Smart access solutions for business park with digital features

IoT expert brought on board to digitize site

Digitalization improves efficiency, comfort and quality. Smart building equipment is also indispensable in the planning, construction and operation of real estate. The main driver for this is the ever-increasing demand for energy efficiency, cost savings and sustainability. Digitally controlled buildings, so-called smart buildings, are no longer a vision for futuristic cities, but reality. One example is the Metroloq business park with various digital features, including WILKA's access solution.

After a 2-year planning and construction phase, the Metroloq business park was inaugurated in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is one of the seven business parks of the Cologne-based subsidiary of property developer "Metropol Immobiliengruppe". On an area of 31,100 m², of which 18,000 m² are built, Metroloq has created a site with office, storage and parking space as well as various digital features. The project comprises a total of fifteen halls and is intended to be not only flexible and versatile for tenants, but also
also affordable. 

This makes the park attractive not only to established values, but also to small businesses or start-ups, for whom the facilities offer the opportunity to start and develop their business at low cost. Whether it is a florist, fashion store or logistics service provider, the innovative project offers the 56 tenants a place to expand their business. The concept provides halls of different sizes and various functions (office and/or storage space). They can be adapted according to the tenants' wishes. The high degree of digitalization not only saves time and costs, but also improves security and comfort.

Digitization

For that digitalization, Metroloq brought an experienced IoT expert on board with ROCKETHOME GmbH from Cologne. In addition to consulting and creating the Smart Use Cases, this specialist also took on the conceptual design and implementation. The digital equipment includes lighting control, motion sensors, temperature displays, e-charging stations, parcel stations and an access solution from WILKA. 

"We compared different digital access solutions on the market," said Yüksel Sirmasac, Managing Director of ROCKETHOME. "WILKA not only convinced us with its expertise and product quality. From the first conversation, the entire cooperation was also characterized by reliability and trust."

Together with WILKA dealer Keycept Sicherheitstechnik of Mönchengladbach, ROCKETHOME has installed and commissioned around ninety electronic cylinders with Bluetooth interface at the business park. The smart access solution from WILKA allows tenants, for example, to open and close their doors and gates for suppliers and employees from anywhere without anyone having to be on the premises. This is especially practical for business owners who are often on the road and therefore not always on site when a delivery arrives.

Management and control via app

Tenants can easily and conveniently operate and manage WILKA's access solution and all other smart functions on the site via the ROCKETHOME app. For example, a large logistics provider, tenant of an XL warehouse, saves long distances through the halls because it can control the many delivery gates and aisle lighting via the app. Available to landlords and managers, the ROCKETHOME Property Manager App allows them to efficiently manage rental spaces and access to wallboxes. But the apps can do even more. Features such as integrated service forms and inboxes allow direct and easy communication between tenant and landlord through the apps. 

This concept works

The modular design of the park and the digital networking of the different parts of the building are appealing to the tenants. The fact that no tenant has withdrawn so far and the users gratefully accept the functions is also proof that this is the right move. With the increasing demand for digitalization in all levels of society, it is clear that this is also an important factor when planning new projects. 

"New construction without smart features is actually unthinkable from now on," says Johannes Koza, Leiter Smart Building & Nachhaltigkeit at Metropol. "Smart is not an add-on for us, but part of the Metropol standard." 

A brief preview of Metropol and ROCKETHOME's further plans is promising: because of the positive feedback, the current equipment will be retained for future projects as well. Moreover, existing projects are to be retroactively digitized. Other possibilities are also being considered for future projects, such as the installation of photovoltaic systems on the roofs.