Security risks have grown and will continue to grow in the future as people add resources and wireless to their networks and open themselves up to threats—and the dangers already are weighing heavily on property owners’ minds. According to a recent NMHC survey, some owners are even going so far as to screen employees and residents against terror lists, says Jeanne Delgado, vice president, property management for NMHC.
Some firms are beginning to sketch out blueprints with centralized physical security systems at properties. That means buildings that have a physical space for monitoring video feeds and other security data as well as high-tech features like sensors for doors, windows, and other portals that will prepare properties for the security technologies of the future, from card keys and electronic keys to fingerprints and face recognition. Delgado notes that although most NMHC survey respondents are not yet using retina scanners and voice recognition, some are now using fingerprint and hand geometry recognition systems on doors to common areas. And electronic locks with card readers and proximity readers “is a growing area,” says Delgado.
The survey also found that 40 percent of the respondents are providing individual units with security systems in 50 percent of their properties.
Bandwidth Matters But the true cornerstone of the apartment building of the future is bandwidth.
While apartment owners and builders can’t know today what the exact applications or technologies of tomorrow will be, they can be certain of this: Those new tools will need lots of bandwidth. “You have to lay the infrastructure down,” says Lane’s Haefner, noting that the company is increasing using wireless to expand bandwidth. Security, automated submetering, and other applications that rely on voice, data, and/or video have already started to stress existing wiring in relatively new buildings.
Wireless applications can remove some of the stress on cables, but again, they must be part of the plan. Too many of today’s residential buildings are simply too dense or full of obstacles for wireless. A little forethought in the planning stages can eliminate barriers to wireless communications and also help property owners determine how to best use their wired and wireless resources, according to Bob Egan, president of Mobile Competency, a consultancy in Providence, R.I.
Egan recommends wiring with Ether-net 10Base-T, noting that Ethernet is inexpensive. “And segment it out,” says Egan. “No matter what you do [in terms of future applications], you will need network segmentation.”
And when it comes to wireless, Egan says buildings and surrounding properties should be planned out to accommodate access points and avoid obstacles to transmission. Experts urge property owners to map out each property to make sure access points are located in areas that won’t be hampered by building material, electrical transmitters, or anything else that can interfere with a signal. In addition, it is crucial for planners to build in enough access points and place them strategically so that they cover as much space as efficiently as possible. Location, height, and other elements can all affect this placement.
And any future building plans should include a nod to the changing lifestyles of residents. With more people going mobile, running their businesses from home, or working there at least part of the time, individual units need to be equipped to accommodate those changes. Rather than “little extra” data ports in each unit, digital cable and even monitors networked into the property and in individual units are becoming the norm to help residents receive information and entertainment in the apartment properties of the future.
–Teri Robinson is a freelance writer in New York.