One Post Office Square Reimagines the Tenant Experience with Award-Winning Security Installation

Challenge:

The iconic One Post Office Square, located in downtown Boston, recently underwent a dramatic transformation – unprecedented in the Boston real estate market. From top to bottom, the 41-story office building was completely reimagined inside and out. The façade now features a 30-floor glass curtain while the inside was both architecturally and technologically revamped.

The goal of the renovation was to make the building nothing short of a model for the modern office building. “We envisioned a new world-class office experience,” said Kristen Faia, SVP and Group Manager, JLL. “Something that would meet environmental, health and advanced security goals as well as provide the tools and integrated technology that enable a seamless experience for our tenants, guests and security personnel.” JLL is the property manager as well as a tenant at One Post Office Square.

From a security perspective, a complete rethink was in order. An outdated access control system needed to be replaced by a solution that could support a mobile-first approach to tenant access and visitor management as well as provide a true security management platform that would support a layered building security approach. With the goal to create a premier tenant experience, these systems needed to integrate with a smart building application that would put power and intelligence in the hands of the tenants.

Solution: 

To overhaul and reimagine the existing security setup, JLL brought in security consultant Advanced Data Risk Management (ADRM) to perform the security system assessment, design, bid and build services. Deployment and installation were done by systems integrator BCM Controls.

“For JLL, it was imperative that we chose an access control system that worked with its existing smart building system and app, Cohesion, to create a frictionless, world-class tenant and visitor experience,” said Dan O’Neill, President, and CEO, ADRM Security. “This was one of the core reasons we selected the LenelS2™ OnGuard® access control system for the base building’s access control and the BlueDiamond™ mobile credentialing platform to enable mobile phone-based access for tenants – their open architecture made integration easy.”

The Cohesion smartphone app is an intuitive user interface layer that sits on top of the security system, as well as various other building systems, to create a one-stop-shop tenant experience and deliver building insights. Its integration with the BlueDiamond platform enables tenants to use their smartphone as a credential at BlueDiamond readers throughout the building. Tenants can also use the app to access a variety of amenities such as an in-house gym, make reservations for dinner at restaurants in the building and alert management of maintenance issues, such as a lightbulb that needs replacing. Cohesion also integrates with the OnGuard system’s visitor management suite to allow tenants to register visitors. Visitors then receive a temporary QR code on the app, which provides access to certain areas of the building. Managers can use Cohesion analytics to monitor utilization trends and more. 

ADRM integrated Milestone video management into the OnGuard system to allow the front desk and various other security stations to monitor building cameras in conjunction with access control events on a single dashboard. Building security can also utilize advanced analytics and meta data to search for specific objects or people in recorded video (such as a person wearing a red shirt) in case of an incident.

To offer a modern building experience, the OnGuard system is also integrated with the new Fujitec elevators utilizing Destination Dispatch. When a tenant presents their credential to a turnstile it will direct them to the appropriate elevator and take them exactly where they need to go based on the person record information in the OnGuard system. This system provides both efficiency and security for tenants as they enter the building each morning.

Results:

One Post Office Square is now an exceptionally secure building with advanced technology that provides a one-of-a-kind tenant experience. The security staff enjoys intuitive, easy-to-use systems which quickly surface alarm events with live camera feeds when needed. Tenants can now use their smart phone as their access credential, while also having access to all building amenities at their fingertips. JLL retains ADRM for ongoing managed services, such as system health monitoring for all servers and devices, firmware upgrades and more. “It’s not a break to fix relationship anymore – ADRM proactively monitors all systems to catch problems before they happen or addresses them in real time,” said Faia.

Thanks to the comprehensive renovation inside and out, One Post Office Square is a LEED Level 4 Gold Certified building, placing it in the top echelon for environmental sustainability. This comprehensive security overhaul was awarded the Elliot A. Boxerbaum Memorial Security Design Project of the Year Award by Security Specifiers, which is among the most prestigious security design awards in the world.