"access doors"

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home was established in 1860 by Mary Tealby as the Temporary Home for Lost and Starving Dogs. Since it opened, the charity has cared for more than 3.1 million dogs and cats. To increase capacity at their old Windsor site BDCH are adding a new wing.The animal charity required specialist doors for a new intake building which includes 27 kennels and 4 maternity kennels.Dortek supplied hygienic hinged doors with Stainless Steel frames throughout the new building. Some doors also had automations and access control locks for ease of access and increased security. Fire doors with 30 minutes certification were also supplied for the protection of animals and staff throughout the facility.The GRP construction of Dortek doors makes them easy to clean, waterproof and extremely robust. They are ideally suited to animal care facilities requiring a low maintenance design.

Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate is a fourth generation independent family business, passionate about some of the finer things in life – beautiful tea rooms, handmade cakes, traditional breads, proper tea and top quality coffee. They are the business behind Yorkshire Tea, Taylors of Harrogate coffee and the famous Bettys Café Tea Rooms.Project/doors: 5 Speedor Super, 1 Speedor Mini, 12 Fire Shutter, 21 Pedestrian doors, 1 Electric roller shutter, 1 Insulated Roller ShutterThe challenge Due to the size and weight of the insulated roller shutter at 10.5m wide and 6.3m high, this was a difficult installation in an area where the headroom was very tight. A crane was required to lift the shutter into position after opening two holes in the building’s roof so lifting chains could be dropped through to facilitate moving the shutter into position. The solutionHart was contracted by Sir Robert McAlpine to supply and install a range of industrial doors at the Taylors of Harrogate site.  This included the installation of the three-tonne insulated roller shutter completing a work package of over 40 doors. The success The installation of the shutter concluded a project which Hart was involved with through Sir Robert McAlpine and which saw almost every Hart door product installed – from Speedor high speed doors to fire shutters, security shutters and steel personnel doors. 

The No.1 Riser Door SystemAccess to the riser and other secondary rooms such as service cupboards are the bane of any designer’s life. The most beautiful design can be tarnished by a bank of ugly doors stuck in the middle of it – doors that are only rarely used and create an unwelcome eyesore. Quadra+ riser door systems from Selo are elegant, frameless, high performing riser doors, which allow you to create a flush seamless finish you want with the fire-rated performance you need.

A bespoke up and over garage door designed and manufactured by Rundum Meir has brought 21st century functionality, access and security to a Grade II listed property in Belgravia. One objective of the renovation project sought to improve access to the garage, which faces a desirable residential street close to Eaton Square Gardens. The transformation had to be done in a way that was sympathetic to the local architecture and compliant with the house’s listed status. The garage doors of the properties lining this cobblestone street are fine examples of the 19th century coach house tradition.

Situated in a peaceful borough of the busy Capital of London, Cox architects designed an accessible house swimming in style. They were able to meet necessary needs for the family whilst holding on to aesthetic features that add a stunning look to the property. A open and spacious interior was a must for this property, as were sliding pocket doors, hoists and a wheelchair lift. Essential materials were used to make this house accessible for the couples youngest daughter, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic illness at 18 months old.  The decision to extend the property was decided very early on with the potential of a large extension. The couple was able to add nearly 70sqm to the ground floor alone, helping to give the family more independent freedom and space. Accessible elements were incorporated in to an everyday home such as ECLISSE pocket door systems and ECLISSE hoist pocket door systems to create an environment that wasn't consumed by accessibility needs. LOCATION: London Borough of Lambeth, SW17STATUS: Completed 2019BUILT: Elson Construction & Co. LtdENGINEER: Steve NicolaouARCHITECT: Cox ArchitectsSPECIALIST GLAZING: Vision Design Projects LtdPHOTOGRAPHER: Matt Clayton PhotographySHOOT STYLIST: Camilla Hegarty

Glazing Vision’s three-wall box rooflight has provided a rooftop with more de rigueur, and one which takes advantage of the spectacular views overlooking the Perth shorelines.Keen to unlock and utilise the space on top of this newly built residential home, and further add value to this property, an innovative “glass box” was introduced to provide easy access to the roof terrace.Luxurious, modern and upbeat, this new build property has been carefully created with family life in mind. The floor plan involves family separation and considered zoning of the property.The ground floor provides a secluded escape from the excitement of the first floor, with a detailed layout which enables the clients to relax. A big theatre room and access to the garden offers a chilled out environment, hidden away from neighbours.The first floor is created for living in, with a completely open planned lounge, diner and kitchen. Set higher up, it allows for views across the beach and over the garden courtyard. Thus, it was important to ensure that high quality glazing was specified throughout to make the most of the wonderful views.Tasked with sourcing and installing the windows and doors on this modern new build property, Next Generation Glass director Steve Payne mentions how the client had come to them enquiring about skylights. After a lot of research into the different profiles available in Australia and after various different drawings and ideas, the outcome wasn’t looking good.It was a visit to the UK which led Steve to Glazing Vision, thankful of a recommendation from a contact of his. “Since my first contact, we decided it was a great product and became a distributor of Glazing Vision products in Australia”.After discussing the details of the job, a three wall box rooflight was recommended, helping to provide access to the clients roof terrace and providing wonderful views of the majestic presence of the Indian Ocean in the background.“It really is a great product and all that see it are in awe of it” explains Steve Payne, director of Next Generation Glass.The Glazing Vision three-wall box rooflight is fixed to your existing building structure, thereby facilitating the full use of the roof top terrace but operates in the same way as our freestanding box rooflight. The sleek aluminium framework and perfectly edged glass-to-glass joints create a stunning contemporary finished design which reflects the style of this property.This home’s rooftop terrace is the culmination of meticulous tweaking of the planning codes, and the reward is breath-taking views of Perth, with a beautiful backdrop of the ocean behind. It was in fact these planning codes which guided them towards the three-wall box rooflight, as the extra head height was required when coming up the stairs. Also allowing the homeowner to climb the stairwell whilst the rooflight is retracting into its open position, without having to ‘bow their head’.Fitted with minimal and contemporary outdoor furniture to increase the sense of openness. The new roof top allows the homeowner an additional ‘room with a view’, perfect for entertaining or for relaxing and enjoying the stunning views on offer.Having completed their first project with Glazing Vision, Steve Payne mentions how easy the whole process was, and that most of the hard work was undertaken by Glazing Vision. It was a simple installation process for a company like Next Generation Glass who are used to cranes in their scope of works.

60 London Wall is an icon mixed use office & retail building in the dynamic heart of London’s City, with 328,500 sq ft of grade A office accommodation situated over ten stunning floors. It was recently completely renovated and Alliance Bernstein now occupy space within the building. The existing raised access floor was overlaid with Knauf GifaFloor FHB18 making it the ideal substrate to receive a combination of ceramic tiles & micro-screed cement

Enhancing Accessibility and Efficiency: Creating user friendly entrances at Birmingham UniversityWe’ve had a long-standing relationship with Birmingham University, having installed many doors and operators in the past. The University has a large campus, and we have a few projects under our belts where improved sustainable access has been achieved.Below is a fine selection of some of our more recent installations.Project Year: 2023Product: ASSA ABLOY SW200 Operator (Main entrance)Product: ASSA ABLOY SW200 Operator (Harding Building)Product: ASSA ABLOY SL500 F (Arts & Law Building)Project Background: The University’s goal is to make every door and every entrance accessible for everyone so it's inclusive, reflecting their commitment to diversity and equality. By prioritizing accessibility, they aim to ensure that all members of the university community, regardless of their physical abilities, can navigate the campus with ease. Through these efforts, Birmingham University continues to set a standard for higher education institutions striving to provide equitable access to education and resources for all.With this in mind, the facilities management team required robust, reliable and energy saving elements to their entrances.Solution: Two of the buildings required strong operators to withstand the daily use of their current swing doors. Our elegant heavy duty SW200 swing door operators were incorporated into one of the University’s main entrances and The Harding building, which both required reliability and ease of entrance, as students are often carrying heavy bags full of books and electronics. The SL500 Frame sliding door was installed in the Arts & Law building, allowing for a seamless and responsive entrance as you enter the bright lobby. This helped to reduce the amount of energy required in this building, making it more efficient at heating and cooling.We have more projects in the pipeline with Birmingham University as they continue to enhance their facilities. Our commitment to providing first-rate door solutions and operators aligns perfectly with the university's mission to create a welcoming and accessible environment for students, staff, and visitors.For more information or assistance with any project, please contact enquiries.esuk@faactechnologies.com where we can provide expert guidance and detailed documentation.

When Financial IT Consultancy firm PHI Partners took possession of two run-down offices in Barnet, Hertfordshire, they tasked Interior Property Solutions (IPS) with combining the units to create a luxurious, bright and inviting executive workspace and 'Engine Room’ sales office fit for a cutting edge business.IPS wanted to create a bold impact with their door designs and choose floor to ceiling wood veneer doors, door frames and timber-framed partitions from Forza Doors.To create a unified consent look throughout the suites crown cut Black American Walnut veneer was selected for its close match to the grain of the table and AV unit in the executive meeting room. To ensure the veneers matched, Forza was sent a sample of the desk veneer and personally selected the veneer to match. We also used the same veneer on the doorframes and the Forza Imola partitions for continuity of colour and grain.

55 Whitehall was previously a Government occupied office space. This iconic building has undergone a complete re-design. There was existing steel encapsulated raised access flooring throughout. Rather than remove or replace the raised floor, it was retained. Hugo18 was specified here to use as an overlay solution to the raised access floor. It offers a non-combustible, high performance substrate for a range of finishes, in this case - ceramics

In September 2022, Bradbury Group installed eight ClassicAL doors at a low-rise block of flats for Central Bedfordshire Council.The replacement doors installed were a combination of Front Entrance and Rear entrance doors, providing fire integrity and security protection to the communal housing, as well as Network Communication Systems Limited, NCS, Chorus remote access management. The new intelligent door sets were designed to replace existing doors which were aged and not secure, leading to several instances of anti-social behaviour.

Gerico France designs, manufactures and installs bulk solid storage and handling equipment. It offers bucket elevators, conveyors, pipes, silos, warehouses, milling machines, feed producing equipment, heat treatment devices, and accessories.Project/doors: 21 Speedor Storm High Speed DoorsThe challenge Gerico France delivered a turn-key flour mill project in Mombasa, Kenya for a Grain milling company at their state of the art milling plant. They required a solution to stop dust going out of the building instead of being aspirated by the installed system when emptying grain trucks into the wheat grain intake pit.The solutionHart installed three Speedor Storm doors from 4m wide x 5m high to 7m high. The Speedor Storm is the next generation of large external door which has improved wind resistance on both sides of the door and is suitable for larger openings, greater than 6m. This door does not require separate wind bars as the curtain contains wind bracing every 1m and is held securely into the guide channels with rollers at either side. The success Hart Doors sent an experienced engineer to Mombasa to supervise and assist in the installation and commissioning of the doors along with the training of staff to install future orders. 18 more Speedor Storms were ordered for a specialised dry bulk discharge and handling terminal for grain imports, located in Shimanzi, Mombasa.

The UK’s leading access hatch manufacturer Surespan has launched a new range of heavy-duty access covers which are designed to support loading up to 16 tonnes. The aluminium alloy hatches can take loadings ranging from 5 to 19 tonnes (FACTA class B to E) and are available in standard single and double leaf sizes. They are gas spring operated, making them easy to open, and come with a range of locking options, including Surespan’s unique locking box.

Surespan recently travelled to Lithuania to manufacture and supply a floor hatch to enable Finnish energy company Fortum to access their biomass pit at their new energy plant.The 5000 x 5000 mm hydraulically operated, the double-leaf hatch was designed to be easily operated by an electrically driven pump power pack. Fortum wanted the simplest operation for a grab crane to gain easy access to the biomass plant so Surespan worked with engineering consultants AF Consult to come up with an effective solution.

Completed in 2020, this residential building spans 9 storeys and a double-level basement, providing 201 luxury apartments.Located in the City of Westminster, the existing 7 storey building was completely stripped down to only the basement level, leaving existing basement walls before it was replaced with the 9 floors costing an overall of £135 million.The site is surrounded by public roads and footpaths on all four sides which created a challenge in terms of logistical access and security for the project. Because of these boundary restraints, Panthera Group designed a narrower concrete block supported hoarding system. The completed building includes private spa, lounge, fitness and amenity centre.To resolve the public access problem, 48 Carey Street has dedicated one of the basements to an underground car park and it can be accessed through the main entrance on Carey Street, or another entrance on Portugal Street.Selo provided wallpaper riser door systems in the main corridors, which were specifically tested for the project. The advantage of the wallpaper is that the riser doors then seamlessly blend in with the surrounding design and the eye is drawn to the front door of the apartment, rather than what would have been an unsightly riser door. Inside the apartments, the interior design is modern with some traditional features such as paneling in which we were glad to support the architect by providing bespoke sliding pocket doors to compliment the design, with their panelled leafs.

Ahmarra manufactured fire doors for Brunel University London, on behalf of the main contractor. Made from sustainably sourced FSC® timber, these doors are faced with Formica’s stylish Terril (F2297) dark grey high pressure laminate. As with all of our Education Range, these pre-hung doorsets were supplied with factory-fitted stainless steel ironmongery, ensuring full compliance.

CBRE wanted to replace their existing automatic doors at the front and rear of their newly refurbished building with stylish doors which are safe, reliable and ensured effortless pedestrian flow. Two record K41 stainless steel four-leaf revolving doors constructed from glass to provide a modern, minimalistic look were installed. A stainless steel swing door complete with a record DFA 127 operator has also been installed next to revolving door at the main entrance to provide a wider opening for disabled access and deliveries of large, bulky items to the premises.

Product constituents: To meet UK fire standards the Access Panels manufactured have been tested by Warrington Fire and hold a 120-minute fire rating certificate.

Adding a touch of luxury at The Lincoln, a Grade A office building in the heart of Manchester. The BREEAM Excellent-rated building features two striking 4-metre high revolving doors. The double-height automatic doors have improved the building's accessibility, enhanced its aesthetic appeal, and contributed to increased energy efficiency.

ProjectSurespan designed and manufactured a series of roof access hatch for the New Data Centre in Singapore.The data centre was budgeted at $30 million SGD and covers an area of 269,000 sq ft. The roof hatches were used as key access locations for maintenance and repair of the 8 cooling towers installed at roof level supplying up to 1000 watts of cooling per sq m.ProductsThe series of roof hatches featured a 900 x 900 opening and in the interest of security, the hatches were supplied with an internal cablock which can only be opened from the inside and safety hold open stay to prevent accidental closure.

The Admiral Quay development comprises of eight high-rise residential blocks offering exceptional views from a prime location. The development contains 520 apartments and restaurant units with associated car parking for 474 cars.An interesting project which combines external steel entry doors, louvre doors and car park access, Admiral’s Quay is an excellent example of the range and breadth of steel door types offered by Strongdor.

Working on the Ground Floor Lobby, First Floor Gym, Level 10 and Level 17, Planet’s southern contracting team provided an extensive range of fire-rated and non-fire rated partition and door solutions to Building D of the Nine Elms development in Battersea.In the Ground Floor Lobby, non-fire rated single-glazed automatic bi-parting sliding doors were installed along with with 3150mm high LOFT20 XL partitions with reeded film. IsoPro doors (40 dB Rw) provided access to co-working spaces and meeting rooms.FireTec Ei30 fire rated doors and LOFT transom bars provided exit route protection on Level 1 in communal areas and on Level 10 along with a FireTec Ei60 window.On Level 17, two FireTec Ei30 double door sets with overhead panels provided access to the indoor lounge area and bar area, while a single LOFT20 screen offered additional natural light passage between the lounge and adjoining demonstration kitchen.

Installed Integra 4000 single & multi-leaf riser doors and Vision 8000 stone clad riser doors at St James's Square.

To provide safe and reliable closing of the numerous internal doors, Halsall Lloyd had no hesitation in specifying products from dormakaba. “Our experience of dormakaba products is of high quality design and manufacture and virtually silent and reliable operation. They perform their job admirably and are commensurate with the high quality aspirations that Hope University hold for their campus.” commented. Architectural hardware distributor PSL supplied TS 92 silver Contur cam action door closers for the conference and classroom timber doors and a further TS 93 silver Contur cam action door closers for corridor doors where disabled access was a priority.

Specialists industrial door manufacture Jewers Doors have installed two 'threshold-less' versions of their Kingfisher sliding door system in Boathouse 4 at Portsmouth's historic dockyard.

Christian Baker‐Smith, Divisional Specification Manager at Access 360 – manufacturer of roof, ceiling, wall and floor access products – describes how NBS platforms are helping to reduce workloads and support successful collaboration with specifiers.Access 360 is a division of Tyman plc, comprising Bilco UK, Profab Access and Howe Green. It provides a total manufacturing solution for roof, ceiling, wall and floor access products – both fire-rated and non‐fire-rated – to the construction industry. Those products and technical data can be found on NBS Source. Access 360 works closely with specifiers to support the initial design and specification stages through the supply of technical documentation, digital (BIM) object models and complete specification clauses. By also working in conjunction with clients to handle the technical drawings and full manufacturing design elements from the initial stages of a project through to delivery, all necessary information is provided in the clearest and most accessible format possible.As part of a recent webinar on Collaborative Specification Writing, Access 360’s Divisional Specification Manager, Christian Baker‐Smith, explained how the three businesses are benefitting from NBS platforms, namely manufacturer product platform NBS Source and cloud‐based specification platform NBS Chorus.“NBS Source offers Access 360 a readily available source of technical data for our customers. When coupled with NBS Chorus, we can provide architects and specifiers with a complete suite of technical information to help them specify their projects”, Christian said.Each of the three divisional companies can create specification documents using NBS Chorus and track each project independently. When working with an architect that is specifying access solutions from one or more of its brands, Chorus enables Access 360 to compile this into a single project pack for the architect in the format they require."As Chorus enables us to easily access our projects and subsequent clauses, it makes updating specifications extremely quick and easy.”Another benefit of Chorus is the level of consistency it provides. Christian continued:“Before using NBS Chorus, documentation may not have been updated, leading to a risk of incorrect data being issued. This required a significant amount of time to check standard documents. The format of the documents would also look different, depending on which of the business divisions created it. Now, NBS Chorus has removed the requirement to review and update our clauses, as this happens automatically within the software and allows us to present documents to the marketplace in a uniform format, which is really important.”For every new product launch or upgrade which changed performance of existing products, it would require a significant amount of work to set up the documentation. However, with Chorus, Christian says that writing specification documents is significantly easier, as all products are easily located under the Uniclass reference on NBS Source and within NBS Chorus.We used to have a review period every quarter to check that all the documentation was correct and check everyone’s laptops were up to date. Using NBS Chorus has led to a considerable cost saving for the business in this area as we know that we can totally rely on Chorus to be up to date with the latest information our clients require."Christian also highlighted the feature in Chorus Revisions as an additional factor for boosting Access 360’s efficiency:“It’s much easier to make revisions on Chorus. Previously, you could easily lose a specification set when a client changed something, whereas all of the information is now held on a centralised system, which makes it quick and easy to update. I can’t stress enough how great of a benefit NBS Chorus has been to the business."

London Gatwick is the second largest airport in the UK.System M was recommended for its stylish design and durability to withstand the heavy footfall. It also has an emergency feature to access the toilet cubicles in less than 30 seconds. This patented system enables normally inward opening doors to be opened outwards, without having to break components or lift off the pilasters or doors.Integrated hand basin modules were specified for easy access for maintenance staff and a streamlined experience for users. The finish was completed with Clipclad wall panelling, pre-plumbed services and stylish mounted glass cladding.Read the full case study for more details.

Jewers Doors’ Australian reseller, Max Doors Solutions (MDS), have recently completed the installation of four sets of Swift-SEW doors on the Maintenance Depot for the new Light Rail system in the country’s capital, Canberra.

For any retail application, there is usually a balance to be made between the functionality of easy access with the absolute need for security. In the case of this new build store for ASDA, the minimum requirement was for high performance steel doors that had to be delivered on time, to specification and within budget.Strongdor worked with the architects and contractor to ensure the supply of the doors that more than met the criteria.

THE PROJECTAt The Safety Letterbox Company, we can manufacture a complete mailbox arrangement to house within the aluminium surrounds and replace a glazed screen. Panel boxes have a simple letterflap to the front face and house the mailboxes to the rear allowing the tenants ease of retrieving their mail and ensuring maximum security for the building.This arrangement complies with the Secured by Design Guidelines (Secured by Design Homes 2016 Guidelines) of eliminating the need for access into a building, even from the postman. It also is a neat solution to house the door entry system within the panel – keeping all relevant products in one area, adjacent to the door, in a neat and attractive solution.The comprehensive door entry and mailbox solution developed for the Canning Town project contained subtle mailboxes that blended in to the outside panel along with security options that granted access to the building to individuals with the correct code. The door entry system contains a video camera to identify who is outside of the building, a key fob scanning point and a room call function.

Veolia is the UK leader in environmental solutions, it provides a comprehensive range of waste, water and energy management services.Project/doors:Nationwide replacement of 60+ doorsThe challengeDue to difficult conditions on site including dust, dirt and moisture, the current doors were unreliable and unfit for purpose. As the doors were not manufactured in the UK, replacement parts were expensive and not readily available. Having doors out of action for long periods of time affected compliance with local authority regulations.The solutionThe Speedor Storm is an extremely robust door with wind class 5 up to 8m due to its unique guide system. The multi-layer PVC fabric is thicker and less prone tears and splits. Moisture-controlled electrics protect from varying temperatures within a building, and mechanical components are protected from dust and dirt. Its high-speed action control the escaping dirt, odours and noise. The successHart Doors is the oldest British manufacturer of highspeed doors and understands that one size does not fit all. Veolia was given peace of mind with parts available in stock and a 2 year warranty as standard. Reliable doors meant less repairs, less down time and less cost and Veolia had the confidence that Hart would deliver a quality product and serviceThe Review:"Excellent Service. Great workmanship, worked well." Wayne Glynne, RDF Manager, Veolia

Following a refurbishment for the hospitals operating theatres, Dortek were asked to replace existing timber doors with a more functional and hygienic alternative. Dortek installed our specialist hermetic sliding doors with automations for easy access. The doors have a unique hermetically sealing gasket system which gives them a 99% air tight seal. After installing the doors the hospital were able to reduce the volume of clean air fed into the theatres by over 20%. Dortek doors have a smooth, void free surface which prevents them from harbouring bacteria and makes them easy to clean for flawless hygiene and infection control.

A stunning design by architects Townscape, Peter O’Sullevan House is located at the front entrance of the British Racing School in Newmarket. It provides the horse racing community in East Anglia with a local specialist facility for treatment and training. The facility incorporates a hydrotherapy pool, gymnasium, treatment rooms, changing rooms, conference room, offices and meeting rooms. Forza Doors supplied high dB acoustic American White Oak veneer fire doors and solid American White Oak frames as well as Class 0 spread of flame fire-rated wall cladding panels. All the veneers were laid horizontally to match perfectly down the length of the corridors and open spaces. The feature grooves embedded into the doors provide a smart contemporary look and align with the adjacent panels.  As this innovative building needed a high level of internal finishes and fittings throughout, the contractor RG Carter chose Forza Doors. Just one of several jockey rehab centres we have had the privilege to supply in recent times. Consisting of open plan areas, treatment rooms and hydrotherapy zones, the finished project looks stunning.  

The refurbishment of washrooms across six floors at a local authority office building in Telford used our Robust cubicles from the Pendock Washroom range finished with complimentary green and Zebrano laminates for the panels and doors.Both male and female washrooms were upgraded as part of the programme with standard and disabled access cubicles incorporated within the design with outward opening doors.

As part of an ongoing lobby refurbishment, Canary Wharf Management opted to retrofit the building's nine original revolving doors to improve the overall experience for up to 10,000 daily visitors. The refurbishment included retrofitting the existing doors with a more advanced and efficient entrance system. This project is a testament to the effectiveness of retrofitting and how it can be used to improve building security, safety, and accessibility. 

The Ascent Aluminium fixed ladder system was specified to create a permanent safe access route to the roof for maintenance personnel. As the fixed access ladder was to be installed in a prominent location adjacent the buildings front entrance there was a requirement to ensure that access was restricted with the specification of an anti-climb ladder guard & bottom hoop cover. Hoops were provided throughout for fall protection. The ladder was designed in accordance with BS EN 4211:2005 + A1 2008 and was manufactured in accordance with CE 1090 factory production control procedures.