The Bindery + Sentry Interactive : Sustainable Access Control for Retrofit

In the heart of Farringdon, a beautiful 1930’s art-deco building has been transformed into an iconic workspace called The Bindery. With a blend of historic charm, future-first sustainability, and modern amenities, this building now stands as a testament to what multi-tenant office space should be.

The Bindery, a part of Dorrington’s portfolio, was honoured with the OAS Development 2023 Award and shortlisted under the ‘Refurb Project’ category at the Architects Journal Awards for 2023. These nominations and awards underline The Bindery buildings excellence in sustainable building innovation. Sentry Interactive, along with InterGate, has been integrated across 9 floors and has an active user count of approximately 300+ users.

We had a chat with Nick Brandford, Senior Asset Manager at Dorrington and Greg Sutcliffe, Managing Director at InterGate and explored how Sentry Interactive, powered by Doordeck, and InterGate are working together to facilitate mobile credentials for The Bindery’s tenants and visitors. 

Sustainability appears to be at the heart of The Bindery. Was leveraging cutting-edge technology for energy reduction and sustainability a crucial part of the retrofit project?

Absolutely. Dorrington has always put sustainability at the centre of the retrofit. Sentry Interactive has been part of fulfilling our ESG goals, we’ve not just enhanced with energy efficient and smart access but reduced plastic waste and energy consumption. The clever use of NFC technology and Sentry Interactive’s reverse-engineered approach to mobile credentials has meant that the customer receives mobile access without an energy bill to accompany it. The way that Sentry Mobile Access’ self-powered passive NFC tile uses the active NFC from the mobile is genius, it really helps to support our commitment to eco-friendly and simplified building management whilst saving thousands on new hardware, unnecessary installation costs and key fobs.

 “As part of our wider company focus on our ESG goals we have identified that Sentry Interactive’s software only and keycard-less solution means that not only do we not need to rip and replace perfectly adequate legacy hardware but we no longer need to issue and replace key fobs and so are able to reduce single use plastic waste and provide the lowest carbon technology solution.”

Nick Brandford, Senior Asset Manager, Dorrington Plc

Can you tell me more about your other green goals?

The Bindery has exceeded environmental targets by using the very latest in low and zero carbon technology, such as energy-efficient water heating, lighting systems, and photovoltaics, coupled with a 100% green energy supply. All construction waste has been recycled or repurposed, and new materials like timber are sustainably sourced. A significant  effort has been made to reduce CO2 emissions by reusing embodied carbon within the existing building structure.

Additionally, the project enhances local ecology by incorporating extensive planting and bird nesting boxes, fostering biodiversity in the urban setting. The Bindery prioritizes occupant wellbeing through ‘biophilic’ design, incorporating natural elements in the architecture to support the physical and psychological health of its users.

How does Sentry Interactive facilitate access control within The Bindery’s infrastructure?

The Bindery’s blend of historic architecture and contemporary interior design for hybrid working made for a unique retrofit project. Sentry Interactive’s software development kit and APIs for mobile access, had already been integrated with the InterGate tenant experience app for The Crane building, another Dorrington site, a couple of miles away on London’s Bankside. After the smooth transition to mobile credentials for that site, it was essential for us to have Sentry Mobile Access at The Bindery as well. Minimizing access control system ‘rip and replace’ of existing and perfectly functioning hardware goes against our sustainable ethos. By not needing to remove any of our old readers and access infrastructure it meant there was no need for electronic plastic waste, any rewiring, repainting and re-plastering. 

 “Building security is enhanced with features like multi-factor authentication, banking level encryption and remote access management. Sentry Mobile Access, combined with the InterGate platform, provides a secure and streamlined mobile first user experience.”

Greg Sucliffe, Managing Director, InterGate

As security is a key concern when adopting cloud-based solutions for a building, how does Sentry Interactive ensure secure access for a multi-tenant building like The Bindery?

The Bindery required a robust, flexible access control solution for a hybrid work environment to be able to easily handle irregular building usage and the influx of staff and visitors. Building security is enhanced with features like multi-factor authentication, banking-level encryption and remote access management. Sentry Interactive, combined with the InterGate platform, provides a secure and streamlined mobile-first user experience and offers permanent and time-restricted mobile access for tenants, visitors and contractors. We can manage and monitor mobile access credentials in real-time, without the security risks and expense of issuing and managing key fobs. Sentry Interactive’s cloud-based access control infrastructure provides a dynamic yet secure access solution, adapting quickly to changes in building usage without compromising on security.

What are the advantages Sentry Interactive has brought to The Bindery Building in terms of operational efficiency and user experience?

Sentry Interactive’s has reduced the demands put on The Bindery’s front desk team. No longer are key fobs required to be issued and managed. Through being able to issue mobile entry ahead of visitors arriving or new staff starting, our front desk team don’t get the same level of front desk queues and can now focus more on community building and support. Our tenants can now enjoy fast, frictionless mobile access to spaces, via an excellent app-based user experience. Whilst our front desk team are able to minimize disruptions and and maximize their productivity.

Sentry Interactive’s integration into the InterGate app for The Bindery building, showcases how Dorrington appreciate our sustainable access solution for commercial real estate retrofits. It’s been great to work with Dorrington on another project that recognizes the value that we bring in reducing electronic plastic waste and the unnecessary use of those pesky plastic key fobs, (that always go missing). Helping to assist them in their low carbon goals through the use of our software and a smart integration with their tenant experience app sets the standard for smarter and greener retrofits.