Meesons & Ace Deliver Seamless Entrance & Access Control for Hills Road Sixth Form College
In preparation for the academic year, Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge contacted andwis group company, Meesons to install a modern, secure, and fully integrated access control solution at their entrance. Their vision was to increase security around the perimeter of the property to ensure only authorised students and staff could gain access.
Meesons, who specialise in a range of innovative entrance applications, could comfortably fit the brief for an entrance system, but needed support to deliver secure access. Therefore, they turned to fellow andwis Group company, Ace Fire & Security.
This case study offers a prime example of how two andwis expert disciplines seamlessly unite to deliver a comprehensive entrance, access and security system to meet the time-sensitive requirements of the new academic year for this sixth form college.
The Brief
The college offers students access to state-of-the-art facilities, including a nine-acre sports field, a newly refurbished gym, a sports and tennis centre, plus a performing arts theatre.
To prevent the risk of intruders to the college, the Estates and Facilities team wanted to add an extra layer of security around the perimeter of the property, in particular at three main access areas:
- Main entrance
- Rear car park access
- Cycle entrance
They requested an easy-to-use, but secure access system that could manage a large footfall at the beginning and end of the day. It would require extensive testing to ensure full operation at all times, but particularly during the busiest periods.
The Challenge
The project posed four main challenges:
- Installed and test the system within an 8-week window over the summer holidays.
- Ensure that it was fully operational and able to welcome new student before term began in September.
- Seamlessly integrate the security software provided by Ace Security with the speed gate hardware provided by Meesons.
- Deliver a flexible and secure system that allows student to access the college grounds via mobile devices.
Our Solution
Together, Meesons and Ace were fast to respond to the brief and devise a strategy to deliver nine high-performance speed gate systems, supplied by Meesons, and a secure access software system, supplied by Ace Fire & Security.
Meesons specified nine EasyGate SPT Outdoor Speed Gates, measuring 1,400mm in height. The hardware came complete with an EasyScan RFID wall-mounted unit and lane guidance arrows.
In order to monitor the efficiency and speed at which students and staff could flow through the new access system, Meesons specified Tmon remote monitoring software. A useful feature of Tmon is a scheduler, which allows operators to create daily plans and set controls for the speed gate for set times, such as morning arrival and evening departure.
Ace Fire & Security took the lead on the security software for pupils accessing the college. They specified Motorola Solutions’ Avigilon Unity access control system, which was integrated with speed gate readers. This meant students could use a QR code on their phones or as a hard copy print to gain access to the college. The QR codes minimised physical contact and streamlined site entry.
An andwis Collaboration
Ace and Meesons’ engineering teams worked closely together to ensure all hardware and software components functioned reliably within the agreed access schedules.
Both andwis group companies coordinated seamlessly to deliver a unified solution:
- Meesons provided the physical entry hardware (speed gates and readers)
- Ace Fire & Security implemented an access control system and managed the integration and testing.
This partnership ensured clear communication, consistent delivery standards, and a fully integrated result for the client
The Outcome
Not only was the project delivered on time and on budget, but the two andwis companies delivered a secure entrance and contactless access solution for students and staff at the college that met the college’s security standards.
The fast-tracked and streamlined approach demonstrates how an andwis collaboration can save time, deliver value and guarantee superb results.
The feedback from the college’s Estate and Facilities team has been extremely positive and has given them peace of mind knowing the system was installed, tested, and fully operational before the new term.
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