Access Control Oxford

ACT access control equipment installation at All Souls College, University of Oxford

Founded in 1438, the College wanted to protect both the property and people within the grounds without compromising the visual appeal of the buildings, dating back to Henry VI's reign.

Benefiting from the most recent version of ACT's management software, ACTenterprise, All Souls College is taking full advantage of the latest role-based platform with an array of functionalities tailored to suit their individual requirements. One of the added benefits of the chosen system is the fact it offers All Souls College the look and feel of a web browser experience and therefore is simple to use while offering a very high level of security at the same time. Plus, by being able to use ACT's own contactless smart cards with the ACTpro MIFARE 1030 proximity reader, staff and students at the College are able to access the grounds quickly and safely.

For the College itself, the slim-line mullion reader enabled them to use ACT's 1030PM brass finish, typically associated with audio entry panels and took advantage of the solid brass flush plate designed specifically for the project. The flush plate was fitted to walls near doorways to complement the stonework of the College, dating back to 1440.

Richard Huison of ACT said: 'It was crucial that our equipment didn't disturb the overall aesthetic appearance of the site. The College has set a premium on access control but didn't want it to be obvious to outsiders. Working alongside Executive Alarms of Oxford, ACT 'piggy backed' any conduit needed for the units, taking advantage of any existing structural cabling wherever possible.'

He continued: 'Installation of the IP units caused minimal disruption to the day to day running of the College nor compromised the integrity of the buildings. Plus, the minimal amount of cabling required meant it was possible to hide within the mortar lines by local, skilled stone masons.'

The ACTpro 1520 single-door IP controllers used at the site are expandable up to 32 doors through use of ACT door stations. Offering break glass monitoring, anti-passback, reader short circuit protection and voltage monitoring, the range of door stations deliver a wealth of benefits to the college whereby faults are immediately reported on the ACTenterprise software as well as a web interface.

Forming an integral part of the University of Oxford, All Souls College is primarily a graduate research institution with strengths in the humanities and social and theoretical services.

'The campus at All Souls College, University of Oxford where Executive Alarms installed ACT access control equipment'

Due to the large numbers of students within the College, ACT equipment is installed in many areas including the Codrington Library also known as 'The Great Library', dating back from 1716. Full furbishing of the Library at All Souls needed to accommodate the vast range of books held in the library from authors including philosopher Sir Isaiah Berlin, politicians Keith Joseph and John Redwood, The Archbishop of Canterbury from 1928-1942 and Cosmo Gordon Lang and T.E Lawrence, otherwise known as 'Lawrence of Arabia.'

With a track record in working with centres of academic excellence, ACT has installed its equipment in various locations throughout the UK and Europe, including many education facilities of all sizes and Executive Alarms were delighted to be a part of the installation process. As members of the SSAIB and offering 24/7, 365 day service, Executive Alarms boast a team of skilled engineers, all of which are CRB checked and fully competent in responding with appropriate system designs for listed buildings and projects of significant architectural importance as described above.

We work with a variety of schools, colleges and universities throughout Oxford. If you are looking for a similar access control solution, or would like to find out more about our commercial security services, simply get in touch to find out more,
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