For example, commercial sliding doors can support designs that look far into the future by reducing maintenance requirements on some of the most frequently used parts of a building. In addition, because these doors are often central to design flexibility, they can be key in achieving long-term building-use goals. However, for commercial sliding doors to contribute to a project’s longevity, it is important that they are durable, able to be adaptive and well-supported by their manufacturers.
Choosing durable and resilient materials
Durability and resiliency are often some of the first qualities that come to mind when thinking about how to build for the long-term. Robust structural systems help buildings withstand extreme weather and natural disasters. But these are not the only systems that need to be resilient. Interior doors see frequent use, which can cause substantial wear-and-tear on their hardware, frames, gasketing, closers and more. Each component may cause a door to fail, necessitating repair or outright replacement.
Because commercial sliding doors are available with heavy-gauge perimeter frames to reduce the need for repairs and door replacements, they can help buildings function with a lower planned operational cost. For top-hung commercial sliding doors, these frames can protect rollers and closing systems to prolong a door’s lifespan—even when subjected to frequent use in educational settings. They also support an easily cleaned assembly.
The protections offered extend beyond the door. Perimeter frames can also protect walls to further reduce maintenance costs. Architects and installation teams have both noted the value of durable and resilient materials in terms of engineered value and easing installation efforts.
Planning for flexibility and adaptability
In addition to strength, the ability to adapt to the shifting needs of occupants can help a building prolong its lifespan. While there are many ways to achieve design flexibility, openings often set the parameters on the amount of flexibility a building can easily accommodate. This is especially true for healthcare settings.
For these projects, door opening widths can often limit which equipment can be brought into and out of a room. One way to boost flexibility in healthcare design is to enlarge opening widths, but simply widening swing doors can work against the efficient use of space.
Designers can sideline this issue by specifying doors that support flexible opening widths while also minimizing or eliminating swing arc trajectories. Whether swing doors with auxiliary leaves or commercial sliding doors, systems that support flexible openings can help ensure a variety of room uses while also easing requirements for the day-to-day movement of patients.
Counting on manufacturer support
While architects and specifiers play a large role in designing buildings for long-term use, construction is, by nature, a collaborative endeavor. As much as a particular design plays into a building’s long-term viability, the architectural systems used throughout the environment can also influence how long a building can feasibly operate.
Commercial sliding doors developed by field-proven manufacturers can support designing for the long-term. Along with resilient assemblies, it is important that door systems are backed by manufacturers who quickly respond should atypical damage occur.
In the case of John Diemer Elementary School, when a student unexpectedly damaged one of the doors, AD Systems responded immediately, sending in a team of certified technicians to fix the issue and recommend designs that could prevent similar types of damages from occurring.
This responsiveness, along with strong and flexible systems, can help new projects and retrofits achieve designs that will meet occupant needs far into the future.
