ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions

North Presbyterian Church

North Presbyterian Church transforms an industrial warehouse into a multi-purpose worship space for an urban congregation that serves the homeless and less fortunate in Cleveland, Ohio. The architecture is animated by the existing environment, capitalizing on its resources, constraints, and qualities, resulting in an unexpected and unique sacred space. The 4,900 sf facility was built for $196,000. With dwindling or relocated congregations, urban churches from a variety of denominations are being closed and decommissioned at a staggering rate within Cleveland's urban core. A unique congregation of diverse socioeconomic and spiritual backgrounds, this North Church has fought to continue its ministry within the blighted neighborhood it calls home. In order to sustain its ministry, the church made the choice to move out of its oversized and costly to maintain the historic building. The church functions on a shoestring budget funded largely by donations from partner churches, thus the new facility had to be extremely low-cost to build, operate, and maintain. The site for the new church is an existing decommissioned industrial warehouse building where the church is strategically collocated with a series of affiliated nonprofit social organizations. The site was selected because of the church's ability to collectively share services and infrastructure, such as common restrooms and a commercial kitchen (used to serve weekly meals to the homeless and needy in the community), with another nonprofit organization. The church desired to have a unique, distinguishable, and inviting image within the larger complex. Spatial limitations in the existing building meant the sanctuary was required to be a shared space with all tenants providing large meeting and assembly spaces divisible by movable partitions.

Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center

The Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, a 2,000-acre residential learning facility in Finland, Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior, leverages the superior thermal performance of Trio-E openings to enhance its energy efficiency. Hosting over 15,000 students and visitors annually, Wolf Ridge’s mission is to cultivate environmentally conscious citizens, a goal reflected in the integration of sustainable technologies into its building infrastructure. The region’s extreme climate, with winter temperatures reaching -50°F, summer highs over 100°F, and annual snowfall exceeding 100 inches, makes energy-efficient solutions critical. Supported by funding from the Minnesota Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund to reduce carbon footprints and promote energy education, the campus replaced old leaky doors with a modeled assembly using ASSA ABLOY Group products, including Ceco Trio-E doors, Curries thermal break frames, McKinney hinges, Pemko thresholds, Rockwood pulls, Corbin Russwin locks, and Norton closers. Independent testing demonstrated that the new science center door assembly reduced annual leakage and conductive losses by 1,792 kBtu, significantly lowering heating costs and carbon emissions while enhancing overall building envelope performance.

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

The Joint Center for Housing Studies is a progressive office focused on analyzing the US housing market in terms of economics, low to moderate income strategies, banking strategies, public policy strategies, and more. They are an essential link between the Harvard School of Design the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. They have been in continual operation since 1959 and have former advisors such as John T. Dunlop, Senator Danial Patrick Moynihan, and others. JCHS is located at One Bow Street, a site chosen for its geographical location almost directly between the Kennedy School of Government and the Graduate School of Design. The design brings natural light deep into the floor plate via use of generous external and internal windows, or borrowed lights. The entry sequence starts with end grain wood flooring carrying a visitor to the glass walls of the office. Here, the space visually unfolds, as simple introduction to main entry. One's gaze is immediately filed with colors, textures, and images of housing. The program of the place becomes clear, one is invited deeper in to find open and semi-private offices holding their position in space. Each is but a perimeter of space, blending from one side to another. A conference room gathers students, and communicates a point of negotiation between policy and design. One always impacts the other, and JCHS is built as the arbiter of both. It is a place for research, conversation, and dialectics. LED lighting, recycled carpet content, daylight and views, as well as many other features define the LEED principles which guided the process of design.

Winds West Elementary School stands strong in tornado alley

At Winds West Elementary School in Oklahoma, classroom doors in the new addition look and operate like ordinary doorways—students simply turn the handle or push the exit device to enter or exit with minimal effort. Behind this simplicity, however, lies extraordinary engineering: the school is located in the heart of Tornado Alley, where the region averages 11 tornadoes annually and wind speeds have reached 318 mph. To ensure safety, all classroom doors, utility closets, and even storm shutters are equipped with ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions products, including StormPro doors, heavy-duty hinges, and FE6800 locks or FM8700 exit devices. Built to FEMA 361 guidelines for community shelters, these assemblies withstand static loads of 252 PSF and impacts from two-by-fours traveling at 100 mph, while also meeting UL 305 standards that keep the unlatching force below 15 lbs—safe for students. This careful balance of robust construction and effortless operation ensures that, while students open doors with ease, they remain protected against severe tornado forces, demonstrating that enhanced life safety need not come at the expense of convenience.

Diagnosis: windstorm code-itis

Like any typical healthcare center, Dr. P. Phillips Hospital (formerly Orlando Regional Sand Lake Hospital) requires a wide variety of doorway solutions to address the distinct security needs for maternity wards, patient rooms, psychiatric wards, business offices, surgical suites, storage rooms and other intricate applications. This particular facility also has one additional consideration that adds to its doorway complexities: geography. Because of its location in Orlando, Florida, the healthcare provider must also comply with the state's windstorm codes. For this and all of its doorway needs, the hospital turned to ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions. A new 330,000 sq. ft. addition completed in late 2008 follows windstorm codes that emphasize protection of the building envelope by requiring components-including doors and hardware-that have passed a rigorous set of testing requirements. The hospital complied with these codes with doorway assemblies using windstorm-tested components from ASSA ABLOY Group brands. Project planners for Dr. P. Phillips Hospital determined the security and life-safety features required for each opening and were then able to select door and hardware components that would best fill these needs. After careful consideration, the hospital decided on openings consisting of Yale 7150 exit devices, Ceco Door hollow metal doors and ASSA ABLOY Door Accessories McKinney hinges. Thanks to ASSA ABLOY's selection of products and commitment to rigorous testing, Dr. P. Phillips Hospital was able to build windstorm-certified openings that are tailored exactly to its needs.

Bell Works

Originally designed by Eero Saarinen, the two-million-square-foot Bell Works is a landmark multi-use development famed for its iconic open-atrium design spanning a quarter-mile. From 1962 to 2007, it served as the innovation headquarters for over 6,000 Bell Labs employees, but after years of being slated for demolition, Somerset Development purchased the site in 2013 and transformed it into a vibrant, publicly accessible, economically viable facility. Today, Bell Works functions as a “metroburb,” a suburban reinterpretation of a walkable, downtown Main Street, combining office, retail, dining, hospitality, and technology spaces. The redevelopment focused on revitalizing the atriums, which had been previously blocked by metal lab walls and ad hoc constructions, by introducing glass partitions, artificial lawns, trees, and greenery to create open, light-filled collaborative environments. The central atrium serves as a main pedestrian plaza, enhanced with porcelain-tiled enlargements of a 1929 Josef Albers Bauhaus painting, complemented by tubular seating designed by Ron Arad, visually weaving with the atrium’s walkways and bridges. The skylights were replaced with the world’s largest array of clear photovoltaic cells, providing 15% of the building’s energy while preserving natural light. Bell Works now hosts a multicultural food hall run by Tribeca Grill’s executive chef, a Montessori school, the relocated public library, a premium fitness center, beauty salon, local restaurants, healthcare facilities, open event spaces, a renovated auditorium, and a planned rooftop hotel. Recognizing its historical and architectural significance, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, ensuring that Saarinen’s visionary space continues to inspire and serve the community.

Southwestern College

The new Allied Health Sciences building is located at the Higher Education Center (HEC) in National City, CA, a satellite campus of Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA. The new 22,500 SF facility includes classrooms and labs in support of the college's health sciences program, dedicating space specifically to areas of biology, chemistry, microbiology, and anatomy, as well as laboratory training within the Medical Laboratory Technician program. The Higher Education Center's original facility has also been renovated to include administration and faculty offices, the student multipurpose center, and a regional Business Development Center providing support and guidance for emerging small businesses in the area. Students in the healthcare program will also now benefit from a storefront community clinic located in the new building as a means to fulfill their required hours as healthcare assistants-in-training.

Four Seasons Boston carries distinct ASSA ABLOY touches

The 61-story skyscraper adds a modern, triangular silhouette to the city skyline. The Four Seasons is the tallest residential building in New England and the third tallest building in Boston, complete with 215 luxurious hotel accommodations and 160 private condominium residences, as well as dining and wellness offerings. Project designers looked for door hardware to solve a couple of challenges: how to carry the triangular exterior design throughout interior spaces and, at the same time, implement a state-of-the-art access control system. Both of these objectives were solved with door hardware from ASSA ABLOY Group brands. Sales and support teams from two separate divisions, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Americas and ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, collaborated to address each project need. The Opening Solutions team worked with the building architects to create a custom lever to be used on all doorways in the facility.

Day Wines

Located in Dundee, Oregon in the heart of Oregon Wine Country, this 12,000 sf former vitamin factory off Hwy 99 was transformed into a state of the art communal natural winemaking facility and tasting room for Day Wines and 10 other winemakers. The design of the architecture and landscape and the materials selected are a reflection of the owner and natural winemaker, Brianne Day. Moving from the gravel parking lot to the winery, a covered loggia and vertical cedar screen, whose design is based on an unfolded wine barrel, enclose a courtyard and create a serene gathering space. The linearity of the architecture and landscape were inspired by vineyard planting, and carry from the courtyard into the cedar clad tasting room. An organically shaped copper clad tasting bar greet visitor's and large floor to ceiling sliding glass doors stack to flood the space with natural light while allowing the interior to flow seamlessly to the courtyard.

Coffou Cottage

For decades the woods and fields of Southwestern Michigan and Northwestern Indiana, with their close proximity to Lake Michigan and short travel distance from the city, have offered Chicagoans weekend reprieves from urban intensity. The owners of this cottage sought to gain a sense of privacy with their vacation property, and preferred the experience of pastoral views to the natural landscape over views to the lake waters. They were fortunate to find the land that fit their aesthetic aspirations, and subsequently desired a home that would meet their modern concept for living. The cottage was designed with a simple structural system, and was enhanced by a horizontal wood rain screen to privatize the entry sequence on the North, and a wall of operable glass on the South. The open plan of the kitchen, dining, living area, and porch - perceived as one room - strengthens the views to the meadow and woods to the South and maximizes solar gain in the winter. Radiant heat in the ground concrete floors is enhanced by passive solar gain, and runs throughout the three-bedroom cottage. The arrangement of rooms and glass exterior walls allows for panoramic views of the outdoor environment, while providing the most energy efficient operation. A fireplace is positioned in the front hallway that divides the bedrooms from the living area, and a custom sofa bench set into the wall across from it creates a traditional fireplace inglenook. Red cedar was used to establish a material warmth and visual interest on the exterior, using a board and batten-like pattern for an open screen, and tongue and groove siding to establish the solid form of the adjacent volume, separated by the entry sequence. The warmth of material and visual identity is continued on the interior, where the same wood siding is used on interior walls and cabinets as is on the exterior, and where the wood rain screen is visible from the screened porch and kitchen window.

Quirk Hotel Charlottesville

Quirk is a gallery hotel, designed to create an inclusive environment for the appreciation of art within a unique hospitality setting. Quirk strives to create connections to local artists displayed throughout the hotel and in the on-site gallery, using art to extend this inclusivity to locals as well as travelers and to act as the canvas for art and experience rather than the art itself. The hotel wraps two 19th century historic buildings and uses them to add richness to the hotel program and diminish the presence of the complex on West Main Street. From West Main, the rhythm of the street fronts and side alleys continues so that it feels less like a large hotel than a series of small commercial spaces. The building has a quiet presence but the drama of the lobby is apparent even from the street. A series of split arches in the lobby frame an elegant and playful space that visually and physically connects West Main with the historic Starr Hill neighborhood to the north. This lobby space is meant to be a semi-public space for both guests and locals and consists of the front desk, a lobby bar, multiple lounges, and a retail shop. The arches also serve as the organization and wayfinding through the lobby as each pair direct guests to other spaces off the lobby, such as a restaurant, ballrooms, and a barrel-vaulted elevator lobby that takes visitors to guestrooms and a rooftop bar with expansive views.

Giovannetii

The project began with the title of park shelter, the budget of a park shelter and the program of a community center. (The proposed budget was half of what the program required) The building is now a community shelter. The design has responded to complexities of terminology as fascinating way to create architecture. The project's first design meeting was budget-focused and architecture-blind. We discussed the need for a structure to cost less than typical residential construction, but be built to withstand the rigors of a public building and have useful life of a century. During a subsequent neighborhood meeting where we tried to temper the public expectations, a citizen asked if we had considered making the shelter into a FEMA safe room. He explained that the costs related to building a safe room could be paid for by a Federal Grant administered by FEMA and the building's basic program would remain unchanged...win/win? The client saw dollar signs, the public saw new park restrooms and the design team saw newsreel footage of people crawling out of bunkers... The one thing we had been sure of was a transparent building sitting on the knoll of the park, connecting all of the park's elements at the locus called "shelter". Now that "shelter" meant protection from the elements, including organic missiles traveling 250 mph, we found that terminology continued to challenge us. The building structure is rigid in rhythm but diffuse in purpose. It is a container diffused at the edges feature a glass facade subterfuge. The architectural solution remains a transparent building sitting on the knoll of the park, connecting all of the park's elements at the locus called "shelter". It can also protect 600 people from harm.

Iowa City Public Works

This project represents the ambitious first step in a 14-acre master plan to consolidate and upgrade a scattered set of aging municipal operations. The predominately concrete structure houses the Streets and Water Departments along with their associated vehicles and equipment. Program includes shop space, large-scale storage, mezzanine storage with elevator and forklift access, a fire training tower, fire pump truck training, police and fire storage, and vehicle/equipment wash bays.

Football stadium features openings from ASSA ABLOY

The new $1.1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium spans 1.5 million square feet and 65,000 seats, offering fans a premier game-day experience while protecting them from the elements. Its standout feature is a transparent ETFE roof covering 60% of the stadium—the largest in the U.S. and the only one on a sports facility—allowing a unique connection to the outdoors. Completed in just 30 months, six weeks ahead of schedule, the project required careful coordination of 1,500 workers at its peak. To meet tight deadlines, ASSA ABLOY pre-assembled over 1,000 door openings with hardware, including McKinney hinges, Pemko accessories, Curries hollow metal doors, Sargent locks, Medeco cylinders, and Securitron access control components. Working with distributor Kendell Doors & Hardware, all doors and hardware were pre-installed at the Curries facility in Iowa, ensuring efficiency, reducing potential damage, and streamlining delivery to the busy construction site, enabling the project to stay on schedule despite its complexity.

LifeWorks

Located in East Austin, the 33,467-square-foot LifeWorks branch serves as a model for sustainable design in low-income neighborhoods while providing critical educational, counseling, and youth development resources. Designed to reflect the organization’s mission of empowerment, the building—one of only four commercial projects to earn a 5-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building—embraces the Texas “dog trot” vernacular with two volumes linked by a shaded breezeway that promotes natural ventilation and passive cooling. Deep overhangs, rhythmic windows, and outdoor gathering areas foster a sense of openness and community, while parking is deliberately placed at the rear, allowing the structure to connect directly with the street through a welcoming colonnade that functions as a communal front porch. The façade’s layered materials—stucco, aluminum, and cedar—symbolize LifeWorks’ three pillars: counseling, education, and youth development. Inside, a color-coded design aids navigation and creates an uplifting, non-institutional atmosphere, with flexible rooms adaptable for group or private sessions. Over 90% of occupied spaces receive natural light and exterior views, enhancing well-being and energy efficiency. Despite a modest $158/sq. ft. budget, LifeWorks achieves 79.6% lower energy use and 80% less potable water for irrigation through solar power, native landscaping, and efficient systems. The project also prioritizes local materials, low-VOC finishes, and sustainable transportation with bike facilities, EV chargers, and proximity to transit. As a vibrant hub of learning and healing, LifeWorks sets a new standard for equitable, sustainable development in underserved communities.

COLLINS New York Headquarters

For the new offices of startup branding experience designers COLLINS, Thiel Architecture + Design tackled a two-fold brief: create a collaborative environment with a variety of meeting and work areas, while incorporating CCO Brian Collins' extensive personal collection of books, vintage toys, collectibles and midcentury furnishings. Their deft response for this 6,000 sf office features a central library space that acts as a conceptual hub, greeting, preparing and persuading the visitor. To negotiate a difficult dogleg plan, the architects invented the Gallery, a communal space wrapped in COLLINS' signature chalkboard black walls, anchored by a bright yellow worktable. Fluid circulation throughout the floor plan connects stark white workspaces punctuated by well-placed accents of vivid color. A 60' superdesk ensures a flexible space for itinerant collaborators.

Spring Street Salt Shed

Located at the terminus of Canal Street at the Hudson River, the Salt Shed's crystalline, faceted planes enliven this highly visible structure. The cast-in-place concrete structure tapers toward the bottom-creating more pedestrian space-and rises from a glazed moat that will be illuminated at night. The Salt Shed's solid, crystalline surface acts as a counterpoint to the diaphanous, scrim-like façade of the Manhattan 1/2/5 Garage, directly across Spring Street to the north. Rising nearly 70 feet, the shed houses 5,000 tons of salt and has become an iconic landmark at this important intersection. Dattner Architects and WXY Architecture + Urban Design collaborated during the schematic design of the Salt Shed.

512 West 22nd Street

512 West 22nd Street, a Chelsea office building adjacent to the High Line, is inspired by biophilic design and its connection to the planted public space and Hudson River views. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the building fosters a workplace that supports health, productivity, and well-being. Its contemporary design pays homage to the neighborhood’s historic warehouses, with industrial sash-style windows, anthracite terracotta, zinc, and granite façades. Curved glass corners and operable windows give occupants access to outdoor air, while the 22nd Street lobby features a curated event space and landscaped viewing garden. Office floors are flexible, light-filled, and equipped with state-of-the-art air distribution, filtration, and building controls for comfort and high performance. Inspired by the High Line’s dynamic green corridor, the building integrates over 15,000 square feet of outdoor terraces and landscaped spaces populated with native species, creating intimate connections to nature. Continuous stepped terraces from the second through fourth floors support outdoor circulation, events, and direct engagement with the adjacent “Chelsea Thicket.” From the fourth-floor terrace, occupants enjoy elevated views over the treetops to the city and Hudson River, blending natural and urban experiences throughout the workplace.

ModernHaus Hotel

Palette Architecture is proud to unveil its contemporary refurbishment of ModernHaus SoHo, a luxurious 114-room boutique hotel formerly known as The James New York. Situated in New York City's vibrant SoHo district., the property was acquired by the current owners in 2017, and the hotel has changed ownership twice since its original construction in 2010. The client's vision was to rebrand the hotel in a more contemporary style, breathing new life into the prominent structure and softening the rough material palette of its original design. From the onset, the project was a collaborative effort between multiple stakeholders, including the building's owners, interior design firms, Wilson Associates and M. A. Bowers, Inc., and the hotel's various food and beverage (F&B) operators. With Palette at the helm, the project focused on a plan to give the rebranded property a fresh start.

National Renewable Energy Lab strives for safety, security and sustainability

Each building on campus is secured with a mix of products from ASSA ABLOY Group brands, including CURRIES 757 and 777 Series doors and frames, ASSA ABLOY Door Accessories (McKINNEY hinges, ROCKWOOD trim), RIXSON pivots and floor closers, and SARGENT 10 Line locks, 80 Series exit devices and 300 Series door closers. NREL is committed to becoming a global model for sustainability by maximizing the value of all natural resources and building products used in its research campus facilities. NREL's goal is to have all new construction result in sustainable green buildings meeting or exceeding the Gold Level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. Two of the eight buildings on campus, the 71,000 sq. ft. Science and Technology Facility and the 222,000 sq. ft. Research Support Facility (RSF), have attained LEED Platinum certification. The RSF also carries the distinction of being a net-zero energy building. The energy efficient design enables the facility and its 800 occupants to consume only the amount of power produced by onsite renewable energy sources. The CURRIES 777 Series Trio doors used on the project features injected polyurethane foam for superior insulation and energy efficiency. The polyurethane foam is CFC and HCFC free. With a product line that features high performance openings that can reduce building thermal and air leakage and are made largely with recycled and rapidly renewable materials, door and hardware experts from ASSA ABLOY are helping the NREL meet its Campus of the Future goals of creating safe, secure and sustainable buildings. NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to the research, development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The majority of research is conducted at the eight-building, South Table Mountain campus.

Robertson Recreation Center

This new neighborhood gymnasium and community center serves the South Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, replacing a beloved but deteriorated recreation facility. Built on the site of the original "Rob Rec" and funded by the City of LA, the project transforms the undersized recreation center into a new state-of-the-art gymnasium and community anchor. In 2014, KDA was selected by the City of LA to develop and design a new recreation center to replace an deteriorating gymnasium on the same site. The original rec center, a large manor hall with a vast fireplace, first served as a community gathering space. In the 1960's the city removed the fireplace and installed a substandard basketball court; although the court was not regulation-sized, the recreation center has an established basketball legacy, counting professional players Nick Young and Cedric Ceballos among its alumni.

Green skyscraper achieves LEED certification

Designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects, LLP, the Comcast Center in Philadelphia was completed in June 2008 and incorporates a number of features to reduce energy consumption and lessen the building's environmental footprint. The building received LEED Gold certification in 2009. The green design strategies employed by the property developer reduces water usage by 40%, cuts back on heat-island effect by 70% and uses a glass curtain to block 60% of heat while allowing 70% of the sun's visible light, reducing energy used for air conditioning while utilizing natural light to its fullest. The developer also diverted 77% of construction waste to salvaging and recycling, keeping 20,000 tons of waste out of landfills. In addition, 80% of wood products used in Comcast Center are from forests with Forestry Stewardship Council certification. **Materials & resources** The percentage of recycled content (the sum of the post-consumer recycled content plus one-half the pre-consumer content) for ASSA ABLOY products used in the building far surpass the minimum levels required by LEED: Sargent mortise locks, 59%; Sargent exit devices, 61%; Sargent door closers, 52%; Curries doors and frames, 27%; and a range from 51% to 68% for ASSA ABLOY Door Acessoires (McKinney hinges and flat goods). In addition to these material qualities, the ASSA ABLOY products greatly exceed industry performance standards for security and life-safety. For increased measures of protection, the facility also utilizes a Sargent Signature key system and MicroShield antimicrobial hardware finish.

Winter Visual Arts Building, Franklin & Marshall

On the historic campus of Franklin & Marshall College, the new Winter Visual Arts Building takes shape as a raised pavilion formed by the site's 200-year-old trees, the oldest elements of the campus. A new campus destination for all students, the building's spaces aim to evoke the creative energy involved in teaching and making art. Drawing on Franklin & Marshall College's motto Lux et Lex the new building for the Art, Art History, and Film Department is conceived as 'light' in complementary/contrast to the 'heavy' exemplary brick architecture of the 1856 'Old Main' original campus building. A gradual exterior ramp connects from Old Main's axis to a second-floor entrance of our new building, just above a ground-floor entrance facing the newly formed 'Arts Quad'. The building activates the southern end of the campus as a new campus destination.

Ranch Operations

The Ranch Operations buildings presented an opportunity to explore the juxtaposition of simple utilitarian structures against the Hill Country landscape. Designed with a common 16' module, the structural layout for the three buildings is identical, leaving manipulation of the skin system as the primary vehicle for meeting the programmatic needs for the project. These needs include office space and a shop, maintenance vehicle storage as well as general storage.

Chinmaya Mission Austin

Prado & Renteria

This South Loop project consisted of an exterior façade repair and facelift as well as an interior lobby renovation. With having to address structural damage that occurred on the west façade of this brick building, the owners took this as an opportunity to revitalize their street presence along highly trafficked South Michigan Avenue. While trying to blend old with new, a metal panel rain screen system was incorporated along the second-floor façade that wraps the building's exposed northwest corner leaving the brick exposed on the first floor. Moving the front entry to the north elevation allows for a clean, bright, and visible renovated lobby space achieved with a new floor-to-ceiling storefront. The interior lobby introduces a new accessible ramp and separates the owner's second-floor space from their tenants on the first floor. The subtle applications of deep red on the entry door, columns, and shading fins reflect the warmth and approachability of their business model.

University of Rhode Island partners with ASSA ABLOY to improve residence hall security

As part of a two-year campus-wide renovation, the University of Rhode Island upgraded over 4,000 residence hall door openings with SARGENT Passport 1000 P2 Wi-Fi locks integrated with PERSONA Campus access control software. Previously, the University relied on three separate software platforms to monitor exterior electrified doors, and students frequently propped open non-access doors, creating security and maintenance challenges. To address this, the renovation aimed to enhance security while providing student access to all areas. After testing 13 SARGENT Passport 1000 P2 locks with the PERSONA system, the University partnered with ASSA ABLOY for the full rollout. The locks, featuring HID multi CLASS SE technology, magnetic stripe readers, and keypads, connect via the residence hall Wi-Fi infrastructure, reducing installation time and costs. Approximately 4,000 Wi-Fi locks were installed across campus for both interior and exterior doors, allowing PIN and student ID card access. The system integrates with the University’s residential operations software and enables centralized management of access rights, improving safety, operational efficiency, and maintenance while eliminating the need to discipline students for fire code violations.

Klotski

The Klotski is a three-story, mixed-use infill building in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, an area known for its blend of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses. Covering 10,041 square feet with a CMU and steel frame, the building houses a beer hall, office, maker space, studio, and a small caretaker’s apartment. Its design draws inspiration from a sliding tile puzzle, or klotski, reflected in the south-facing façade with 7'x10' perforated metal screens that slide for sun shading, privacy, and seasonal daylight adjustments. Set back from the street to create space for outdoor dining, the ground floor features expansive wood-and-glass glazing that connects interior activity with the street. The top floor steps back to provide an outdoor deck for the studio and apartment, while a steel-wrapped bay window projects over the sidewalk on the second floor. Inside, the exposed steel structure, brace frames, concrete floors, and wood decking create a loft-like industrial aesthetic, complemented by seventeen-foot-high ceilings and open floor plans. A mezzanine studio floats within the second floor, with additional studio and caretaker units above, while interior courtyards and generous roof decks provide indoor-outdoor opportunities. Covered on-site parking is accessible via the alley. Sustainable features include rainwater collection and recycling, rooftop solar panels, energy-efficient radiant heating, thermally efficient operable windows for cross ventilation, and exterior sunshades. With a modest 4,300-square-foot lot, the design maximizes every inch of space to optimize usable and leasable areas.

How securing Atlanta for the big game became an access management initiative

**Background** In the fall of 2018, Renew Atlanta was updating traffic cabinets at 10 intersections along the North Avenue Smart Corridor as part of an access control test pilot. This pilot would quickly evolve into a more comprehensive solution that dramatically increased the security of the cabinets while also giving the city much more control over both its systems and personnel. **Challenge** Toward the end of the pilot in November 2018, 11 weeks before the biggest football game of the year, the Department of Homeland Security tasked the City of Atlanta with heightening control of the city by securing traffic cabinets within a 1-mile radius of Mercedes Benz Stadium. The goal was to control access and traffic flow for fans and players, as well as the President of the United States who was also in attendance. With less than three months to the event, the city along with ASSA ABLOY, Genetec, and 360 Network Solutions designed and implemented an integrated, long-term security and access management solution for the City of Atlanta and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). **The game plan** Less than three months before the Big Game, the Department of Homeland Security asked the City of Atlanta to seal and secure full corridors within a 1-mile radius of the Mercedes Benz Stadium. This included shutting down a major six-lane road six days prior to the game for a full week of events. Like almost all traffic cabinets in the country, each lock was accessible using a standard #2 key. This created a significant security vulnerability that often leads to sealing or welding cabinets shut to ensure cabinets remain locked down for the duration needed. Luckily, the recently completed pilot project Renew Atlanta gave city officials a leg up on how to properly secure the downtown streets and still maintain controlled access to the cabinets leading up to and after the Big Game.

Student Centre, Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University's Tinkham Veale University Center in Cleveland, Ohio creates a bridge between the physical and psychological boundaries that existed between two historical campuses. The selected site was a prime open space at the center of the campus easily accessible from the Case Quad, North Residential Village, South Campus, and the future West Quad. The site was adjacent to existing student activity and engagement buildings including the Kelvin Smith Library and the Thwing Center building which houses several student and staff organizations. The building location also had the distinction of being part of the University Circle District, home of cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Symphony Hall.

Luxury apartments offer the best in security, convenience with wireless lock system

Commerce Tower on Main, in Kansas City, Missouri, is redefining downtown apartment living by creating an energy-efficient, vertical neighborhood with luxury apartments, exclusive amenities, and a connected lifestyle. The building's LEED Gold Certified community combines the best of traditional craftsmanship within a resort-style setting. With 355 apartments, Commerce Tower on Main also features on-site restaurants, a pharmacy, outdoor kitchen, and an indoor dog park. Commerce Tower on Main is the place where technology and service come together to create a complete urban community. Natalie Scott, Director of Operations for EPC Real Estate Group, explained that there are several key points of focus for renovating and upgrading the Commerce Tower. Originally built in the mid 1960s, Commerce Tower is a historic site requiring a great deal of care and planning to preserve the original character, while making room for modern upgrades. "Once upon a time this building was 500,000 square feet of office space," said Scott. "We basically came in, emptied it out, and turned it into apartments and about 150,000 square feet of commercial space. It was very important that the building's new space be energy efficient, built with sustainable materials, and be as modern, safe and secure as possible." Adding security to the facility required products that were not only sustainable, but also worked with mixed-use residential facilities and provided the appropriate aesthetics for a historic retrofit. ASSA ABLOY - whose brands combine to provide over 100 Environmental Product Declarations and over 20 Declare labels for sustainable construction - was able to help Commerce Tower meet these needs with its offerings in access control, locks, doors, frame, exit devices and power supplies.