How St. James Retrofitted Common Access in a Multifamily Community
The St. James, a Dallas property partnered with igloo to give their common doors and elevator access a facelift through iglooworks smart access technology.
The property managed keys for common areas, and had to physically onboard tenant access when they moved in or moved out. Additionally, the property had both elevator and garage door access, which was not integrated into the same system as the other resident doors. All these entry/exit points used physical tap cards which the property was looking to move away from. The management team was looking for a solution that would allow them to grant and revoke access for all common doors as needed, monitor activities and provide usage insights.
The Solution
Knightvest deployed the igloo Switch door controller (SW1) and Keypad (EK1) for common building access doors, elevators, and the parking garage. The system was controlled via iglooworks which consisted of a mobile app and a web dashboard for managers. The dashboard allowed managers to control access for staff, residents & visitors in a single platform and the app provided residents and managers the ability to generate easy to use duration PIN codes for visitors, delivery drivers and vendors on the spot.
For residents and staff, the doors could either be opened by the iglooworks app or a unique pincode generated only for them. The pincodes themselves have a start and end time ensuring that when a resident moves out, their PIN code doesn't work anymore.
The Technology
The common door solution is powered by the Switch (SW1) door controller, an easy to retrofit bluetooth door relay & controller that is compatible with most electrified door hardware. Once connected the door can now be controlled via the iglooworks app and dashboard. For additional PIN code credentials a wireless Keypad (EK1) was installed. With the keypad, unique PIN codes can be provided for anyone with appropriate expiry dates. The system does not require managed wifi on the property to generate PIN code credentials or Bluetooth keys.
Having this offline capability ensured that the St James would not have to spend extra money to maintain managed wifi on the property. Additionally, despite cellular dead-zones within the property (basement garage), pincodes and Bluetooth keys functioned reliably without any issues. Finally, the switch was able to control existing door locks and elevator controls preventing a costly overhaul.
The building now has a completely offline and reliable method to manage staff/residents, admit self showings, maintenance, contractors, mail and delivery all from the convenience of a single platform. Additionally, access and lock audit trails are available for managers to view and download via the dashboard.
“The St. James' project highlights the real-world value of igloo’s offline-first approach. By unifying doors, elevators, and garage access into one ecosystem, we eliminated the headaches of key management for property managers while giving residents a modern, seamless experience. Even in challenging environments like basement garages with poor connectivity, our switch and keypad work —proving that you don’t need Wi-Fi to deliver secure, reliable smart access.” - Paul Hoggard, igloo - Head of North America
Conclusion
The partnership between Knightvest St. James and igloo transformed their access control system into a smart, integrated, and efficient solution. By deploying the switch and keypad, managed through the intuitive iglooworks application, the property successfully addressed its key management challenges.
This enabled seamless onboarding and offboarding of tenants, access for temporary visitors, unified access for common doors, elevators, and the parking garage, and provided valuable insights through access monitoring. The offline capability of the system further reduced operational costs and ensured reliable security. Knightvest St. James now benefits from a robust and convenient access control platform, enhancing both security and the resident experience.