Hirsch, a security systems manufacturer and a business unit of Identive Group, has delivered an access control solution to New York City’s first supportive housing project to be Silver-level leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Hirsch’s access control system provides security for residents and also tracks and shares occupancy data with the building’s energy management system using communication protocols developed and published by BACnet International, a building industry standards organization. As a result, building systems such as heating and lighting are automatically turned on or off as residents enter and leave their apartments, reducing energy use and providing protection against appliance-related fires and other accidents.
Hirsch, a security systems manufacturer and a business unit of Identive Group, has delivered an access control solution to New York City's first supportive housing project to be Silver-level leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. Hirsch's access control system provides security for residents and also tracks and shares occupancy data with the building's energy management system using communication protocols developed and published by BACnet International, a building industry standards organization. As a result, building systems such as heating and lighting are automatically turned on or off as residents enter and leave their apartments, reducing energy use and providing protection against appliance-related fires and other accidents.
Developed in partnership between the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Common Ground, The Lee uses sustainable design and materials to optimize energy efficiency, a healthy living environment, and reduced use of natural resources. The 99,000 square-foot, facility on Manhattan's Lower East Side provides affordable housing linked to on-site social services for its 263 residents, which include adults with special needs, low-income working adults and young adults aging out of foster care and at risk of homelessness.
In this application, each resident is required to present his or her individual ID card to pass through Hirsch reader-controlled turnstiles when entering and exiting the building, which helps ensure the safety of all residents in the facility. Upon entering through the turnstile, heat and electric power circuits are enabled in the resident's apartment. Upon leaving, the exit reader at the turnstile switches off those services. Energy costs are reduced by turning off unnecessary lights, heating and other electrical services, and life safety is enhanced by ensuring that residents cannot leave items cooking on the stove, electric irons turned on.
For this project, Hirsch provided the access control and security monitoring system backbone for the building, ongoing computer-based monitoring and control, as well as integration to the facility's video surveillance and building automation and control systems.