How often have you noticed a gorgeous piece of commercial real estate marred by ugly security cameras poking off its roof? You can bet those weren’t part of the original architectural design. Protruding camera mounts hovering above a beautiful multi-million-dollar building are like pairing a baseball cap with a tux. They ruin the effect.

Top security consultants and integrators understand that their role isn’t just about delivering security solutions – it’s doing so while maintaining the ambiance and architectural integrity of the properties they’re helping to secure. While the appearance of interior cameras, access panels and other devices is often discussed extensively with customers, the look of exterior hardware is often neglected. It shouldn’t be. A recently completed security installation for a Fortune 100 technology company demonstrates how unique outdoor mounts, designed specifically for this project by Pedestal PRO, can deliver superior aesthetics along with enhanced structural resilience and servicing functionality. While the client prefers to remain anonymous for the purposes of this case study, facility stakeholders and security professionals alike can learn from their example.

A Design Dilemma

Security by Design (SBD), an independent consulting firm headquartered just northwest of San Francisco, provides broad security planning and design services to its global roster of clients. Chrissy McCutcheon, Principal and Security Consultant at SBD, spearheaded security plans for the latest addition to her client’s corporate campus – a modern, light-filled, 160,000 square-foot office structure designed to visually blend within its lovely natural surroundings. It was completed in spring of 2020.

In working with her client, Chrissy says it was very important to “get into the culture of the organization, and to design systems that the employees would be comfortable with. Inside, that meant utilizing technology to keep people and property safe in ways that didn’t make it feel like Big Brother was watching.”

Outside, the client wanted the grounds of the property to be wide open. “No fences; nothing restrictive. There are grassy areas for employees to enjoy. There are picnic tables, a pickleball court and a basketball court,” Chrissy explains. “They wanted to allow open access to all of that, but still have tools in place that would make the security team immediately aware if a situation needed to be addressed.”

Powerful panoramic cameras, mounted at roof level, were chosen to provide the needed widespread coverage. However, the client was very concerned about preserving the building’s architectural aesthetics. Any cameras needed to blend into the façade. Hanging them in the traditional manner simply was not an option.

Saying “No” to the Status Quo

“The issue of how to mount exterior cameras for this client first arose several years ago,” says Chrissy, “when we were working on the initial phase of this project – the first building constructed on the site. The security integrator was wrapping up the project, mounting cameras on the roof using standard J hook mounts like they always do, when the client came out and said ‘No, those aren’t going to work. They’re too obtrusive. We don’t want anything above the level of the top of the building.’”

So the integrator took some measurements and put together a rudimentary, low-profile parapet solution that could be mounted off the side of the building, right below the roof line. It satisfied the immediate need, but there was a lot of room for improvement, especially since the client wanted to standardize on this type of solution moving forward. That’s when Chrissy suggested that the integrator reach out to Pedestal PRO.

Chrissy says, “I knew Pedestal PRO did customized pedestals, and I figured that if they can fabricate those, maybe they can do camera mounts too.”

Welcoming New Challenges

Pike Goss is CEO and Founder of Pedestal PRO, a leading manufacturer of pedestal and housing solutions for the security industry. “We cater to a broad clientele, including many with Class A office space who demand the highest quality of craftsmanship and design for anything that gets installed on their properties.” This includes Pedestal PRO’s flagship line of architectural stainless steel towers that house a building’s intercom and access control technology – one of the first things visitors and employees see as they enter a building. “While cameras mounts were new to us, we possessed a deep appreciation for the mindset of this particular customer and certainly had the design, technical and manufacturing expertise to execute on their vision.”

Pedestal PRO spent several months re-engineering and perfecting the design of the parapet mount. “One of the main problems with parapets is that they’re a hassle to service,” explains Pike. “Either the technician has to dangerously hang out over the edge of the roof, or the company has to bring in a cherry picker truck, which is both inconvenient and can be expensive. To solve this problem, we added a hinge to the mount. To service it, the technician removes a pull pin and the camera swings up, over and backward onto the roof for easy access. When he’s done, he just swings it back down into place, returning the camera to its precise positioning. When mounted on the corner of a building, just below the roofline, the camera and mount blend cleanly into the façade.”

“We put a lot of thought and detail into the design, keeping in mind how to make it really convenient for the installer, developing several iterations before settling on a prototype. The final design has no holes in it, so technicians don’t have to worry about bees getting inside—something they dread dealing with. We added a spacer plate between the mount and the parapet to keep the wiring very clean. And we made some modifications to the way the wire plugs into the mounting arm on the backside. It’s all very slick. The mount is fabricated out of stainless steel, which can be left as-is or powder coated to match the coloring of a specific building’s façade, and can accommodate a wide range of today’s camera domes from leading manufacturers. When we showed it to Chrissy and the client, they gave it two thumbs up.”

Unfortunately, there would be a couple year lag between when the mount design was finalized and when the client would be ready to install the new mounts on their Phase 2 building. In the interim, Pedestal PRO put the mounts into production and began selling them to other customers all over the country. “We discovered that there was a real void in the marketplace for a sleek looking parapet solution that’s easy to service,” says Pike. “Our design is flexible enough to work for most customers, but if there’s ever a need to make modifications for a custom order, we can handle those requests surprisingly quickly. Because we handle all of the fabrication here in the U.S., we have full control over the manufacturing and design process.

Pike adds, “As fulfilling as it’s been to discover that our mount has such widespread appeal and marketability, nothing compares to seeing it now installed on the recently completed Phase 2 building for the original client. It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, and we are grateful that this Fortune 100 company was concerned enough about preserving the aesthetics of its beautiful new building that its ‘necessity’ drove us into action.”

A Pedestal Postscript

As pointed out earlier, Security by Design’s Chrissy McCutcheon was aware that Pedestal PRO did customized pedestals when she reached out to solve the camera mount issue. Near the end of Phase 2, Chrissy also directed the site’s local design-assist subcontractor to Pedestal PRO for help – this time for emergency assistance creating a handicap access bar to be positioned outside the designated ADA accessible entrance.

A customized bollard had been ordered from a competing vendor but it was not acceptable. Ordering a custom replacement from the same fabricator would take months.

The subcontractor quickly provided its access control and intercom components to Pedestal PRO. Using its no-cost engineering protocol, Pedestal PRO provided a detailed CAD design for a replacement bollard to the client within a couple days. The finished product was on-site one week later. The subcontractor’s president says, “Pedestal PRO turned the project around in a much shorter timeframe than I thought was possible, and they even color matched the very particular medium bronze finish of the original unit, which I knew would be hard to do. Better yet, the custom bollard from Pedestal PRO cost less than a quarter of the original model, while displaying the highest levels of craftsmanship. I had been unaware of Pedestal PRO until Chrissy recommended them, but they are absolutely a resource I’ll use moving forward.”

Chrissy adds, “Pedestal PRO makes me look good, as a consultant, because I can resolve issues quickly. They’re able to support me and make sure that we can get a project delivered on time and within budget, even when unexpected factors push something sideways. Plus, I feel confident that the caliber of their work, including their attention to aesthetic details, consistently adds value to how my customers perceive and interact with the security technology on their site.”

- Barrett Bushman | 13 - Fri, September 11, 2020
(last updated: Mon, Sep 14, 2020 9:19 PM)