Access control systems

An access control system decides who can open which doors, when, and keeps a record of every attempt. We design access control for offices, multi-tenant buildings, healthcare, schools, industrial sites and data centres, from the door hardware up to the software, and make sure every controlled door still lets people out safely in an emergency.

Keys are cheap until one is lost. Then every lock it opens has to be rekeyed, and nobody knows who else has a copy. Electronic access control replaces keys with credentials that can be issued, limited by time and door, and revoked in seconds. It also tells you which door was opened, by whose credential, and when. The value comes from the design decisions: which doors to control, what credential each one needs, how the door hardware works with the fire alarm and the building code, and who manages the system day to day.

What we design and build

Door-by-door design: reader type, lock type, door position switch, request-to-exit and power for every controlled opening.
Coordination of electrified door hardware with the door supplier, architect and fire alarm designer.
Controllers, power supplies and cabling, including battery backup and network connections.
Credential strategy: cards, fobs, mobile credentials, PIN and biometrics, and how they are issued and revoked.
Access software, user groups, schedules and alarm handling.
Integration with video surveillance, intrusion alarms, elevators, intercoms and visitor management.
Lockdown and emergency functions for schools, clinics and other sensitive sites.
Upgrades and migrations from older systems, including replacing insecure card technology.

Every access control system, large or small, has the same basic parts. Software holds the rules, a controller near the doors makes the decisions, and devices at each door read credentials, release locks and report the door's state.

The parts of an access-controlled door. The server holds the rules and records, the controller decides at the door, and the reader, lock, door contact and request-to-exit device report to it. The lock power supply feeds the lock and takes a release signal from the fire alarm where the code requires it.

How it works

We start with why. Theft, staff safety, tenant separation, regulatory requirements or simply too many keys. The reason sets which doors are controlled, what credential they need and what reports the system should produce.
Site survey. We walk every door that might be controlled and record the door, frame, existing hardware, fire rating, egress direction and where cabling and controllers can go. Existing systems are documented so we know what can be reused.
Design. We produce a door schedule that specifies the hardware and access function for every opening, the controller and power supply layout, a riser diagram and the integration with other systems. We coordinate electrified hardware with the door supplier and the fire alarm interface with the fire alarm designer, and check egress against the building and fire codes that apply.
Permit drawings and tender. Drawings for permit are sealed by a licensed professional engineer where required. Specifications describe performance and functions clearly enough that bids can be compared fairly.
Installation. Installation is done by licensed electrical contractors and qualified security integrators, under permit where required. We review shop drawings, visit during installation and answer questions on site.
Testing and handover. Every door is tested for every function: valid and invalid credentials, door forced and held open alarms, request-to-exit, release on fire alarm and behaviour on power failure. Administrators are trained, and as-built records and door schedules are handed over.

What to have ready

Floor plans, and a list or mark-up of the doors you want controlled.
Who needs access where and when, even in rough groups (staff, cleaners, tenants, contractors).
Details of any existing access, intrusion or video system and its credentials.
Door hardware schedules or photos of existing doors and frames.
Contacts for IT, the fire alarm contractor and the door hardware supplier.

A useful early exercise is to mark the plan with what each door needs. Most doors fall into a few types, and the mix shows where the cost and complexity lie.

Door types on a floor plan. Perimeter, lobby and shipping doors get card readers, the server room adds a PIN, and stair and exit doors are monitored for alarms. Whatever the entry rule, every door must still let people out freely.

A typical case

A three-storey office building has an access system from the early 2000s, proximity cards, and a mix of tenants. The controllers are no longer supported, nobody is sure which former employees still hold working cards, and two tenants share a floor with no separation. The survey finds that several stair doors have maglocks with no proper release, and the server room uses the same card as the front door. The design replaces controllers in phases, moves to encrypted smart cards with readers that accept the old cards during the changeover, separates tenants with their own user groups and schedules, adds a PIN to the server room, and corrects the stair door hardware so it releases on fire alarm and allows free exit. The card database is cleaned up before the new credentials are issued.

What you get

A design package with door schedules, floor plans showing every controlled opening, riser diagrams, controller and power supply locations, typical door wiring details and specifications, sealed by a licensed professional engineer where required. The door schedule is the most useful single document: it lists every opening with its hardware, credential, schedule, fire alarm interface and egress function, and becomes the reference for maintenance and future changes.

After installation, you receive test records for each door, as-built drawings, and a short administrator guide covering how to add and remove users, change schedules and respond to alarms.

Egress comes first. Building and fire codes limit how exit doors can be locked and require locks on many doors to release on fire alarm or power failure. The rules depend on the door, the occupancy and the code edition adopted in your province, so the design checks every opening with the authority having jurisdiction where needed.

Who it's for

Property managers replacing keys and aging card systems in office and multi-tenant buildings.
Healthcare, schools and social services that need staff-only areas and lockdown.
Industrial and utility sites controlling access to hazardous or critical areas.
Data centres and server rooms needing two-factor entry and audit trails.
Owners building new facilities who want access control designed with the doors, not added later.

Access logs record where identifiable people went and when, which makes them personal information. Organisations should have a retention and access policy that fits the privacy law that applies to them.

For background, read how access control works, access control credentials and access control, door hardware and safe egress. For related systems, see video surveillance design.

Common questions

Can we keep our existing cards?

Sometimes. Older proximity cards can be copied easily, so a new system is a good time to move to encrypted smart cards or mobile credentials. Many readers can read old and new cards during a transition period.

Cloud-hosted or on-site server?

Both work. Cloud-hosted systems reduce server maintenance and suit multi-site organisations; on-site systems suit sites with strict network policies. Either way, the controllers at the doors should keep working if the connection is lost.

What happens in a power failure?

Controllers and lock power supplies normally have battery backup. What each lock does when power is finally lost depends on whether it is fail-safe or fail-secure, which is chosen door by door with egress rules in mind.