ISJ hears exclusively from Sreeraj Manjalavil, Hospitality Divisional Head at Consort Architectural Hardware about access control and modern security standards.
What is Consort’s global footprint, and which key markets are important to your growth?
Consort Architectural Hardware is a family-owned, multinational corporation with more than 50 years of heritage.
What once started as a humble ironmongery business, located in a small warehouse in Birmingham, has developed into a renowned hardware and fittings supplier operating on four continents.
As a business, we continue to blend our personal approach with widespread expertise and innovation, developing and supplying a range of architectural hardware solutions to both established and growing markets.
Every day, hands touch our products in iconic buildings across the world, whether that be our aesthetic furniture fittings, bespoke architectural ironmongery products, or the latest access control solutions.
With one of the most comprehensive and certified ranges on the market, our projects take us to many corners of the globe, and these regions remain critical to our growth strategy.
And so, as building, security and life safety regulations continue to develop, we will continue our mission to provide highly engineered, quality hardware and access control solutions to customers.
How do you differentiate yourself from other architectural hardware and access providers?
One key differentiator is our ability to operate as a true single-source solution.
By integrating architectural hardware and access control into one coordinated application, we help to simplify complex global supply chains, which is something our customers value greatly.
Quality is fundamental to everything we do. Our ironmongery is designed with longevity in mind and manufactured to meet the most stringent of industry certifications and standards.
In a developing landscape of regulations, our products remain fully compliant whilst maintaining the flexibility and personalised service our customers expect.
Supporting this is our GAI-qualified estimation and sales team, who work closely with project stakeholders from specification through to completion, ensuring confidence is retained at every stage of the project lifecycle.
Palm Beach Towers, Dubai
Located at the gateway of the Palm Jumeriah in Dubai are the striking Palm Beach Towers.
In line with the luxury apartment building’s aesthetic and world class fitted fixtures, Consort Architectural Hardware was entrusted with providing a unified package consisting of advanced access control systems paired with state-of-the-art architectural hardware.
To meet the designer’s strict aesthetic requirements, Consort supplied all hardware in a special custom finish, demonstrating the manufacturer’s renowned level of flexibility when sourcing bespoke materials.
What factors determine whether a client should implement standalone digital locks, networked access control or mobile-based entry systems?
The optimal solution largely depends on the scale, complexity and security requirements of the building in question.
Standalone locks for example, are well suited to smaller scale projects or retrofit applications, particularly where wiring is difficult or disruptive in installation.
Networked systems on the other hand, are typically the preferred specification for larger, multi-site facilities.
With users benefitting from real-time monitoring, centralised management and greater scalability options, networked systems offer enhanced operational control in busy buildings.
Mobile based entry is another route that has gained significant traction in recent years.
These systems are often preferred for modern user convenience and touchless requirements, which can enhance user experience in commercial spaces and hospitality environments.
What lessons from past access control projects have most influenced how you approach new installations?
With over 50 years of project experience, as a team, we’ve learned that the foundation of any project is the reliability, durability and certification compliance of physical hardware.
Each project must be approached with this in mind, ensuring the specification is robust enough to withstand the environment in which it will be installed and used.
When access control is the central focus, the hardware, doors and systems must operate as one, seamlessly and with confidence from the users operating them.
Emaar ADA, Dubai
As a pioneer of master-planned properties and communities in Dubai, Emaar ADA sought a solution for upgrading accessibility features across its high-traffic commercial and retail assets.
With its restroom environments facing hundreds of cycles each day, the project demanded a ‘hands-free’ solution that would ensure inclusive access, whilst remaining robust enough to handle continuous use without mechanical failure.
Consort Architectural Hardware was positioned to deliver a fully compliant, low-maintenance automated entry system, implementing a complete seamless access control solution that utilised door automation and specialised ADA-compliant hardware.
This specification eliminated the lag often found in multi-brand setups and was successful in providing a smooth, dignified experience for users in high volume public spaces.
How do you see the access control market changing in the next few years?
The market is shifting towards greater integration and certified system performance.
As the market continues to evolve alongside modern customer requirements, there is a need to combine mechanical hardware and electronic access into a unified package.
Consort Architectural Hardware is well positioned to support projects through a reliable single-source model, one that can deliver the highest quality hardware and emerging technologies to international markets.
