Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai
For more than 100 years the Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai has been helping Aucklanders in greatest need.
Download Case StudyToday the Mission supports people through access to housing, food, and health care across Auckland, New Zealand.
In 2023 alone, the Mission distributed more than 50,000 food parcels to families and individuals in need, provided more than 75,000 hot meals via their community dining room, Haeata, and over 20,000 health consultations at their Calder Health Centre. Moreover, it provided a place of respite and belonging for its residents, visitors, and the wider Auckland community.
Since its inception in 1920, the services and care the Mission provides have been in constant demand, with an inevitable expansion project a case of if, not when. Mounting needs within the community and a growing population, meant the Mission was faced with a significant expansion project to meet both current and future demand, and in 2019 work began on the $110m build of HomeGround.
From this inner-city hub, the Mission provides integrated health and social services including permanent housing, medical care, addiction withdrawal (detox) facilities, community dining room, onsite pharmacy, and multi-use community spaces.
Standing tall on Auckland’s Hobson Street, and spanning 12,500 sqm, HomeGround is Mission’s flagship building which officially opened in 2022. Designed by Stevens Lawson Architects, the 10-story high building, currently the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere, boasts a unique juxtaposition; it’s vast and robust, while also providing a sense of calm, through a carefully curated design aesthetic in consultation with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
The Mission currently operates across nine sites, including HomeGround, and employs 250 staff, with 150 of those staff located at HomeGround.
During construction, the installation of the building’s security and access system was also carried out. A solution that provided fortified security features, while also offering flexibility, scalability, and an ease of use, saw the installation of Gallagher Security’s award-winning, site management platform, Command Centre.
Command Centre was the first system to offer alarm, access, and perimeter security in one single product, and as one of the most feature-rich site management platforms available, it was designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of systems and hardware, creating a single operating platform which manages total site security.
The security installation project, which took over a year to complete, was awarded to, and carried out by Auckland’s BDR Security. Company Director, Joel Rickard says, “This was a significant project for us, with 200 access-controlled doors, integration with 100 high resolution CCTV cameras, 80 apartments with battery operated access control locks and 90 intercom locations.”
And it was a project not without its challenges, as unique aspects of the build, including heavy use of timber, dual exit doors, and the restoration of the Prince of Wales heritage building threw additional complexities at BDR’s installation team.
“We would start on one level, running cables and would progress up the levels as the builders completed each floor. With no real cavities to run cables, everything had to be hidden which definitely posed a few issues for our install guys, but it all worked out and it’s an absolutely beautiful building,” adds Joel.
The installation of Command Centre has enabled a centralised management system, that enables staff oversight of both the main site and linked satellite sites. It has also provided HomeGround with a flexible yet robust system that can withstand the unique challenges specific to the site.
Access permissions can be remotely managed, integration with CCTV provides comprehensive oversight of all spaces, anti-ligature door-top alarms and duress alarm integrations provide peace of mind and prioritise on site safety, and intercom management, lift integrations, emergency lockdowns and panic buttons can all be managed through the central management system.
Auckland City Mission, GM Corporate Services, Daniel Nelson says the flexibility and ease of use of the system has been well received by staff and it is “extremely beneficial with the type of work we do”.
The simplicity of the Gallagher system has been a highlight for us. Our staff find the system easy to use, we can modify user groups ourselves and don’t have to go to BDR all the time. It’s a very intuitive system
Daniel Nelson, GM Corporate Services at Auckland City Mission
Leveraging the capabilities of Command Centre, Mission staff are utilising the Command Centre Mobile App to provide even greater flexibility and ease of use of their security system.
The Command Centre Mobile App allows users to extend their security and access control directly to where they need it, both on and off site. Whether staff are on site or away, Command Centre Mobile maintains complete awareness of what’s happening on site, allowing staff to manage everyday security issues from wherever they are including, remotely opening doors, managing alarms, monitor access, alarm zones and doors, trigger zone lockdowns and more.
The downloadable app interfaces directly with Command Centre, (either directly via the corporate network or over the internet via the Command Centre Cloud API Gateway) providing a secure link to the site management capabilities that already bring security and business efficiency to a site.
“Having been in the industry for a long time, Gallagher is known for being the best. The simplicity of the system and the fact we can access it from our phones is something we really like about Command Centre,” says Daniel.
And, as both Daniel and Joel point out, a robust security and access system that could withstand some of the unique complexities of the site was critical.
“Gallagher has that going for them. Their systems are super robust. Tenants are interacting with the access readers everyday so they need to be robust in what can be a harsh environment,” says Joel.
The work of the Mission, and the opening of HomeGround in 2022 ensures Aucklanders in need can access vital services and support in the heart of the city, and as Daniel points out that can be helping them set up their new home, learning cooking skills or seeking medical advice in an environment they trust and know. “It’s really wide-ranging support depending on the needs of the individual,” he says.
The installation of Gallagher solutions has meant Mission staff can focus less on security, access and administration tasks, and more on what matters most – supporting people, and it’s a mission that resonates with Gallagher, as their solutions are designed with people at the heart of everything they do.
For more information about the Auckland City Mission, or to donate, visit www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz
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