WASHINGTON HARBOUR

About Washington Harbour

Located along a scenic stretch of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.'s historic Georgetown area, the Washington Harbour is a complex of commercial offices, residences, retail stores, and restaurants. Completed in the mid-1980s, the Postmodern complex was designed by noted architect Arthur Cotton Moore and developed by Western Development Company. The focal point is the 23,500 square foot elliptical harbor with riverfront promenade, dock, and small adjacent park. A destination for tourists and local residents alike, Washington Harbour returned vitality to a once-forgotten area. On the top three floors of one of the buildings in the 1,000,000 square foot complex are 35 luxury condominiums with extraordinary views of the Potomac River. The complex also houses 750,000 square feet of office space, 98,000 square feet of retail space, and a 600-car parking garage on two levels beneath the entire project.

Client Challenge

The primary challenge of securing the mixed-use Washington Harbor complex was designing, implementing, and running a system that would accommodate the 24/7 activities of residents and their guests, plus provide convenient access for commercial, retail, and tourist traffic. Washington Harbour residents needed to feel secure, yet have convenient access to their homes. Commercial tenants needed to be able to conduct business in the midst of a tourist destination. Retail tenants needed convenient parking for their patrons and employee access when the restaurants were closed.

Problem Solved by Kastle

Western Development enlisted the assistance of Kastle Systems to apply commercial security system standards to the complex. Western Development hired Kastle to run the system to provide better security for tenants, eliminate the need to create a technological infrastructure, and avoid hiring additional staff to perform the critical functions of ongoing system management.

Distinct access. Residential entrances are distinct from commercial entrances to the buildings in the complex. Each of the multiple retail establishments have a separate entrance. Residents and commercial tenants use different elevators. After business hours, and on weekends and holidays, the doors and elevators will operate only when the appropriate residential or commercial access key or card is inserted into the reader.

Shared garage. The garage beneath the complex, however, serves residents, commercial, and retail tenants, plus their visitors. Within the garage, Kastle recommended a separate, gated entrance for residents, which allows resident-only access to the parking area.

Flexibility to support new functionality. Years after the security system was installed, Washington Harbour's commercial tenants wanted to augment the system with photo identification. The existing system's flexible design and Kastle's extensive knowledge of its unique characteristics (such as its legacy configuration, history, and nuances) combined to create the new functionality. Because the commercial system was distinct from the residential system and the systems that secure the retail establishments, the residential and retail systems did not need to change.

Convenient one-card access for tenants. Kastle secures the base buildings of the complex and has installed security systems for many of the tenants in the buildings, including a national law firm, Foley & Lardner LLC. Each tenant system is integrated with the base building system so that tenants carry only one access card. Foley & Lardner professionals, who often travel between the firm's multiple offices across the United States, can use the same access card in any of the firm offices that Kastle secures.

Ongoing monitoring. Kastle monitors all fire, life safety, and critical mechanical systems for the mixed-use complex. Propped door alarms, as well as intrusion and tamper alarms for all windows on the ground floor are also monitored 24/7 through secure data lines and Internet circuits that connect the building to Kastle's off-premises operations center. Kastle monitors environmental conditions as well.

Reporting and card administration. Access cards must be issued and revoked in real time to reflect the turnover of residents and employees of commercial and retail tenants. Washington Harbour's property managers have the option of generating reports via the Internet or contacting Kastle's customer service team to track the activities of visitors and employees.

A Twenty-Plus Year Relationship

More than twenty years later, Washington Harbor's security system remains functional, a stark contrast to a typical security system, which needs to be replaced every five to six years. The Kastle system has not become obsolete because Kastle performs the critical but not-so-obvious functions of ongoing system management required to keep the security system operating properly. Kastle personnel maintain a close relationship with the complex's property managers to stay abreast of the ever-changing needs of its disparate tenants. Kastle continues to be the single point of execution for Washington Harbour's security system.