Adapting already-existing floorplans to introduce operational and functional efficiencies requires strategic forethought. Design professionals retrofitting hospitals, for example, must consider the environment’s equipment, critical hygiene standards, existing footprint and associated square footage constraints. To reimagine these spaces efficiently while improving usability, designers are increasingly turning to custom commercial sliding barn doors.
Flexibility in action
Detailed by Glen Buckner, Registered Architect and Consultant for AD Systems, “The need for flexible spaces in retrofits is essential. When working to make the most of tight areas while also accounting for infection and noise control, as is common in hospitals, I always specified commercial sliding barn doors.” Buckner explains the sliding door solution adds space efficiency by eliminating the traditional swing path. This improves traffic flow and allows medical facilities to regularly move or replace large medical equipment in small areas – all without having to change the door.
Better yet, Buckner notes the fully customizable doors can meet exact project needs and space constraints. “On one project we specified a sliding door with a sloped valance option. The infection control risk assessment (ICRA) officer said, ‘If you have detailed a project to that level, then I will sign for this project right now.’”
With commercial sliding barn doors able to meet stringent HIPAA and FGI guidelines to safeguard patient privacy and keep floor space clear of tracks for collecting bad bacteria, the customizable solution just makes sense. “From the ease of cleaning to freeing up space for equipment, commercial sliding barn door systems recognize major hospital design considerations,” Buckner says. “In the renovations I’ve completed, flexibility, cost and compliance targets were all achieved.”
A bright future for commercial sliding barn doors
With retrofits and adaptive re-use projects poised for growth in the wake of a slow year for new commercial starts, the need for tailored solutions will only rise. Here is a look at three custom commercial sliding barn door solutions and how they are meeting the moment by taking existing footprints in hospitals, offices, schools and beyond to the next level.
90-Degree “Magic Cube”
When an opening is not big enough to accommodate furniture or equipment, or a wall butts up against a slider and prohibits functionality, design teams can utilize 90-degree “Magic Cube” sliding doors (where two sliding doors open in perpendicular directions). Keeping space in mind, this design minimizes the door leaf size and slide path relative to the clear opening dimension. When the doors slide back, they achieve a large opening across the diagonal—all within the constraints of limited wall space.
Telescoping Doors
Telescoping sliding doors are another custom solution for creating wide openings in retrofits where square footage is tight. By sliding to the side and stacking on top of each other, these surface mounted doors can accommodate 6-foot-wide openings for generous, flexible opening solutions. Telescoping commercial sliding barn doors are suited for transferring large lab or office equipment, and are typically used in low-traffic areas.
Door Extenders
Where it is necessary to increase the opening size to improve traffic flow or usability, door extenders are a cost-efficient commercial sliding barn door solution. By adding a durable aluminum edge profile to a sliding wood door leaf, the extenders can increase the door size by up to seven inches. Benefiting durability, the aluminum edge profiles are resilient and stand strong against impact. In tight spaces where objects are prone to encounter the door, extenders are a smart solution.
Slide into customized commercial barn door solutions
Commercial sliding barn doors mitigate the layers of complexity that accompany renovations. Where optimizing square footage in existing spaces is of focus, consider AD Systems. Our custom commercial sliding barn doors are engineered to meet job specific requirements and designs. Learn more about how they can help reimagine retrofits at our Door Customizations page here.
