The event offered long-term specifiers of AD Systems’ sliding door systems an opportunity to see the fabrication, research and development (R&D) and office operations firsthand. These firms—and others like them—have shaped customized opening solutions and new product lines. The ability to connect with design teams helps ensure commercial sliding doors are meeting the current and future needs of the building and design community.
A long history of specifying commercial sliding doors
“This was such a unique opportunity to have a deeper conversation about how these doors provide solutions,” says Tysen Gannon. “We work collaboratively with architects, constantly innovating to meet design intent.”
According to Gannon, NBBJ and ZGF were two of the original specifiers of these systems and have had a dramatic impact on AD Systems’ history and product for over 10 years. The presentation and subsequent tour offered all the guests an opportunity to experience the process of turning shop drawings into space-saving door solutions, providing transparency as to how the doors go from specified to shipped and installed on site.
"I’ve worked with these firms on what would later become new door systems,” Gannon continues. “With NBBJ, we developed and tested our smoke-rated systems.” This custom solution eventually became FireSlide™, the industry’s first fire-rated commercial sliding door system. “And we developed the InsetSlide™ design with ZGF to preserve corridor clearances.”
But the development of door solutions is not just a past action. Gannon elaborates, “We’re continually evolving to meet the opening needs of today and tomorrow. That’s how we designed DualSwing™ and how we’ve integrated our new electric strikes for access control.” The chance to witness these developments in person provides a more complete picture of the process.
From manufacturer to client, transparency is key
“The needs of the firms’ clients have directly informed our products and R&D process,” Gannon says. “This event was such an extraordinary, full-circle chance to talk about what we have that is new.”
Allowing designers a peek into the R&D process at the facilities let’s them communicate with project owners how those specifying and those building commercial sliding doors are working together to ensure a project’s needs are met—whether that is to achieve a particular design aesthetic or to provide code-driven performance capabilities. “This is all thanks to the designers asking for new functionality and pushing us as a manufacturer and supplier to meet the evolving needs of this space,” Gannon notes.
Staying present and looking forward
Collaboration is not just a one-way street. It is as important for manufacturers to share how current products can be used to solve design challenges. Gannon explains, “With the presentation, we are able to talk to these firms about new contexts for our products, such as schools and higher education and newer types of openings such as telescoping doors and automation.”
She continues, “The presentation itself is very exciting because we can use the content to give a version to firms very knowledgeable about these systems or introduce sliding systems to firms using these types of doors for the first time.” The ability to speak to a range of familiarity with commercial sliding doors creates an open atmosphere for specifiers to ask questions and learn more about how sliding doors can provide value well-beyond their space-saving capabilities.
AD Systems welcomes these types of opportunities to engage with architecture firms in design and product development conversations. If you are an architect wanting to schedule an AIA presentation as a lead into a project discussion or simply wish to talk through our product solutions, please contact our team directly.
For architects based in the Pacific Northwest or travelling there, you can contact Tysen Gannon at Tysen.gannon@allegion.com to arrange a factory tour or to be added to our list for when we hold another event in the near future. An on-demand version of “Flexible and Accessible, Solving Interior Design Challenges with Sliding Door Solutions” is also available for a continuing education credit through Architectural Record.
