Growing To New Heights
New York integrator secures the tallest campus residential hall in the world and takes security to new heights
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Apr 01, 2016
Business is booming in higher
education, and campuses all
around the country are stepping
up to the challenge to
enhance security. A great
example of campus security
done right is Pace University. A
private university, Pace has
campuses in New York City and
Westchester County, enrolling
almost 13,000 students in
bachelors, masters and doctoral
programs.
New York integrator, Idesco has been
working hand-in-hand with Pace University
for several years now. Idesco had recently
helped Pace implement a standardized access
control system and services their security system
on a daily basis. It seemed only logical
that when the university expanded its residential
offerings, Idesco would be the first to
be called on to install the security equipment
throughout Pace’s newest residential building.
This job encompassed 34 stories and 384
rooms in the tallest campus residential hall in
the world. The building, located on 33 Beekman
St. in New York City, was designed to
house 770 students, so security was a top priority
for the school officials.
“This residential hall was a very ambitious
project for us,” said Tom Tresselt, associate
director of safety and security at Pace University.
“We were looking for a true partner
who would guide us and assist us every step
of the way.”
Idesco had between 8 to 10 employees on
hand during the building construction to
ensure that every step of the project would
run smoothly as construction progressed.
“We were very excited to do such a large and
detailed project,” said Andy Schonzeit, president
of Idesco. “We had to make sure that we
had the proper internal operational resources
as we knew that we would be on site for more
than one year. Typically, our jobs are of shorter
duration. Fortunately, our teams excelled and
really came through on this project.”
Pace University put the students’ safety and security first, and
worked with top-of-the-line products, which the campus security team
were seeking. The project consisted of installing an S2 access control
solution inclusive of 390-plus Assa Abloy POE locksets, 160 Axis IP
cameras, more than 1,200 voice and data cable runs, 400 cable TV runs
and a Bogen paging system throughout the building. Additionally, five
turnstiles were installed in the lobby.
“Idesco was very excited to have the opportunity to work on the
communications aspect of this project,” said Mike Troiani, service
manager at Idesco. “We had done some small voice and data projects,
but we knew that once we completed this project, it would be a nice
feather in our cap.”
Guided by the university’s voice and data communications standards,
the fiber optic cable is protected from physical damage and
any direct exposure. Most importantly, the fiber provides more bandwidth
than copper and has standardized performance up to 10 GBps
and beyond.
“This also means the data can move at higher speeds and longer
distances,” Troiani said. “More bandwidth means fiber can carry more
information, which gives Pace University flexibility not only with their
current deployment but also moving forward.”
“This installation was a very unique project,” Troiani said. “This
building feels more like a hotel than a dorm. So many amenities are
available to the students plus the location is fantastic. Within a
24-month period, we went from a hole in the ground to a comprehensive
system to secure the tallest university residence hall in the world.
From access control to cameras and voice/data, we have covered all
security aspects of the project successfully.”
Idesco’s project manager, Jack Warren, is no stranger to handling
large security projects. He knows that organization and communication
are the keys to a successful implementation. With this project,
managing all security components was a big plus. “The key component
to this project was having the ability to manage all phases of the technology,”
Warren said. “In many projects, you have the voice and data
team running cable, then the security vendor runs cable, the door
hardware company installs locks, Cable TV comes in and installs their
own equipment. Having different teams install various components
can complicate the process especially when we all have to work on a
tight schedule. Since Idesco was responsible for all technology, we were
able to set our schedule accordingly, control the amount of resources
onsite and most importantly communicate effectively and directly with
the general contractor, consultant and end user, without any delays or
holding up general construction work.”
Idesco has been in the high-rise business before, but never at such
great heights. The university also has buildings in the area that range
from 5 floors to 23 stories. Despite being spread out in the heart of
New York City, all are within walking distance of each other. This residential
tower sits comfortably in the heart of the campus and within a
block of a hospital.
“On a project this size, we had to pay extra attention to details,”
Warren said. “Besides the color scheme, there are no major differences
between each floor, so we had to make sure that all cameras and locks were labeled and tested. Most importantly, each IDF had to have a corresponding
map to the patch panels and devices.”
The university takes security seriously with cameras looking at the
landscape from one side of the campus to the other. One policy set by
university officials is that unless you need to be in a certain building,
you need an ID card for admittance or you are not allowed inside. In
addition, the campus even has a fire safety director on duty at all times;
making the university prepared for any type of emergency situation.
“Idesco has always been at the forefront of innovation and technology.
This project helped us set new standards in campus security and I
am very proud of the amazing work that everyone has accomplished,”
Schonzeit said. “I believe that many campuses will get inspired by
Pace’s commitment to students’ safety and will take the right steps to
protect everyone at all times.”
“Idesco managed the security aspect of this project very well,” Tresselt
said. “When we opened the residential hall, we also had move in
for our other 4 residence halls and Idesco was always ready to help us
when we needed them. The university will continue to grow and now
we have a security solution that will expand with our requirements.”
With security being top of mind of parents looking for a safe educational
environment for their children; they don’t have to look any further
than Pace. The university has students attending from all over the
world and realizes how important security is to parents near and far.
From walking to residence halls late at night or traveling between
buildings, it’s important that students are protected at all times and
under all circumstances. Pace University continues to rise to the occasion
with its recent expansion and with Idesco installing today’s latest
IP cameras, VMS systems and access control platforms, the right security
measures are in place. The long term vision of the University is to
put everything on the same access control system and consolidate their
entire system. With Idesco on their team, Pace has
nothing to worry about and can continue to grow
now and into the future, knowing their security
will be growing right there with them.
This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of Security Today.