Waide Commercial Construction won the bid and subcontracted NZ Hardware Limited for door security and safety solutions for the 56 apartments, 8 penthouse units, 5 retail spaces, and 60 parking spaces. The developer, Victor Jia, had a vision for the project that was higher than the standard door specifications for an apartment building. That is, more than just mechanical locks.
“That was what drove us to consult with Allegion and ask for something more than what was originally specified for the project,” relates Waide Commercial Construction Project Director Chris Willis.
Working with Allegion, NZ Hardware Director Wattie Galvin worked on a new door specification that included Schlage eGO ™ and Schlage Omnia ™ Smart Locks for the apartment units.
The Schlage eGO Smart Lock was not yet available when the door specifications needed to be finalised and approved by the apartment building developer. The Schlage Breeze Hotel platform for the locks was in its final testing phases to bring new features and benefits to users and operators.
“The Schlage Breeze security testing process created a challenge in aligning with the timeline the developer had set,” says Galvin and adds, “but we had strong confidence in Allegion’s ability to deliver.”
He explains why he chose to use the Schlage eGO lock for the project: “The lock had been used in hundreds of hotels around the world. So, you knew it was going to work. The only thing I didn’t know was how the new soware worked. But I knew the physical product was going to do what it needed to do, and that was to lock the building. The pricing was on point. This made it an ideal product for this project.”
For The Victor’s penthouse units that have rebated doors, Schlage Omnia™ Smart Locks in matt black with Legge 990 rebate kits were specified, which complemented the dark veneer doors.
Allegion New Zealand’s National Channel Manager - Commercial Campbell Glennie states, “Once customers see the benefits of electronic locking solutions, combined with the additional value it adds to the property, mechanical options are no longer the default entry locking choice. It’s a no brainer to take advantage of the Schlage eGO and Schlage Omnia Smart Locks with the Schlage Breeze system."
Chris Willis
Commercial Construction Project Director
During the construction phase of a build, contractors require construction keys to access rooms and provide security to the site for building materials, appliances, and tools.
“I’m a believer of securing apartments and having a controlled entry, especially when the build is furnished with expensive materials for kitchen fit-outs and prevention of any unforeseen damages within apartments nearing completion,” says Willis.
He adds that they would typically use construction keys, but they would inevitably get lost. “A lot of subcontractors are given construction keys and before you know it, control is lost, and multiple spare copies are required. This happens on every single project.”
For the build of The Victor, Willis shares that with the Schlage Breeze app, they were able to approve selected subcontractor representatives’ ability to access apartments and produce a record of what company opened a door at any given time. An effective audit trail that provides invaluable accountability and peace of mind.
The Schlage Breeze app offers keyless convenience and the ability to configure and access a smart lock via Bluetooth. The app allows locking and unlocking of the Schlage Omnia and Schlage eGO smart locks:
• program and manage unique guest codes; schedule temporary or recurringaccess codes for certain times of the day to control door access;
• send virtual keys to guests with a smartphone for additional keyless convenience; view past activity to see when guests used the lock;
• select length of time delay for auto-locking to make coming and going even easier;
• receive low battery warnings with advanced notice;
• customise push notifications; and
• configure built-in alarm warnings.
According to Galvin, “The management system is fantastic. The only thing I didn’t actually try was to allocate somebody a set time to go into the rooms, and that’s because we never really needed it. You either had access to it or you didn’t. And if you didn’t, you weren’t getting in anyway.”
NZ Hardware shares that the handover training of using the Schlage Breeze app alongside the Schlage eGO and Schlage Omnia smart locks ran for just one hour, and that was all that was needed for the apartment manager to begin using the system immediately.
“It’s a great system and the app was just a breeze,” asserts Galvin.
Willis interjects that he likes Allegion’s Schlage smart locks, too. “I like it so much I want one to go on the front door of my home.”
Wattie Galvin
NZ Hardware Director
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