Fastlane Glassgate speedgates from Integrated Design have been installed at 35 Portman Square, London W1, as part of the building refurbishment of the multi-tenanted 67,578 sqft (6,278 sqm) prestigious office building.
A plan was drawn up to provide a security system in the reception hall to the main entrance to the building, limiting access to only authorised occupants and visitors. A card swipe access control system and turnstiles were therefore required integral with the door entry control systems throughout the building. Key issues under consideration were the need to install a user friendly entry system for both ambulant and disabled people whilst maintaining the aesthetic nature of the main entrance, as the design team wanted to retain the open feel, yet maximise the space available to provide three lanes, including a double width DDA (UK Disability & Discrimination Act) central lane.
Fastlane Glassgates were recommended as the Glassgate has a glass barrier which operates in a user friendly ‘door like motion' allowing for quick acceptance by new users. The system was integrated seamlessly with the access control system used through out the building further easing the user acceptance of the new system, and the more secure higher version of the barrier was chosen to prevent vaulting over the pedestals.
The Fastlane Glassgate is a state of the art speedgate that combines IR detection sensors for tailgate detection and glass barriers to control access. The Glassgate's bi-directional swinging glass barrier intelligently control traffic flow whilst maximising throughput and the IR tailgate detection offers excellent protection against intruders.
As a DDA width lane was required, the Glassgate comes with a single barrier for standard lanes and a double barrier lane was added to the system to create a wider passage for DDA compliance. This is the first time the DDA lane was installed in the middle of the bank of lanes, adding to the design and making it a feature.
Safety beams monitor the area near the barrier; if an object is detected in the path of the barriers, they slow to a crawl until the obstruction is removed. The Fastlane Glassgate can integrate with a fire alarm system so that in an emergency the barriers automatically open in the exit direction to allow for free emergency egress. In a power failure, the barriers can be gently pushed out of the way.
"The Fastlane Glassgate entry barriers are an important part of the security regime installed in our office building at 35 Portman Square, London W1 to prevent unauthorised entry without imposing on the design of our main reception but at the same time maintaining an easy user friendly swipe card system which is very important in multi tenant properties," said Richard Ashby, Managing Director of Portman Square Properties Ltd.
