CAMPUS COMEBACKS

COVID-19 put flexibility in the limelight. The latest round of educational furniture bodes well with various configurations found in modern learning spaces. An emphasis on comfort, ease and creative flair will bring a sense of wellbeing to returning students and faculty.

Kirei has expanded its AKUART collection with Stand By

Me. The free-standing, sound-reducing floor screen sections off noisy spaces as a stationary or movable addition to learning environments. The canvas is available with branded graphics, highresolution photos, or digital design files, which brings art, colour and creative control to a number of configurations. It is available in six standard lengths and four different heights.

Jetty:Mod is a new modular sofa from Allsteel. The adaptable design can influence circulation patterns and distance individuals in ever-changing spaces, from atriums to cafes and ancillary spaces in between. The system’s curvilinear and linear forms are available in a variety of upholstery, laminate, and metal finishes for residentially inspired layering or coordinating across environments. It comes in different heights and depths for various work modes and activity-specific needs.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, EMU reimagined the original 1970s design of Rio—its most iconic chair. The new Rio R50 series is now available exclusively from Coalesse in the Americas and pairs well in outdoor school settings where students can connect and rejuvenate. The series includes a rocking chair with a deeply drawn seat for comfort. The steel frame is slim and light, yet both weight- and weather-resistant. Other styles include a chair, armchair, lounge chair, rocker, stool and coffee table all available in 11 colour options of outdoor grade powder coat paint finishes.

Lightline Low Profile Architectural Wall is a new glass wall system from KI that maximizes daylight and defines spaces, from a small focus room to a large conference area. Its minimalistic design features a one-inch base trim around frameless glass panels and sliding or pivot-hinged doors. Semi-unitized modular panels are pre-assembled to exact space requirements and eliminate the need for extra support structures or drywall soffits. It is available in numerous design and finish options.

Herman Miller’s new OE1 suite of products features Nook, a solo workstation with visual and acoustic privacy for increased focus and productivity. A notched work surface pulls the user in and comes with optional surface power access for charging. Nook can be placed along walls or in between gathering areas for extra learning spaces within open floor plans. They come with either gliders or casters for flexibility and measure 28.5 inches high and 45 inches wide, with a depth of 26 inches. The IntelliSHOT from Legrand is a professional camera designed for streaming classes and video collaboration. It captures professors and students from across the room with a professional-grade image sensor and can be used in uneven and darker lighting conditions commonly found in large auditoriums or meeting rooms with sunlight or shadows. It offers 20x true optical zoom and achieves 30x with IntelliZoomTM Image Processing.

Framery 2Q Huddle was re-designed to comfortably sit fourto-six people around a table with a display screen on the other end for video conferencing. Students can enter and exit the wheelchair-accessible meeting pod without disturbing others and are less visually distracted as the screen is placed against a wall rather than glass. A sound insulation system brings extra privacy to brainstorming sessions, while a control panel allows users to adjust brightness and airflow. Additional options include a display bracket on the wall for a TV or booking system.

Knoll launched a refreshed version of its Ollo chair in May. With a more upright back and breathable O-Knit material, Ollo with knit back is designed to keep users engaged. Active pivot control helps it mirror everyday movements for spontaneous work styles. The base, seat and back are configurable, with a fixed-arm option and a variety of KnollTextiles fabrics.

BY RICK FOCKE

A HEALTHY SENSE OF SECURITY

Surveillance is a primary focus of school security efforts: detecting unauthorized people on the property, vandalism and monitoring busy hallways. But administrators are now looking to adopt new security technologies that not only keep learning environments safe, but healthy, too.

School administrators are keenly aware of the challenges with controlling germs. In a setting where hundreds of people touch door handles in a single day or multiple visitors push intercom buttons to request building access, how can schools both clean and manage all these touch points?

COVID-19 has certainly drawn more attention to the healthy buildings initiative in the education market, transcending beyond cleaning protocols and air quality to also encompass security technologies that support a touchless environment.

INTERCOMS BECOME TOUCHLESS

The main entrance to a school is the first line of defense for any securityrelated issue. Many schools rely upon a two-way communication intercom system to communicate with visitors before allowing them into a school lobby. However, these systems are activated after a visitor presses a button to alert reception of their presence.

Many schools have begun to retrofit these solutions to incorporate a sensor that can automatically detect when a person is present, thereby allowing the system to alert the receptionist. The growth of video intercom systems has also proved useful, as they allow schools to visually verify the identity of an individual. A receptionist or school security officer can also use a video intercom system to confirm that a visitor is following the school’s safety protocols, such as wearing a mask or using a hand sanitizer station before entering the building.

FRICTIONLESS ACCESS CONTROL

One solution helping minimize “A smartphone is less likely to be shared with other people, reducing problems associated with sharing a badge or a school having to replace a lost or misplaced identification card.”

touchpoints without impeding the flow of people accessing a school building, or a specific space within the building, is frictionless access control. This system eliminates the need for an individual to physically present a badge when entering a facility and replaces that component by using facial recognition technology to verify the identity of individuals approved for entry. A person simply has to walk through a predetermined area. The system then detects individual faces and checks a database to see if there is a match for a person in the system who is permitted to enter. When paired with automatic door entry technology, it completely eliminates the need to touch anything to gain access, such as a keypad or door handle.

CONTACTLESS CREDENTIALS

Schools are also replacing keypad entry systems with touchless devices, such as contactless card readers with a hands-free option. The credentials for these readers can be incorporated as part of any teacher or staff member’s identification badge. A smart card is usually scanned at a reader at the door, which then sends a signal to the access control system to either permit entrance or deny it, based upon whether an individual has permission to access a building. It can also deny entry if the card is no longer valid, or if they’re requesting access outside of a pre-set school time, such as the weekend. A keypad, on the other hand, has to be touched by many different people, which increases the risk of spreading germs if the device is not wiped down after every use.

MOBILE CREDENTIALS

More commonly found in corporate environments, mobile credential technology is another option for schools looking to replace both badge and keypad technology with a contactless solution. A person’s smartphone becomes the badge or credential. Using a mobile app, the smartphone communicates with the access control system much like an access control credential would. However, a smartphone is less likely to be shared with other people, reducing problems associated with sharing a badge or a school having to replace a lost or misplaced identification card.

Versatility is another plus. A school administrator can quickly change a person’s access permissions, for instance, a short-term sub who has completed a teaching assignment or a sports coach who only needs to access school property during a defined period of time. It can also eliminate costs associated with purchasing badge credentials for each employee. | CFM&D

Rick Focke is the director of product management and enterprise access control for Johnson Controls. Prior to Johnson Controls, Rick was at Andover Controls (now Schneider Electric), working in both the security and building automation industries. Rick works out of Johnson Controls’ Westford, MA facility and lives north of Boston.