iconic Wallis House, Axis 216FD fully-functional network cameras were selected for their discreet appearance, with all cameras connected to a specially constructed on-site security facility, via the dedicated IP network.

Running on the same 1GB network, an Impro Technologies access control system is also overseen by the site security staff from the specially constructed control room in Wallis House.

“High-quality CCTV images allow instant, real-time visual confirmation of vital areas of the site, including many of the Impro Technologies controlled access points”, said Wiltermood.

“Used in conjunction with the BPT door entry system we also installed, it provides BWL with a holistic IP-based security network, and one that can be easily expanded to meet the client’s needs as the GWQ project progresses.

“Specifying an integrated CCTV and access control solution on a dedicated IP network has also afforded the ability to easily absorb the scheduled control equipment move, from its present temporary location in the Wallis House complex, to its new permanent home in building 9 – scheduled for completion in June 2010.

“If a totally analogue solution had been employed, this move would have been time consuming and complicated, involving extended downtime periods. Using an IP solution however, we are able to shut down the control equipment, moving it from one area of a site to another, with minimal loss of coverage.

“It is during these critical transition periods when sourcing product through Norbain really pays dividends. Just a phone call away, purchasing through Norbain we were supported with products arriving promptly and on time.”

Successful solution

With phase one of the GWQ project now completed, new residents are already enjoying the unique living space, including the dedicated private spaces where they can relax and socialise.

“GWQ is a flagship project for BWL,”Ansell said. “To be completed over three key phases, the innovative and expandable IP based CCTV and access control system supplied by Lancroft is key to the functionality and security of the site as we progress forward to the final next two stages of its construction.”