12 Sep 2011

Calgary skyscraper installs ASSA ABLOY solution

Calgary skyscraper installs ASSA ABLOY Solution

“The Bow” skyscraper, a 59 floor office building, still under construction in Calgary, has officially become the tallest building in Western Canada. The building gets the name because of its crescent shape as well as its view of the Elbow River. With 1.9 million square feet of rentable space, the building covers two city blocks in the downtown area.

With the goal of  building  a  world class facility with world class security, the customer, EnCana, was equally interested  in a  total solution  that offered  something more than the run-of-the-mill system.  While it  is a  high-end building  with a significant  investment in  style and aesthetics, remaining on budget was still an important consideration.

ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions Canada had the opportunity  to present Sargent Harmony Integrated Wiegand locks as  a solution that would fulfill the building  owner’s  security vision and budget. 

SARGENT Harmony Series H1 products easily integrate into Wiegand compatible access control systems and incorporates 125 kHz HID proximity reader technology, card reader, door position switch and request-to-exit sensor all into the lock.

Hundreds of SARGENT Harmony Series units were installed with more to be added after the Tenant Improvement phase.

Johnson Controls was the System Integrator on the job. SARGENT Harmony connected to Johnson Controls’ P2000 Security Management Solution using the ElectroLynx® plug-in connector solution offered by all ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions brands.

ElectroLynx® is a plug-in universal connector with an easy, colour-coded wiring system which eliminates matching wires. Wiring is a snap and completely fool-proof. This pre-wired opening system features standard off the shelf Molex® connectors that snap together, attaching the door, hinge and lock to the building’s power source.

There were three well-known architect firms involved in this monumental project: Foster and Partners (Design), Gensler (Interior Design) and Zeidler Partnership (Project Architect). ASSA ABLOY required not only their approvals on the door opening solutions but also that of the owner and tenant.

While SARGENT Harmony provides access control integration, these additional products round out the hardware solutions due to their high quality, performance and ease of installation: SARGENT panic devices and mechanical locks; McKinney ElectroLynx hinges; Norton door closers; Pemko continuous hinges; and Besam door operators. Installation training too was a key component to a harmonized hardware installation at the Bow. Ten technicians from CP Distributors were trained and certified to install SARGENT Harmony electronic access control products as well as other hardware in the door opening solutions. “With CP as an ASSA ABLOY EAC product Certified Installer, the project was much easier,” said Bud Park, manager of integrated security solutions for ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions Canada.

With a project of this magnitude and all the parties involved working in concert to build and deliver a world class facility, the Bow is sure to live up to its tall reputation and keep building occupants safe and secure in the years to come.