Parkworks
What do we do?
Parkworks designs, supplies, and installs fully-automated and semi-automated parking systems working closely with trusted international parking system manufacturers.
Sotefin, our Swiss manufacturing partner headquartered just north of Lake Como, provides our fully-automated systems. DE-Park, a Germany firm, fabricates our semi-automated systems that exemplify the pinnacle of German engineering. We also work with Sotefin India, Sotefin’s Indian subsidiary. Sotefin India’s team has partnered with us for a number of years to provide our clients with high-quality value engineered semi-automatic solutions.
In addition to sourcing parking systems internationally, Parworks locally manufactures supplemental materials, such as embeds, gates and lifting beams.
How do we do it?
Parkworks, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is uniquely positioned to provide expert service to all stakeholders. Our team includes licensed contractors, electricians, and expert technicians, ensuring that system design, installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance go seamlessly for every project. This includes efficient site logistics, rigging, expert install craftsmanship, knowledge in PLC Logic, and proficiency in Variable Frequency Drives.
From the design phase through project completion and servicing, we are committed to providing exceptional design solutions, selections, procurement, installation, and maintenance of our parking systems. We pride ourselves on providing patented, world-class parking solutions at fair prices.
What makes us different from other providers?
Parkworks is a group of dedicated professionals who work to deliver seamless client service through each phase of the project. We stand out among our competitors with our diligence in fulfilling our promises and providing systems that work. This has resulted in lasting relationships with our clients centered on our responsiveness and attentiveness to their needs.
Ultimately, we are a team of engineers focused on innovating, creating, and delivering personalized and efficient parking solutions. We strive to best serve our clients and provide the highest quality product.
Parkworks Solutions
What is an Automated Parking System (APS)?
Parkworks partners with Sotefin to provide fully automated parking systems, often referred to as an APS. In this type of system, cars are parked by Internal and/or External Vertical Transporters on parking storage levels, which are only accessible by Parkworks technicians or authorized staff. These levels can be at grade, above grade, or below grade. The number of levels a parking system requires will vary depending on car count and level size.
Users interact with the system through Portals, which are specially designed spaces that allow a user to drop off or pick up their car from the system. These Portals can be on the same level as one of the parking levels, or on any level above or below the storage levels. Our systems offer flexibility and are adaptable to an endless range of building footprints.
What are the benefits of an Automated Parking System (APS)?
Sotefin Systems are designed to provide the highest user experience of any parking option available on the market. They can be designed to accommodate a wide range of building sizes, shapes, and vehicle counts, although we typically see this kind of system work best for parking more than 50 vehicles. Without the need for drive aisles or to space for human maneuvering and error, fully automated parking is the most efficient parking layout for many building shapes and sizes, reducing excavation costs and eliminating the need for valet services. These systems also have proven reliability and longevity over time – one of Sotefin’s oldest systems has been in consistent operation for over 60 years.
What is a Mechanical Parking System?
As opposed to our Sotefin fully-automated systems, our DE-Park mechanical parking spaces are accessed directly by the user. These systems do not have portals. Instead, users will pull directly in front of the system gate and can call their space via remote, key, or app, depending on the method selected for the client’s system. Parkworks provides Lift-and-Slide systems, as well as Stackers. In a Lift-and-Slide system, platforms move both horizontally and vertically. In a Stacker system, platforms only move vertically. These systems can accommodate several levels of platforms, and can be installed with or without a pit. This maximizes parking density in the client’s designated parking area.
What are the benefits of Mechanical Parking Systems?
Mechanical parking has a variety of benefits. The most obvious and important is that it allows our clients to densify parking in a given space. In this way, mechanical parking also enables urban infill projects that would not otherwise be feasible. By freeing up premium ground-level space, mechanical parking increases project value and improves the quality of urban environments. Many city planners and environmentalists endorse mechanical parking as an efficient use of urban space due to its ability to concentrate parking and free up space for alternate transportation and parks.
What are the pros and cons of a Stacker system?
A Stacker is the least expensive and simplest solution from a manufacturing, installation, and maintenance standpoint. They are generally dependent parking systems – in order to access the cars on the upper platforms, the cars on the lower platforms need to be removed. Because of this, Stacker systems are most effective in conjunction with a valet service or in situations where users can easily coordinate entering and exiting the system (i.e. two people who share an apartment or office space).
What are the pros and cons of a Lift-and-Slide system?
As opposed to the Stacker system, Lift-and-Slide systems automatically move platforms vertically and horizontally until the user’s dedicated platform is at the entry position. This means that no other vehicles need to be removed from the system in order to access specific platforms, eliminating the need for a valet service or user coordination. For all variations of Lift-and-Slide systems, the grade platforms exclusively move horizontally, while the other levels only move vertically. These systems come in a variety of sizes that are customizable based on how many levels (system height) and segments (system length) the project requires. In order to accommodate the shuffling of platforms, all Lift-and-Slide systems must have at least one “empty space.” Because of this, the systems become more efficient in packing ratio as they become wider.
Where can Mechanical Parking Systems be installed?
Both Stacker and Lift-and-Slide systems can be installed indoors or outdoors, though the latter does require further weather-proofing measures. Each of these systems require user familiarity (whether that be a valet, a resident, or an employee) and are appropriate for a dedicated user group found most commonly in office and residential projects.
What is the throughput for Mechanical Parking Systems?
Mechanical Parking systems offer users a quick and convenient way to retrieve their vehicles with an average wait time of 90 seconds. Occasionally during high volume parking times, these wait times can increase marginally (~10 seconds). Unless a valet service is involved, mechanical parking systems are not recommended for sites that have a large influx of vehicles at a given time (i.e. performance halls and sports stadiums).
