39% of enterprises revealed that physical security breaches are among today’s toughest challenges. For this reason, architects need to keep security in mind throughout each stage in the design process.

If you want to know about architects’ top security trends, keep reading. This guide will cover the top tools architects can use to complement their building design, increase convenience for the regular user, and provide more stringent security.

5 Security Trends For Architects

Security is one of the most crucial elements of building design that architects need to consider. All architects should seek technologies that blend seamlessly with the building’s design and allow a more user-friendly experience for the everyday user. Here are five of the security trends that architects need to know.

Cloud-Based Systems And Fewer Server Rooms

When establishing a security system in their designs, architects need to consider whether a cloud-based security system would be beneficial or whether an on-premise system is necessary.

An on-premise security system fortifies the building against security outages and offers reliability. However, an on-premise system also requires space for servers. You must evaluate whether you would like to allocate space in your design for an on-premise server room. Servers also require a lot of maintenance, which is another consideration in terms of convenience.

An alternative to an on-premise system is a cloud-based system. Cloud-based security systems do not require servers, so they are a space-saving solution. A cloud-based security system also has remote management potential, over-the-air updates, and over-the-air troubleshooting. 

Or, if you want the benefits of both systems, you can invest in a hybrid approach. Hybrid systems require fewer servers but still offer the benefit of reliability.

Security Systems That Blend With The Building’s Design And Provide More Convenience

As an architect, the visual appeal of your designs is imperative. If you’re designing a modern, sleek, and sophisticated building, you need your security to merge with this design – not conflict with it.

Security systems are becoming more compact, with sleek and minimalist designs to blend in with any building’s architecture. For instance, touchless access control is a cloud-based system with hardware that is compact, minimalist, and well-suited to any building design. 

When implementing building security, architects must also consider the convenience of building occupants’ daily comings and goings. Touchless access control provides convenient entry on the first attempt and eliminates the need for keycards or fobs. 

Instead, users gain access credentials on their mobile devices. The building occupant can enter seamlessly with a hand wave over the access control reader. When they wave their hand over the reader, this will trigger the motion sensor. Once the motion sensor detects movement, it will initiate remote communication with the user’s mobile device to unlock the door. 

The device uses three modes of communication to ensure entry on the first attempt – WiFi, cellular, and Bluetooth communication. 

A commercial keyless door lock system ensures traffic moves smoothly into the building by preventing failed entry attempts. It also eliminates the need for users to fumble around in their bags and pockets at the building’s entrance to withdraw their access credentials and place them directly in front of the reader, which would slow down the entry process and cause congestion. 

Instead, users need only wave their hands to enter. Architects not only need to consider the design of the building but the overall user experience in the building. Seamless entry improves the user experience and elevates the building design.

Integrating Access Control And Video Security Technology

Architects need to consider the potential security vulnerabilities of their designs. For instance, their building design may not facilitate the optimal placement of security cameras. To ensure a surveillance system is effective, there must be no blind spots that a third party could take advantage of to enter the property or cause damage. 

Additionally, one key vulnerability comes with an access control system. If an unauthorised user manages to steal access credentials, they can easily use them to enter the building unchecked. However, integration can solve this issue.

A single security installation can ensure no blind spots at your building’s entrance while performing identity verification – a video intercom reader. A video intercom reader integrates access control and video surveillance technology, rolling both security installations into a single device. With integrated access control and video, all data from these installations can be viewed on a single interface, allowing for identity verification. 

If both sets of data were hosted separately, this would mean that security staff would have to correlate timestamps to verify user identity – which would be a lengthier process. 

By installing video surveillance for identity verification at each building entrance, you can ensure that there are no blind spots third parties might take advantage of – the system will capture footage of anyone entering the building.

Integrating Cybersecurity And Physical Security Tools For Automated Workflows

With cloud-based physical security comes the potential to merge physical and cyber security for a more robust overall approach. By integrating cybersecurity with physical security tools, architects can ensure automated workflows are established for security events. 

When an alarm is triggered, or abnormal data is detected in your security system, this will trigger automated workflow creation and assignation. The security team can define clear response procedures for each security alert, eliminating the need for manual workflow creation and assignation. Security teams can ensure a faster incident response by automating the workflow assignation process.

Summary

Architects don’t just need to design the building – they need to curate the user experience for everyday building users. These security trends can help architects to create more secure and convenient building security that does not interfere with the building’s visual appeal. 

Property & Development Magazine | The Home of Residential Sector News

HOLIDAYING AT HOME : With holiday restrictions set to continue across the summer, 84% of Brits are considering a staycation this year, with Dorset topping the UK bucket list for 30% of respondents[1]. Conveniently placed in Dorset’s most notable staycation spot, award-winning housebuilder Inland Homes is preparing to launch a new collection of contemporary apartments at The Wessex in Bournemouth on Friday 7^th May – Sunday 9^th May. Just a short walk from the iconic seven-mile sandy beach, the new collection of apartments at Hawthorne Court are perfect for first time buyers looking to purchase a first home with the beach on their doorstep, house-hunters craving a fresh start in a coastal location, as well as those looking to enjoy a second home by the sea.

Available to view by appointment only across the launch weekend, Hawthorne Court will comprise a unique collection of one, two and three bedroom apartments set across five storeys. Each property is individual in design with a selection of sizes and layouts, meaning homebuyers can easily find something that suits their specific new home requirements. For purchasers that just can’t wait and want to complete their move in time to enjoy a very British summer in Bournemouth this year, there are a select a number of properties available in, Heather Court, where homes are ready to move in now ready for the summer months.

Vicki Noon, Sales and Marketing Director at Inland Homes, comments: “The Wessex provides a fantastic opportunity for a variety of buyers seeking a base from which they can enjoy everything a city location offers, as well as one of the most popular staycation destinations in the UK. With the availability of Help to Buy, first time buyers can also reap the rewards of this exciting seaside location. Bournemouth city centre offers a thriving hub of shops, restaurants bars and café’s as well as one of the most famous stretches of sandy beaches on the doorstep.”

Situated along West Cliff Road, The Wessex comprises two luxury apartment buildings alongside a new hotel. Each new home has its own unique features, but all benefit from contemporary open-plan interiors complemented by designer finishing touches such as fully fitted Paula Rosa kitchens with integrated appliances. A typical two-bedroom apartment enjoys an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area, ideal for modern apartment living.   A sleek master bedroom comes complete with an ensuite, whilst a further bedroom and bathroom complete the property. Perfect for breathing in the crisp sea air, many homes also come complete with a private balcony or terrace, and all can enjoy beautiful landscaped communal gardens and access to secure underground parking facilities.

With seven miles of sandy beach and calm sea views, as well as acres of parks and green space on the doorstep, Bournemouth has something for every type of resident. Residents at The Wessex will be able to enjoy a bit of down time and take in the clean sea air whilst walking along the beach, or take a stroll over to the West Cliff Gardens and take in the stunning cliffside views across the sea. As well as being a relaxing coastal location, Bournemouth is also home to a cosmopolitan city centre, just a short walk from The Wessex, offering a host of leisure, entertainment and culture facilities including a high street with a mixture of well-known retail stores, cafes and independent boutiques.

Perfect for those looking to make their Wessex apartment their second property, Bournemouth is home to a variety of local attractions to keep visitors amused.  Situated along the seafront, Bournemouth Oceanarium houses over 75 fish and underwater creatures, whilst Smugglers Cove adventure golf course is perfect for some outdoor fun. A selection of museums and galleries are all within walking distance from The Wessex, whilst Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre is a 14-minute walk away[2], offering a selection of theatrical and comedy performances all year round.

Bournemouth is a city well placed for all kinds of travel. Just a short drive away, the A338/A31 can connect residents westwards to Dorchester or northwards towards Salisbury and beyond. By rail, Bournemouth Station is a seven -minute drive away[3], where residents can still be connected to Central London in under two hours[4].

For purchasers that just can’t wait and want to complete their move in time to enjoy a very British summer in Bournemouth this year, there are a select a number of properties available in, Heather Court, where homes are ready to move in now. Prices at The Wessex start from £225,000, for further information on the brand new homes, please visit www.inlandhomes.co.uk/developments/the-wessex or call (01202) 096864.

*Sources: Google Maps, National Rail

Property & Development Magazine

The new developments will add a total of 1,325 student accommodation beds, increasing the total number of beds delivered under joint venture to 3,200. GSA and Harrison Street have united forces in 2015 to target student accommodation in Ireland.

As part of the newly announced transaction, GSA will be entering the Cork market with two Uninest Student Residences: a 190-bed development close to the entrance of University College Cork on Western Road, which will open in September 2018 and a 413-bed residence on a former Beamish Brewery site in the city centre opening in 2020.

The company will also continue to expand its Dublic portfolio with the 402-bed development adjacent to the Grangegorman campus and the 320-bed development close to GSA’s existing Broadstone Hall property, both opening in time for the new academic year in 2019.

“While Ireland maintains its reputation for having some of the best academic institutions globally, there will continue to be strong demand for high-quality purpose-built student accommodation from both home and international students,” said Nick Richards, GSA’s managing director for the UK and Ireland.

“This is another boost to GSA’s wider European growth strategy and to our presence in Ireland. It has been achieved by working collaboratively with a number of local parties, all of whom are inspired to be creating a new standard of purpose-built student accommodation to the benefit of students and the regeneration of communities,” he added.

Harrison Street is a US-based investment manager investing on behalf of its second European fund, Harrison Street European Property Partners II. The fund focuses on acquisitions and developments in the student accommodation and speciality residential sectors throughout Europe.

The Predicament for This Year’s Property Market

The property market’s fundamentals will remain positive in 2018 despite 2017 being a mixed bag for the UK residential market. House prices increased by 4.5% in the year to October, according to ONS, and HMRC revealed that the rate of residential transactions is 7.1% higher than a year ago.

Even though the London market became quiet, cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Birmingham performed extremely well over the year and offered capital growth to its investors. This performance is predicted to be sustained, with Leeds being predicted a 25% capital growth and 6% in yields over the next five years.

One of UK’S hotspots for property investment is Birmingham due to its student population, growing local economy, and high returns on property investment. The long term growth in the regions looks extremely positive as more and more businesses relocate their operations outside of London.

Hamish Pound, Head of Investment at IP Global, believes that the Brexit negotiations will not affect the market and its strong fundamentals. Even though there is a lot of political noise around this issue, the residential market has always managed to thrive and overcome challenges.

The Government will not risk causing instability by taking foolish decisions that can damage the health of both the housing market and the wider economy. If anything, policymakers will most probably try and stimulate activity in the housing market rather than stopping it altogether.

“While investing in the UK residential property market won’t necessarily be plain sailing in 2018, I believe that intelligent investors who take a measured approach to their portfolios will not be disappointed. The economic outlook might cloud, but short-term volatility will not alter the fundamental imbalance between supply and demand in the market,” concluded Hamish Pound.

The Predicament for This Year’s Property Market

Property & Development Magazine

The City of Glasgow College has formed a partnership with Building Contractors Training Group and Learn, Direct & Build in order to help address the technical skills supply shortage that is being faced in the UK construction industry. The partnership that has been formed hopes to transform the way that supervisor construction training programmes are delivered in the UK.

Building Contractors Training Group, BCTG Construct, is a consortium of educator, industrialists and designers who have created a blended learning programme in order to help the sector increase productivity and efficiency as well as reduce technical skills gap by offering supervisors on an anytime, anywhere learning experience.

The blended learning programme that is being offered by the City of Glasgow and their partners will help to improve the competence of the course supervisors and managers by offering them an opportunity to gain new knowledge of refresh their existing knowledge. The enhancements to the supervisors will lead to a greater level of efficiency in the management of construction sites as well as leading to the creation of a safer working environment and improve the overall standards in the UK construction industry. Essentially the partnership solution will help to reduce and perhaps eliminate post-handover defects.

The technical skills gap is getting larger in this industry and it is essential that those in the industry look at innovative educational solutions that can reduce the deficit. The new partnership will help to anticipate and then respond to the needs and expectations of existing and emerging supervisors in order to make sure that they have all of the skills that they require and the necessary experience for the role.

By providing better learning and development opportunities, the construction industry can offer more knowledge as well as more effective job planning and productivity as well as in increased level of profit. Both businesses and employees can find the balance of work and learning challenging. Therefore, the provision of a new online learning platform through the partnership between City of Glasgow College, BCTG and Learn, Direct & Build offers a great solution for these problems and offers better flexibility for the individual.

We sometimes take technology for granted in our life, and this can lead us to believe we can’t live without it. Technologies such as smartphones, cars and food, water and energy supplies have all contributed towards an existence that is reliant upon these things every day; without them we could potentially struggle to live our lives in a way that felt comfortable.

We can still gain independence by living off grid; this doesn’t mean that we are required to reduce the quality of our lives. We can do this by replacing energy and supplies from the main grid with renewable alternatives. Doing this offers a sustainable alternative to a lifestyle where everything we need is available to use 24/7. Together with specialists in LPG canisters, Flogas, we take you through exactly how living off-grid can be easier than you think:

Changing over to alternative power systems
If you live of grid you will need to source your own power, whether this is using a gas cylinder or solar energy. Solar energy produces around 3,400kWh of free electricity every year.

People with small children could live off a solar panel system that produces 3.4kW of power as this is the required amount for a family home. A 2kW to 3kW solar panel would produce enough energy for smaller homes with less people living in them. A 3kW solar system will cost around £5,000 – £6,000 overall and will be a great investment based on the amount of free electricity you will procure during its lifetime.

It’s recommended to have a backup system in place, especially when you live off grid as solar panels can fail to work if the weather is cloudy. Alternatively, you could consider a domestic wind turbine which you can install and it produces 5kW to 6kW of energy; you can also be paid for any energy you don’t use which is sent back to the grid.

Keeping your costs reduced
If you don’t live near an energy supplier, it is expressed that you only use the power that you need. To keep costs efficient and to live within your own budget, you could use LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs, which will help reduce costs by 75%; you could look at getting rid of any electrical appliances that you don’t need and be sure to turn off all electrical appliances at the mains once they have been used.

Sewage system
It will become essential to source your own water, especially if you don’t live near a natural source. Wells can cost between £10,000 – 20,000, and this is dependent upon how deep the well is dug, and whether the well will be used as a source of drinking water or for other domestic purposes.

You will need a sceptic tank to dispose of any water waste. Along with this, you will need to install a greywater system. The water used in dishwashing, sinks, baths and showers can be re-used if treated. Doing this will also benefit the lifespan of your well, as you can reuse water that has already been cleaned and brought to the surface.

Reducing your waste
The energy, food and water that you use, should be regularly monitored for your own benefit to see how much you are using. If you slip, then your reliance on these things may reach unsustainable

levels, which may impact your ability to live off-grid. There are various ways to keep on top of your
waste – and these include.

 Short Showers
 Using artificial lighting
 Turn off lights when exiting a room
 Using food leftovers for compost to create rich soil for growing more fruit and vegetables
 Attend workshops that can learn you how to repair damages to the home or how to grow your own food.
 Adopt into hunting and fishing to catch fresh food, will help reduce your reliance upon supermarkets that you would usually have to drive to

Lifestyle changes
Deciding to live off grid can be a big change to your life, altering your actual lifestyle might be worth considering too. There are other ways to live off grid, and you will make many mistakes along the way, but becoming self-sufficient may just be the key to your unlocked potential and happiness.

Peacock Engineering offers their clients a range of Asset and Service Management Solutions. The business typically works with asset intensive companies and industries, offering the IBM Maximo Asset Management solution in order to deliver better real time visibility of their asset usage. Peacock Engineering has a consulting team consisting of experts with more than 250 man-hours working with Maximo as well as an average of 12 years’ experience working with the system.

Peacock Engineering has recently won a contract that was tendered by Flogas, the supplier of LPG for domestic and commercial customers. Through this new contract, Peacock Engineering will be working to deliver a range of asset management solutions for the company’s installation and maintenance engineers operating nationwide.

Peacock Engineering will be delivering the most efficient and affordable service possible to Flogas, who have been looking to expand their usage of the Maximo system in order to cover the company’s inventory, procurement, maintenance and installation services for their domestic and commercial customers. The solution utilised by Peacock Engineering will include ClickSoftware and Fingertip which will allow Flogas engineers to access real-time information and scheduling. This new system will cut down on the amount of down-time experienced by engineers as well as allowing them to work safely in ATEX zoned environments. The implementation of the new system combination of Maximo, ClickSoftware and Fingertip will allow Flogas to lead the way in terms of using effective business processes.

The comprehensive asset management solutions delivered by Peacock Engineering will offer Flogas a complete asset management solution for the entire of the work-order lifecycle. The new solution also offers a visibility of their assets that has not been available before.

Hopefully this awarding of this new contract will be the start of a long and prosperous business relationship for both Peacock Engineering and Flogas.

Property & Development Magazine

Focus Consultants have been selected to work on a development which will create 22 new affordable homes for rental or shared ownership in Lincolnshire. The work is being carried out for Waterloo Housing Group and is the latest in a string of project which has seen the two companies working together.

The Boston office of Focus Consultants has been working with Waterloo Housing Group and ESHA to complete a development on Broadfield Lane in Boston. This project was completed ahead of schedule earlier this year and created 123 houses. The partnership is also involved in the ongoing work to complete 32 homes off Toot lane in Boston and the completed project to build 26 houses and apartments on Tytton Lane.

The Old Leake housing development will create a selection of one,two, three and four bedroomed houses all designed to be well proportioned. The homes available to rent or partially own in Old Leake as part of the development have also been advertised as having good access to parking. The development is being funded by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership. The location for the new houses used to be a caravan and car park in the village that is about eight miles out of Boston.

Old Leake is an old village, with a Grade I listed Church, therefore it is important that the design and development of the new houses compliment the aesthetic in Old Leake. The partnership pan to make sure that the development blends in with the existing environment when they are completed.

The development is expected to be finished in March of next year and will also include the partial demolition and remodelling of the White Hart public house which is situated next to the construction site. These alterations will be made in order to make space for a new access road to be created.

Axeos has unveiled their new range of conference tables. Axeos first started in 2006 in France by Mickael Huron in order to combine state of the art technology with high quality furniture. The furniture that is produced by the company include integrated audio visual technology in order to be suitable for video conferencing, telepresence, digital signage, touch pad solutions, lecterns and conference tables.

The company focus on offering a high attention to detail and also offer an excellent service by customising each item when necessary to fit the client’s requirements. The design team at Axeos are able to carry out even the most complex of alterations to their furniture for their customers, while the research and development department work hard to make sure that the company is always capable of installing the most up to date technology emerging on to the market.

The company has expanded to have 3 separate manufacturing units in Normandy that are used for carpentry, metalwork and plexiglass/corian. Over the course of the past ten years the company has been developing their expertise in order to develop the best manufacturing and design solutions as a reflection of their company motto “When Technology inspired design”. Axeos has experienced a tremendous amount of growth through their ten years of operation and now works with 300 different resellers and have the capacity to handle more than 2,000 shipments internationally each year.

The new Axeos X-Range of conference tables have been created by Axeos in order to reflect the importance of this feature within a company. A conference table is important; it has to be equipped with the correct technologies in the correct places, as well as offering a representation of the seriousness of the company and meet a range of characteristics that are suitable for the company.

The former County Hospital in Durham is going to be transformed in to new state-of-the art student accommodation. The national developing company, Sladen Estates, Peveril Securities and Helios Properties will be working together in order to refurbish the former Victorian hospital.

Work has stated at the development and it is thought that the development will benefit from £34 million of investment in order to deliver 363 bedrooms. The student accommodation has been designed to have a mixture of both studio rooms and cluster flats to be used by the city’s students.

The location of the site is perfect for students and the development will regenerate the area. The project is involving the former County Hospital, one of the most recognisable buildings in Durham. Before the work started, the County Hospital was derelict. Once the work on the project is finished, the site will be operated by Unite Students, which is the leading provider of student accommodation in the UK.

The accommodation will be in the perfect location for students. The development is in a central location that is near the university campus as well as the bars, shops and transport links in Durham. The development has also been designed in order to include communal outdoor space and a formal garden area. The £34 million investment in to this new development will also go towards the renovation of Wharton Park, which is near to the development site and will further improve the area.

It is thought that the County Hospital will be converted in a way that is sympathetic to the original building but will also incorporate modern design features and technology. There will be a great deal of investment in to this project and it is hoped that the work will restore the old hospital building to its former glory and also serve a purpose by hosting the city’s university students. The first students will be able to move in to the accommodation for the Autumn term in September 2018.