Ultramodern security for heritage riverside estate in London

25 May 2017

A complex brief from the client and historic buildings to deal with were two of the challenges that Comelit had to overcome in its latest door entry project. In partnership with two separate developers, Comelit helped provide security at converted Grade 2-listed period houses and apartments, as well as at a private gated riverside development called Fitzroy Gate in Old Isleworth, Middlesex.

The project involves leading UK retirement developer Beechcroft Developments and nationwide property developer St James (part of the Berkeley Group). This site on the Thames waterfront includes the White House, a stucco Georgian building created in 1832, in addition to an Edwardian red-brick chapel and a range of new apartments.

Systems integrators Standing Power Electrical have installed Comelit’s Ikall panel at the entrance to Fitzroy Gate. The Ikall panel is modular in design, which allows easier installation and customisation. The standard unit features a 128×64-pixel display and 21-button backlit keypad. It is easily programmable via USB and RS485 ports.

Once inside the parkland estate, visitors use a secondary audio-only entrance panel from Comelit’s 3one6 range to gain access to an apartment block. These panels have a 4-mm stainless steel plate and are flush-mounted.

Green solution :

Many of the new apartments have been fitted with SimpleHome, Comelit’s home automation system, which gives residents full control of their lighting by enabling them to create their own ‘scenarios.’ SimpleHome reduces the building’s carbon footprint by showing occupants frequent updates of their energy usage by connecting to pulsed output meters installed by the utility companies.

SimpleHome won a Benchmark Innovation Award earlier this year, with judges praising it for turning appliance management into a lifestyle product. It is compatible with any type of switch and is used on other projects for a broader range of utility readings, including water usage. SimpleHome also allows customised management of audio-visual entertainment by zone for individual family members. This aspect of the Fitzroy Gate project was implemented by EML Installations.

Versatile monitor :

In the houses and apartments, residents use either Icona or Icona Manager monitors to speak with visitors. Icona Manager combines door entry functions with home automation. It uses touchscreen technology and responds to gesture and ‘swipe’ conventions similar to that of a smartphone or tablet device.

John Line, Business Development Manager at Comelit Group UK, said: “Fitzroy Gate is interesting insofar as Comelit’s door entry and SimpleHome automation system have met the differing requirements of two developers and two installers. The estate is extensive and has multiple building types, but we have succeeded in responding to current needs, as well as supplying a future-proofed IP solution. The project shows Comelit excelling on yet another project of historical interest by providing a really flexible and adaptable installation.”

Twickenham-based EML Installations Ltd, designs, installs and tests electrical systems for new properties and refurbishments. The company has a track record stretching back over 20 years. Disciplines covered include access control, fire alarms, CCTV and data cabling. The company is a NICEIC-approved contractor. Standing Power Electrical Contractors is Camberley-based and has a portfolio that includes many high-end domestic projects of this type.

Six apartments are the result of the conversion of the Grade 2-listed White House at Fitzroy Gate, which has a classical Georgian façade. It was designed by Edward Blore in 1832 for Sir William Cooper, a former chaplain to George III. Blore is best known for his work on Buckingham Palace. Fitzroy Gate has also been used in the past by the Sisters of Nazareth, who formed a convent on the site in 1892. Their chapel, with little structural change, is part of the new complex.