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Hospitality and security are often at odds with each other. The challenge is to find the best compromise between Fort Knox and a warm welcome. Telecom company Liberty Global recently carried out a major renovation of their head office in Schiphol-Rijk – the Netherlands. As part of the project, the access security was considerably tightened, without affecting their brand’s desired welcoming appearance. Liberty Global is an international telecommunication and television company. It is also one of the largest internet service providers outside the USA. Liberty Global operates in 14 countries and has 35,000 employees. The head office is based in London and additionally there are central offices in Amsterdam and Denver. Consumer brands that belong to Liberty Global include VodafoneZiggo (50% Joint Venture with Vodafone), Virgin Media, UPC, Unitymedia and Telenet. In the high-quality business park - Schiphol-Rijk, Liberty Global have seven office buildings, which, collectively, employ a total of around 1600 people of 55 nationalities. "We did have manned security at the main entrance, but that solution did not always prevent people from entering our central hall unnoticed," says Simon Kuitert, who holds the position of Corporate Security Manager at Liberty Global. "That is why we introduced a single point of entry for the recent renovation."

Mauritshuis is located in the heart of The Hague. It is famous around the world for its premium art collection. The intimate museum rooms of this 17th century monument display over two hundred excellent art works by Dutch and Flemish Masters. Boon Edam installed two special revolving doors in the museum's newly constructed section, one of which is a Tourniket that is 4.6 m high. The underground entrance foyer is actually located six meters below street level, but now with this renovation, as daylight penetrates from all sides, it feels very light and spacious. “Before the renovation, the museum’s entrance on the side of the building was rather cramped,” says architect Hans van Heeswijk at the press preview. In order to create a more generous reception area, he decided to move the main entrance under the forecourt of the listed, seventeenth-century Dutch Classicist house, which had to remain exactly the way it was. It was a feat in itself to connect two buildings underground and to lower the foundation of the new wing. The small surface area and the building's location right next to the Prime Minister's tower made this construction project quite complex. Boon Edam was honoured to supply two special automatic revolving doors that had to suit the new museum wings perfectly.

Installation of floor and wall coverings, Sealants application, Surface preparation, Tile & stone installation systems, Waterproofing

The casino is the largest in the world with 3,400 slot machines, 800 gambling tables and a 15,000 seated arena for entertainment/sports events. The Venetian Macau is so large that 90 Boeing 747 jumbo jets could fit into it.

For instance, Superior faced the challenge of creating curved detailed bulkheads and feature ceilings. However, with Rondo’s help using a hybrid of the Rondo KEY-LOCK Concealed Ceiling System and Stud & Track Wall Framing System, they managed to create a great outcome.

Rondo worked closely with Future Carpentry and Ceilings to meet the project requirements on time and were chosen due to our strong 15-year relationship. However, the $70 million re-development wasn’t without its challenges, for instance, the speed by which the building went up meant there was no time to waste.

There were two sets of challenges involved in the Rosewood Aged Care.Firstly, waterproofing the basement. The basement was excavated around a heritage-listed building, which had to stay undamaged for the duration of the works. Piles and shotcrete were implemented for the construction, but there was no scope to install a membrane due to space and other limitations. The Markham BASE-TECT system was ideal for this situation.Second were the requirements for moisture control and permanent hygiene protection for the interior floor slabs of the residential parts of the building. This is a more routine challenge, faced by aged care facilities with concrete floor slabs. AQURON 2000 MEDI+ was selected for concrete curing enhancement and permanent hygiene sealing.

Rondo worked closely with Wadsworth Contracting providing KEY-LOCK Concealed Ceiling Systems, Panther Access Panels, plastering beads as well as external 92mm framing, soffit framing, internal 76 & 64mm wall framing.

Birmingham New Street Station was originally re-built in 1967 to accommodate 650 trains carrying 60,000 passengers per day. By 2010 it had become the busiest station outside of London, operating at more than twice its intended capacity. The first half of the refurbishment was completed in 2013. The station’s recently updated configuration should now accommodate a yearly 8.3% rise in passenger numbers. SAS International commenced work on the three-phase project in June 2012. NG Bailey and main contractor Mace installed SAS systems across the platforms, the shopping centre and the concourse. Full scale, physical mock-ups of the bespoke ceiling solutions were built on-site to ensure design intent prior to installation. The integration of fans for smoke extraction and complex wind loads had to be considered to guarantee passenger safety. The wind loads were a concern as trains passing platforms at speed can cause considerable negative loads. Bespoke ceilings comprising fixed angle bulkheads were installed in line with the curving platforms. The typically trapezoidal bulkheads were bolted end to end in order to form a faceted layout to follow these curves. Using shared data from the project’s BIM model, SAS International used a point cloud to measure the platforms and 3D model the panels. The model’s geometry revealed that the platforms were all non-uniform. This posed a significant design challenge. The data required careful analysis in order to achieve a smooth curved line within the platform edge. This was essential to provide train drivers with an unobstructed view coming into and out of the station. The SAS International design team was able to rationalise the number of unique panel types down to four. This overcame the driver visibility issue, ensured uncompromised aesthetics and brought costs within budget. Electronic Total Station setting-out techniques were then used to set out the panels along the curve.

APPLICATION: 52mm Turf CellPROJECT LOCATION: North Ryde NSWPROJECT DETAILS: Macquarie University Permeable Overflow Car ParkPROJECT COMPLETION: March 2017Established in 1964, Macquarie University began as a bold experiment in higher education. Built to break from traditions: to be distinctive, progressive, and to be transformational. Today its pioneering history continues to be a source of inspiration as they celebrate their place among the best and brightest minds.When Macquarie University’s existing cark park became too small for the amount of cars now using it, it was decided to construct an overflow car park. However, not just any car park, but in keeping with their innovative thinking, an environmentally friendly permeable car park. Of course the Atlantis® Turf CellTM system was chosen, so that turf covered parking spaces could be provided.The project required 9,843sq. m of Atlantis® Turf CellTM system, which is constructed from 480mm x 260mm x 52mm panels and has a rigid interlocking clipping system and is made from high quality recycled polypropylene. The project was undertaken by J & G Excavations and Asphalting (NSW) Pty Ltd.The Turf CellTM cells were laid on a bed of permeable soil, and filled with sandy soil and turf was then placed on top of the linked Atlantis® Turf CellTM cells and rolled with a heavy roller to press the roots into the soil in the cells, where they were protected from compaction and could grow freely both horizontally and vertically.The Turf CellTM system is another Atlantis invention, and is specifically suited for car parks, access roads, aircraft taxiways and helicopter landing pads as it has the following features:a high load bearing of approximately 4000t/sq. M;protects the root system of grass from compaction, while allow for vigorous horizontal and vertical root growth;permits surface water absorption and infiltration;has a long use life; andaesthetically, the system allows the grass to fill in completely, creating a lush lawn with an invisible reinforcement structure.

The new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, welcomed 75,000 fans to Super Bowl LIII in a beautifully designed and environmental friendly facility that is devoted to providing the ultimate fan experience. The HOK-designed $1.5 billion stadium opened in August 2017, an architectural icon in the city’s impressive downtown skyline.Amid its extensive post-game coverage of the Super Bowl, ESPN.com’s NFL page featured a story by ESPN Senior Writer David Fleming detailing an important and little discussed aspect of watching a game live…the quality of stadium restrooms.In his article, Fleming quoted Mercedes-Benz Stadium GM Scott Jenkins as saying,“You add a restaurant or a walkway feature to the stadium, some people will use it, but everyone is going to use the restroom. So the functionality, the quantity, the aesthetics of your bathrooms is critical. It seems unremarkable to most people, but, trust me, you invite 70,000 people to your house and you get the bathrooms wrong — you’ve got a huge problem”…”That Toilet seat, is now just as important as your Super Bowl seat.”

Located in Brisbane’s multifaceted suburb of Newstead, the new 14 Stratton Street development sets new standards for office design in the area, while embodying the pioneering spirit, focus on wellness, and importance of culture the district is renowned for.

Designed by Richard Lutze. This project won the 2017 Building Designers Association of Australia Design Award for Public Buildings/Structures. The building has been designed with modern conveniences while also ensuring a sustainable passive layout, with large openable areas facing north overlooking rural vistas, providing good natural light and ventilation to the classrooms and laboratory through the use of Breezway Louvre Windows.

Designed by Tempus Design Studio, this project won the BDAQ Regional Design Awards 2019 – New Houses $500,001 – $750,000 Construction Cost. Breezway Louvre Windows feature a unique modern design that helps suit the brief for this ‘Curved Abode’. Along with modern aesthetics, Breezway Louvre Windows are designed to open wide to allow maximum airflow into the living areas whilst providing clear, uninterrupted views for the family to enjoy. An ideal window choice for this design.

European telecommunications operator, Tele2 were moving into new offices in Kista Science City - Stockholm as their headquarters. It had been decided that they were going in an Activity - Based Workplace direction, featuring large, open work areas where people could move freely throughout most of the building. From a security perspective, this work concept came with a few challenges. The Business Challenge Tele2 were moving into a new building with an “Open Office” design. The challenge was to create a transparent, inviting atmosphere while still maintaining a high level of security. Furthermore, an emergency exit was also required through the gates. Together with Tele2 and BAU architects, Boon Edam started sketching and researching, to find the perfect solution for the main entrance to the building. The original plan to make the building as open as possible, changed slightly to accommodate important security needs, both around the entrance and throughout the whole building itself.

The new Student Center at Columbia College Chicago, located at 754 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago, opened its doors in the fall of 2019. This brand-new building offers five spectacular stories of spaces for students including music and film-screening rooms, dining options, a fitness centre, a reflection room for meditation and prayer, and event spaces for meetings, performances, and receptions. Columbia College Chicago has a closed campus. In order to enter any building on campus students and staff must have a Columbia ID or visitors must have a valid appointment. The main entrance at the Student Centre is the Tourniket manual revolving door that leads to a public foyer that includes a coffee shop and lounge. Since the speed gates are just past the security desk at the boundary of this area, they serve as a visual and physical indicator of where the public area terminates. Next to the Speedlane Open speed gates, which are notable because they do not have any closing barriers, guards watch as people pass through them to ensure that everyone is scanning their IDs and that the IDs are valid, in which case the speed gate shows a green light. In a situation where a red light shows and the gate alarms, the guard will check the person’s credentials and can try to troubleshoot the ID card. “The decision was really about what creates the least barrier to those entering and exiting the building,” said Dutil. “We don't really want our students to feel like they are overly policed or that our buildings are not accessible to them. So the design of the Open speed gates provided the best solution in terms of controlling access without being obtrusive." Swift Passage While Maintaining Accountability Before the Student Center was built, students entering any campus building would just show their ID to the security officer as they walked past. The administration realised that while this does provide some level of security, it is not foolproof – particularly when many people are entering at the same time for a class. The College’s head of security made the suggestion to install a system that would allow for swift passage of authorised people while maintaining accountability around who enters and exits the building. As anticipated, there was a brief learning curve for the students using the new system. “This was the first system like this on our campus,” said Dutil. “And the first few days that the new Centre was open were also the first few days of school. There were a lot of people new to the campus who required a bit of coaching from guards and our student staff in terms of where to place your card, and to not walk through before you place your card.” Coming Out Ahead of Swinging Doors Dutil confirms that the access systems placed at Boon Edam speed gates are actually outperforming those placed at swing doors across the campus for convenience and adoption. Across the campus, there is a card reader at every swing door entrance of a building where you present your card and a light turns red or green. But oftentimes the card reader is missed, or depending on the placement of the lights and placement of the guard, it can be kind of hit or miss with students walking right by it. “But with the Open speed gates, they're very visible and although they're not a total barrier to entry, they are something that's right in front of you. Because it's very noticable and not easily overlooked, the students have learned pretty quickly to get their ID out. In fact, this was meant to be a test run for the campus to ensure it would be viable and worthwhile for other buildings as well.” Advanced Features Add Value and Flexibility The speed gates have delivered additional benefits beyond basic campus security, according to Dutil. “One of the nice things about a system like this is that we can count visitors to the Student Centre because we get the data of everybody that scans in. So on a busy day for us it's about 2500 people throughout the day. That can range depending on what's going on and what time of year it is. On weekends we're very slow, since there are no classes – maybe 900 to 1200.” “We are a rental venue as well, so we have times where the building is open to non-Columbia College Chicago people for events or other functions. There's a really convenient touch panel right at the security desk called the BoonTouch, where the officer can turn off the turnstiles during those times and then attendees can move through freely without any alarms going off at all.” A New Revolving Door Adds Comfort and Peace of Mind Finally, the Tourniket manual revolving door delivers one additional benefit to the Student Centre, located in a city known for harsh weather. “Revolving doors are always preferred at a building like this that gets a lot of traffic going in and out. We have cold, drafty weather that blows right into our main space at that first floor entry. The revolving door helps to keep the building warm and saves energy and utility costs as well,” said Dutil. “Students feel safe and comfortable entering the building at night,” he concludes. “Our building has a lot of nooks and crannies, and someone can end up alone in a space. And so I think knowing that the only people that are in that building are the ones that are supposed to be there is helpful. Overall, our students appreciate the effort to try to keep them safer.”

Imagine waking up in this 4-star luxury hotel with panoramic view of the IJ and the city of Amsterdam. Hotel Jakarta: a BREEAM Excellent certified energy-neutral hotel in Amsterdam. Designed with sustainability in mind. Unique for the Netherlands is the 30-meter-high timber structure of the hotel. All columns, ceilings and frames are made from natural, FSC or PEFC certified wood. The south and east façades are covered with 700 m2 of building-integrated solar energy panels (BIPV panels). The glass roof that covers the atrium also contains BIPV cells that, in addition to collecting energy, also function as sun blinds for the subtropical inner garden. The atrium is the center of the hotel and works as a temperature controller in both summer and winter. On each side of the building, rooms have their own covered outdoor space that functions as a structural awning. A custom made revolving door provides access to the hotel where there is a dynamic public area with various bars, restaurants, coffee corners and a wellness center. This transparent revolving door is almost 6 meters high and fits perfectly with the appearance of the facade. In addition, this type of entrance solution is in line with the sustainability requirements of the building.

When entering the new Segerstedthuset building at the Uppsala University in Sweden – guests, students and employees alike are cheerfully greeted by a colourful revolving door. This unique door is an art installation by renowned American artist Spencer Finch and is aptly named ‘The Colour Wheel’. The artist is best known for installations that visualise his experience of the nature of light, colour, memory. The Uppsala University is the oldest university research university in the Nordic area and this large facility is located in Uppsala, Sweden - educating 45000 students. The new Segerstedthuset building, designed by 3XN is a multi-purpose extension to the university and was conceptualised and constructed as a modern workplace for researchers, university administration and management. Boon Edam Sweden was approached to supply Spencer Finch with two Tourniket revolving doors. The doors measure a diameter of 3000 mm and a total height of 2400 mm and the 6 glass door panels provide the canvas for the light installation artist to work his magic on. Colour film is fitted between the glass which creates a truly remarkable and memorable entry experience into this urban, communal space. The Segerstedthuset building was built as a sustainable building and proved to meet high environmental standards such as efficient energy use, sound material choices and a silent indoor environment. The building is environmentally certified according to the Sweden Green Building Council at the silver level.

Known as being positioned within one of the most popular positions within London, The River Building sits comfortably between London Bridge, St Paul’s, and Bank. The position offers enviable commutes for the city workforce, boasting a five minutes’ walk from six key tube stations. Renovated to utilise a once void entrance, The River Building is now a self-contained office space with a contemporary industrial design. The large atrium features a set of sleek black Lifeline Speedlane Swings. Stiff + Trevillion working with Blackstone Group, had specified early into the design process for the Lifeline Speedlane Swing, due to its existing specification in existing projects. The new two-story building boasts a spacious atrium that combines naked brick walling with warm feature lighting and dark tones. Mimicking the interior styling a bank of Lifeline Speedlane Swings were to be finished in black RAL. The River Building with an occupancy density of 1:8 requested comfortable yet stylish entry resulting in a wider lane width configuration. The 615mm passage width utilises two glass wings that offer fast access but give the illusion of openness.

RagingWire is one of the largest and most solid data centers in the world. They were one of the first companies that helped to build the multi-billion dollar global data center co-location industry. Now, RagingWire is the data center platform of NTT Communications in North America, which operates 140 data centers in 20 countries worldwide. RagingWire uses Tourlock security revolving doors at its Ashburn VA3 Data Center and its Sacramento CA3 Data Center. They are part of RagingWire’s larger portfolio of data centers in Ashburn, Northern California and Dallas, Texas.

London is a vibrant, busy and beautiful city, boasting constant innovation and unique architecture. Now, developments have become bigger and more competitive year on year. With expectations on office workspaces becoming increasingly more open and flexible, the requirement for integratable security has become a complex task. This led to the existing building of 10 Queen Street Place, Riverscape to have a much-needed refurbishment following the trend of open atriums, flexible floor space and usable rooftop space. Within this project, the interior and exterior were dramatically changed and enhanced utilising fresh entry and access control security solutions. Located next to Southwark Bridge and a couple minutes’ walk from the bustling area of Cannon Street Station is Riverscape. Originally opened back in 1980, the multi-storey office space was a modern development that sat on the sought-after area of the River Thames. This project was refurbed from top to bottom, with the original Boon Edam entrance solutions being upgraded to newer more innovative products. The lead architect was Aukett Swanke with interior designers Barr Gazetas leading the design of the refurbishment and, main contractors being Overbury. Working for this project years prior in relation to the old security lanes and revolving doors that were installed by Boon Edam, the London Sales team knew the building and requirements needed. It’s common to see dated installations be retrofitted with newer security products that modernise the look and feel of an entrance as well as upgrade the technology associated with them. Download the Case Study for more information about the project.

Rondo provided a range of market leading wall and ceiling systems for both buildings 3 and 4. Our KEYLOCK Concealed Suspended Ceiling System and Steel Stud and Track Wall Framing System were used for the internal fit out, completed by AUSTRAL Interiors. SMTM Projects used our 1.15 BMT Stud and Track with top hats.

Construction started on Burj Khalifa in 2004 before the building was officially opened in January 2010, although ceiling systems are still being supplied to the office areas on level 160. At the peak of construction, over 12,000 workers were onsite every day from 30 contracting companies, representing more than 100 different nationalities.

Rondo was chosen as a supplier to the project due to our support throughout the tender stage and our ability to provide Leighton Holdings with a total solution package, enlisting help and resources from USG Boral, James Hardie and Rockwool. At the peak of the project, it is estimated that approx. 800 local workers will be on-site, providing a fundamental and integral boost to the community and employment.

The $200 million Lend Lease Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre development opened in November 2014, making it the largest shopping destination in Western Australia. Contractors C & L Ceilings in conjunction with Rondo’s Technical Services Team designed pre-fabricated sections that could be built off-site and then transported to site complete, reducing installation costs and time delays.

The project was developed thanks to the assistance of builders BGC Construction, ceilings and walls M2 Contracting and distributors Perth Plasterboard Centre. Local supply chain efforts have proven this project to be a success with on-time delivery, reliability, excellent customer service and the ease of installation.

The tower corridors to the hotel rooms followed a slight curve and the Rondo Technical Services Team were engaged to provide many engineered designs for both internal and external wall framings, as well as internal ceilings and external soffit framings. This included Stud & Track, MAXIframe External Wall Framing System, EXANGLE Finishing Sections and PANTHER Access Panels, all needed to meet the detail required throughout the tower and podium levels.

Rondo worked closely with C&L Ceilings who were charged with the wall and ceiling contract. In order to be sure that the building’s external facade would remain structurally secure and adhere to the architectural detail, C&L installed Fibrous Cement Sheets, supported by heavy gauge Rondo components.

Rondo supplied Steel Stud and Track, KEY-LOCK Furring Channel and Top Cross Rail, and EXANGLE P50 Shadowline Stopping Angle to complete the base fit out and wall linings on 45 levels of the building.

Rondo became involved with the project in mid-June when approached about using our Studs to make up the main walls that separate the building into individual shop outlets. As there was no time for the Contractor to source structural steel (which would take up to five weeks).

The $11.3 million dollar renovation of Lambton Square required Rondo product throughout including our Key-Lock Concealed Ceiling System, Steel Stud Wall framing system and various other Rondo components for the fixing of plasterboard and feature panels.

Rondo’s main focus has been to complete 17 levels of one of the five office towers, of which two levels are for shops and a café. With the majority of the 70,000 lineal metres of product being Rondo DUO Exposed Grid System, Rondo continues to provide technical support for the project through weekly site visits.

Inspired by water droplets in the wild, the POD Pavilion showcases the new sustainable urban development located in Petaling Jaya Commercial City, west of Kuala Lumpur. Designed by Hijjas Kasturi Associates in collaboration with Studio Nicoletti Associati (Italy), the POD Pavilion is now PJCC’s corporate office and sales gallery. Rondo provided both product and design assistance to the project, which required a significant amount of input because of its unique elliptical design.

CBS-A and Composite Industries began construction back in September 2015. The Rondo technical team provided ongoing support on the engineering of blade walls to façade in the main hotel building and car park.

Due to tight plenum space and extremely congested plenum areas, Rondo’s new Xpress Drywall Grid System was the ideal ceiling system to use. This maximised the ceiling heights in all guest rooms while offering compliant plenum vertical clearances. Contractors implemented Rondo’s intricate feature ceilings and bulkheads throughout the entire building, such areas included the lobby, restaurants and conference areas.

John Holland recently built the largest private Hospital in South Australia, adding to its already suburb health care facilities. Rondo worked alongside Contractor Brighton Australia and Architect STH Architects, to deliver this state-of-the-art facility. Rondo supported the $400m build with a range of products and systems.