Enhancing the user experience for members of a luxury co-working space in the UK through revolutionary access control technology

CHALLENGE

Sópers House is a luxury co-working space in Cuffley, just north of London. It offers up to 6,500 m2 of serviced workspace on three levels, including 40 private offices and room for 400 people to hot desk. The complex also contains a gym, hairdresser, café, bar, restaurant, roof terrace and auditorium.

2N’s distributor was brought in to provide access control throughout the building, and they worked on the project alongside a specialist smart home and automation integration firm. As Sópers House was built to offer its members the best possible user experience, the distributor prioritised:

• Ease of use for Sópers House’s members, including contactless authentication at all access points
• A fully integrated intercom and access control solution
• The best quality technology to help manage the high footfall in Sópers House
• The highest level of security in every part of the building
• Aesthetics – the beautiful design of all products

USER EXPERIENCE

2N’s products could be integrated seamlessly with other technologies that were running on the application used by Sópers House’s members, helping streamline their experience of using the building. The fact that, through WaveKey, the members can use their smartphones to access the building has also added to the user experience.

SECURITY, VISIBILITY & RELIABILITY

1,000 people can potentially pass through Sópers House every day. The system gives the building’s managers peace of mind that, even on this large scale, they will have no security issues and full visibility on who is coming in and out of the building.

COST EFFECTIVENESS

The solution has simplified access control throughout the building, without which Sópers House would have been forced to spend more money on keys and fobs. Staff levels would also have increased because of the need for more people on the front desk.

AESTHETIC APPEAL

All of 2N’s products are developed with design in mind, and the devices used in the Sópers House project are an ideal aesthetic fit for a luxury property of this kind.

SOLUTION:

The distributor decided to use the following products from the 2N portfolio to address this challenge:

Externally, the solution incorporated nine 2N® IP Verso intercoms, including at the main entrance, lobby and car park. The intercoms offer Bluetooth & RFID authentication and a touchscreen Digital Phonebook/Keypad Module, which can be programmed with members’ names and details, allowing visitors to connect with the correct business very easily. Designed to resist vandalism, the 2N® IP Verso also has a camera with night vision, meaning that you can always see who is standing in front of the intercom, even in total darkness. Moreover, the camera is hidden from normal view, so intruders have no clue that they are being monitored.

2N® ACCESS UNIT 2.0

14 2N® Access Unit 2.0s with RFID & Bluetooth, to allow access to communal areas such as the restaurant, bar, gym and shared workspace. These units provide fast and easy entry via smartphone or fob.

2N® INDOOR VIEW

One 2N® Indoor View answering unit, which has a 7" touchscreen with a wide viewing angle. The tempered glass surface and stylish design make the Indoor View the perfect choice for a luxury project like Sópers House.

2N® ACCESS UNIT M

55 2N® Access Unit Ms, including in each of the 40 offices. Access Unit M is an access controller and reader in one unit. The units use WaveKey, 2N’s next generation Bluetooth-based mobile access technology. WaveKey sets a new benchmark in speed, reliability and security for mobile access control. As well as authentication through users’ smartphones, the technology also supports key fob and RFID access.

2N® ACCESS COMMANDER 2N®

Access Commander, the nerve centre of the access control solution, allows the status of the access control units to be monitored remotely, in real time.

“The 2N access system was the best thing for us because it’s reliable, it gives us easy access and it’s easy to use for a large team.” -Scott Foster General Manager of Sópers House