Case Studies

Providing modern and aesthetically pleasing security revolving doors for Luxe Gym, Bristol.

We are delighted to have taken part in this year's DIY SOS Big Build for BBC Children In Need. The project, which was one of their biggest challenges yet, saw DIY SOS join forces with Radio 2 to transform a derelict site into a safe base for a young women's charity, in just 11 days.

Getaway Girls, in Leeds, has been in operation for 35 years. It helps young girls and women aged 11-25, from across the city, who are facing a range of issues including domestic violence, abuse and anxiety, to learn new skills, build confidence and raise aspirations.

The new building will provide a much-needed space for those it supports, where they will be able to access help and advice. It includes a creche, counselling rooms, activity spaces, a music and media studio, a fully fitted kitchen and a garden. 

How did Record help?

Record was approached by DIY SOS Big Build to create an automated entrance for the centre, which was inviting, easy to use and secure. At short notice, we donated and installed a pair of aluminium doors with Record DFA 127 swing door operators, mag locks and glazing for the whole entrance. 

The Record DFA 127 Swing Door Operator was the perfect choice for the centre as not only is it versatile, extremely reliable and almost silent in operation, its compact design complimented the style of the building.

The Getaways Girls required the doors to be locked always, only allowing entry to authorised people via a push pad or keycode. Record installed two mag locks to secure the doors and liaised with the access control companies to ensure the doors open safely when the pads are activated.

The mag locks are also linked to the fire security system, enabling the doors to automatically open in the event of a fire. 

Alia Nessa, Operations Manager for Getaway Girls commented "Having automatic doors is really important to us. To be able to provide barrier-free access for everyone, including the disabled, is fantastic. We also need good security, so having doors with access control is amazing".

Adding to this Hannah Poklad, Youth Worker with Getaway Girls said "We used to struggle to get equipment in and out of our last building, due to the narrow door. The new automatic doors will make it so much safer and easier to move musical instruments and media equipment around. They will really make a difference". 

DIY SOS Big Build Designer, Gabrielle Blackman, who transformed this project also commented “We were thrilled to have Record on board for our Children in Need Big Build special this year.  We urgently needed an automatic door that looked great and was robust, safe and accessible. The facility we built for Getaway Girls needed to look welcoming and light but also security was a paramount concern. Sourcing the right door was a huge problem, especially with our very tight schedule.

We were so happy and relieved that Record came to the rescue! They also kindly fitted the door in and did an absolutely cracking job despite having to stop every two minutes to let other trades through. It has been one of our biggest challenges and I really want to thank Record for stepping up to help Children in Need"

Caledonia Housing Association is a prominent figure in Scotland’s housing market, providing high-quality affordable housing for people with housing needs. In total, they manage over 4,000 homes across 8 local authority regions in Scotland.

The Brief

In 2018 Caledonia Housing Association required a high quality, reliable and cost-effective automatic door solution for one of their schemes.

The Solution

After initially being chosen to provide a solution, record uk is now the partner of choice for Caledonia Housing Association for the supply, installation and maintenance of their automatic doors and currently services 26 doors over 14 housing schemes.

The assets, which consist of a mix of bi-folding, swing and sliding automatic doors, benefit from fully compliant BS EN16005 service inspections twice a year and following a series of upgrades and repairs, are now predominantly manufactured by record uk.

Mark Hebner from the Technical Compliance Office commented " The service from record uk has been excellent. They have successfully supported Caledonia Housing Association with lifecycle management, upgrades, condition and asset reports and reactive service support for our automatic doors, responding to any emergency call-outs within 4 hours. I would highly recommend record". 

The new landmark Student Centre at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), part of a £60 million redevelopment scheme, has become part of the thriving heart of the Preston Campus since opening in Autumn 2021. Designed by award-winning architects, Hawkins/Brown, the Student Centre along with a new University Square will create a stunning gateway between the University and the City Centre.

The Brief

To create a light, spacious, vibrant Student Centre housing a reception area, coffee shop, informal learning spaces, a student well-being support centre and a rooftop garden, which are accessible to everyone.

The Solution

To create the wow factor, the Student Centre boasts an impressive facetted glass facade constructed and installed by Edinburgh based façade specialists Charles Henshaw & Sons. The facade, which is the largest, single-span, continuous curtain walling screen in Europe embraces the new Square offering shade and shelter with over 150 glass units each in excess of 7m2 and weighing over 500kg.  

As the Student Centre is accessible to the general public, as well as students and staff,  4 x Record K 32 automatic revolving doors have been installed on the two main entrances to ensure the safe and efficient flow of large numbers of people at any one time. With three large, spacious compartments each K32 revolving door can handle up to 2,500 people per hour whilst preventing the migration of draft, to create an ambient temperature and help reduce energy costs.

3 x record DFA 127 automatic swing doors have also been fitted next to the revolving doors (2 double doors on the South Elevation and 1 single door on the North Elevation) to provide a wider opening when required for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, and deliveries of large bulky images.

A further DFA 127 double swing door, which is silent in operation, has been installed at the entrance to the rooftop garden terrace, providing students, staff and visitors with access to the impressive views of the Preston Skyline.

Henshaw commented "record's Sales Team was outstanding on this project, setting the architect's mind at ease by offering the necessary solutions to meet their client’s aspirations. record’s Design Team produced accurate drawings promptly, even after amendments were made to the original plan."

Henshaw added "To ensure the installation of all eight automatic doors went smoothly, Record's installation team and project manager worked collaboratively with our site manager and other trades to understand our requirements and to overcome any challenges quickly and professionally."

The Tevir Centre, Hospice Isle of Man has actively supported patients, their families and carers over the last 35 years. It has recently undergone a major refurbishment to enhance the services and care it provides by improving the physical environment to give greater independence, privacy and dignity to all its patients.

The Brief

To replace the existing swing doors with an aesthetic, flexible entrance solution that meets the varying needs of the hospice and is safer to use in the adverse windy conditions the island is accustomed to.

The Solution

record's K22 2-wing revolving door with an integral STA 20 sliding door was chosen and installed by record, in conjunction with Cornerstone Architects and Caines Bros, both of whom are based on the island.  With an attractive compact canopy and curved radial glass panels to create a stylish, modern look, the K22 provides the hospice with the flexibility to alternate between revolving and sliding door modes to suit the time of day, weather conditions and expected traffic flows i.e.visiting hours.

When used as a revolving door, the K22's spacious compartments enables unimpeded access for all patients including wheelchair users, and visitors whilst ensuring the interior temperature of the reception area remains pleasant and prevents drafts, dirt and dust from entering, helping to reduce energy costs too. When transferring patients, hospital beds and receiving deliveries, the hospice staff can park the revolver and use the bi-parting sliding door for safety and ease.

Extremely quiet in operation, the K22 helps shields the hospice from high winds, to provide a much safer, welcoming, and easier to use entrance than the swing doors it replaced.

Kris Killip, Contracts Manager from Caines Bros commented "We worked in conjunction with record uk and Cornerstone Architects on the recent redevelopment of the Tevir Centre, where record uk manufactured, supplied and installed their K22 2-wing automatic revolving door.  The revolving door not only creates an inviting and spacious entrance capable of accommodating the needs of the centre but offers an effective climate control solution too".

Kris added, "We would highly recommend record uk for any entrance solution and would not hesitate to work with them again in the future". 

See how to change the revolving door to a bi-parting sliding door, as the switch of a button...

After a successful trial of record’s FlowControl in a number of stores, the UK’s largest grocery retailer, Tesco is now rolling out the people counting and traffic light system to 1,100 of their stores across the country.

Fully automated and with highly accurate counting, the FlowControl is being supplied and installed on customer entrance and exit doors at all store formats of Tesco stores including Express, Metro, Extra and Superstores. This will help Tesco comply with Covid-19 social distancing guidelines and ensure customers and staff feel safe during the pandemic.

The highly adaptable and configurable system enables Tesco to safely redeploy staff currently manning entrance doors freeing them up to work elsewhere and gives managers the flexibility to control customer numbers in-store.

The FlowControl Traffic lights inform customers when it is safe to enter or when they need to wait because the store has reached its pre-set maximum safe capacity. When the store has reached capacity, the doors automatically deactivate and only re-open once someone leaves the store.

To further help customers, especially those with sight impairments, the FlowControl systems at the larger Extra and Superstores will play pre-recorded messages to advise whether it is safe to enter the store or not.

All stores will also have a staff alert system fitted at the Customer Service desk to notify staff when a store is nearing or has reached capacity. Staff will also be able to monitor the actual number of people in the store at any time on the FlowControl display. This display also allows Staff to make adjustments and changes to settings and counts, for example, to adjust for staff that have entered or left the building.

The FlowControl system will be installed by record over an eight week period, mostly out of hours to minimise the impact on customers and disruption to the stores.

Finborough School, an independent day and boarding school based in situated in the village of Great Finborough, near Stowmarket, Suffolk, has recently added a brand new Science and Art building to its complex, comprising of art rooms, a photography suite and five science laboratories, along with the refurbishment of the original science and art rooms into additional classrooms for senior and 6th form students.

The Brief

To upgrade existing swing doors and supply a new automated entrance solution for the Science and Art block, to complement the look and style of the school redevelopment and provide easy access for all users.

The Solution

Record’s STA 20 sliding doors were the ideal choice for Finborough School as they not only provide hassle-free access for those carrying bags, art and photography equipment but are also reliable and robust to cope with the steady flow of students and pupils daily.

In total 6 x Record STA 20 sliding doors were installed throughout the school; 1 x bi-parting door with fixed screens and pockets to the entrance of the new science block and 4 x single parting doors across the Senior School and 1 to the Dining Hall"

Modern and stylish in design, Record's STA 20 doors are exceptionally quiet in operation, making them perfect for classroom environments. For the protection of pupils, all sliding doors at Finborough School have been installed with an access control system to prevent unauthorised entry in restricted areas, These integrated systems can be switched off quickly and easily to provide free access as and when required.

Chris Wilson, Facilities Manager commented "Record's automatic doors have created safe, secure and welcoming entrances for all pupils and staff, as well as giving the feeling of consistency throughout the new and refurbished areas of the school. record has taken the time to understand our brief and provide solutions for our busy environment. I am impressed with their installation and customer service and would highly recommend Record"

EH Smith a family-run business is one of the largest independent builders' merchants in the UK, providing products and services to tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts. Established in Birmingham in 1922, they have 11 branch depots throughout the Midlands and South East and are well known in the construction industry for their ability to source specialist materials and solutions to fulfil their customer requirements.

The Brief

To put a system in place to ensure Covid-19 social distancing guidelines are adhered to, to ensure the health and safety of their customers and staff at all times.

The Solution

record's FlowControl automatic people counting system has been installed on the entrance doors at 9 of EH Smith's depots, with traffic lights informing customers when it is safe to enter or not. When a depot reaches its maximum people capacity, the light will turn red and the door will automatically de-activate to prevent further access until someone leaves.

To further help customers, especially those with sight impairments, weather-resistant speakers will play pre-recorded voice announcements to advise when it is safe to enter or not.

The user-friendly system, which is fully automated and easily adjustable will allow EH Smith to lower the people count immediately during peak times to stop new customers entering temporarily until it is safe to do so again.

Mark Mallinder, Marketing Director said "record's FlowControl has been extremely successful in controlling the number of customers in our depots. Since rolling this out, this highly reliable system has given staff the ability to make adjustments according to a depot's needs and reassured our customers that social distancing procedures are in place to protect them".

See the traffic light system and voice announcements in action...

Award-winning retailer PetPlace offers a range of products from healthcare and food items to workwear, bedding, nutritional supplements, and equine goods.

A growing, passionate business, the company also provides services including dog washing and grooming, and even a revolutionary dog play park, coffee shop and cinema.

With other stores in Ruthin, Chirk, Llangefni and Mold, and a headquarters in Mochdre, the business continued to operate safely and successfully during the Coronavirus lockdown, scaling-up its click and collect facility and posting a 600% increase in online orders.

The Brief

Before re-opening the Abergele store, PetPlace considered a number of solutions and different measures to ensure they were Covid-19 secure, to protect both customers and staff whilst providing reassurance and peace of mind that all new procedures facilitated safe social distancing.

The Solution

record's FlowControl system was installed on PetPlace's automatic sliding entrance door to control the number of customers entering the store. 

Whilst the visible surface mounted green and red LED stripes which clearly identify if entry is allowed or denied appealed to PetPlace, the ability to automatically deactivate the entrance door once the pre-defined people count is reached was a deciding factor, as it prevents further access until a customer exits the building. 

This has enabled PetPlace to safely redeploy staff who would have otherwise manned the entrance/exit doors, in the knowledge that customers are accurately counted and allowed access only when it is safe to do so.

The user-friendly system also appealed to the firm, as it can be manually adjusted quickly and easily to suit peak/off-peak hours, complying with safety regulations.

Managing Director Sion Pritchard said: “We are really impressed with how effective and reliable the FlowControl is at counting and limiting the number of customers entering our store, without the need for our staff to intervene. 

“Such is the confidence we have in this system that we are rolling the FlowControl out to our other four stores over the next week, to reassure our team and customers that we are following social distancing measures to protect them.”

See the FlowControl in action at PetPlace

­­­­­­­­­­­­

The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital is the largest hospital in East Lancashire with 632 in-patient beds providing a full range of services for adults and children.  Since opening in July 2006 the new part of the hospital offers modern in-patient facilities, a centralised out-patients’ department, new operating theatres and an Emergency Department.

Installation & Service

Currently, there are 5 record STA 20 sliding doors installed at the front and rear entrances. Chosen for its reliability, security and performance, the STA 20 is ideally suited to handle the large volume of people the hospital receives and with customised aluminium frames manufactured in blue polyester powder coat, the doors complement the look and style of this modern building.

Over 40 record DFA 127 swing operators have also been fitted throughout the hospital to enhance new or existing doors quickly and economically with more operators set to be fitted over the next 5/6 years via a rolling refurbishment plan. The DFA 127’s innovative design with advanced technology is almost silent in operation, so particularly suitable for quieter environments such as hospital wards whilst offering a variety of functions to choose from including low energy to suit the differing needs of patients and staff alike.

On other entrances/corridors within the hospital where space is limited so excludes the use of sliding doors, record FTA 20 folding doors can be found. These doors not only enable the width of the passage to be almost fully retained but help minimise the time the door is open to the cold and elements.

Since March 2010, record uk has also been responsible for servicing all the automatic doors within the hospital on an annual service contract.  At present, there are 74 automatic doors which are all serviced twice each year.

Zarko Babic,Technical Services Manager, Engie commented “record provides safe and secure installations with a good level of service and support for the Royal Blackburn Hospital.  The DFA 127 is robust, reliable and one of the quietest swing operators on the market, making it second to none whilst the STA 20 and FTA 20 doors situated throughout the hospital consistently perform ensuring the flow of traffic in this busy environment is never impeded”.

Debridge Doctor's surgery in Bearsden in Scotland. This is a DFA 127 FULL POWER DOOR. As this door has a programmable micro-processor the speed of opening and closing can be adjusted.

This record THERMCORD sliding door provides thermal insulation helping maintain an even temperature in the facility. This installation was fitted with a  push pad for entry and safety beam radar activation presence sensors to detect traffic from either side of the door. The system was also fitted with battery back up to ensure safe door opening in the event of power failure.

Raigmore has been a hospital site since 1941. The then temporary single storey wartime wards continued to be used for a further three decades, until the construction of the present buildings. In 1970 the first of a series of new buildings were opened, including accident and emergency, radiology and radiotherapy, laboratory, out-patient services and medical departments.There are 452 beds in the hospital, mostly in the 8-storey tower building.In October 2014 the board agreed a £26m plan to refurbish the existing 9 operating theatres and add a 10th.

This is an urban hospital in Luxembourg belonging to a group that includes four specialist hospitals. The total budget amounts to about 300 million Euros.

The hospital features record CLEAN K1 hygienic sliding doors in automatic and manual versions. The models that do not feature seals around the profile edges to ensure a hermetically airtight seal are mainly fitted within the airtight zones. Their durable surfaces enable easy, thorough cleaning.

Located near the centre of Geneva, the Clinique des Grangettes enjoys a privileged, quiet location. Its main specialties are maternity, special surgery, cardiology, oncology, paediatrics and radiology.

record has equipped the Clinique des Grangettes with hermetically sealing doors with additional fire protection features. In addition to preventing airflow by fitting seals around the edge of the entire profile, the doors are provided with additional seals which swell in case of fire, thus preventing flames or smoke from spreading for at least 30 minutes. To enable the door to shut to prevent the spread of fire during a power failure, the door is fitted with a counterbalance. In the event of a power failure, the drive unit, attached by a magnet, is decoupled, the door leaf with its counterweight obeys gravity and uses its energy to close the door safely and securely.

The children’s’ clinic at the University Hospital of Erlangen treats pre-mature and newborn babies, children and teens of all ages. To ensure optimal care, depending on the medical condition and age, it has various departments and clinics staffed by experienced paediatricians, equipped with modern diagnostic and therapeutic tools and techniques. They work closely with highly qualified nurses, physiotherapists and educators for the health of its young patients.

Also playing a part in the patients’ recovery, the hospital features several dozen record CLEAN K1-A hermetically sealing automatic doors. The doors stand out with their large glass surfaces, which flood the building and fill the hallways with natural light. Blinds that close at the touch of a button are fitted to the glazed areas to create completely private zones.

The UCM stands for medical excellence among German hospitals. Together with its own medical faculty, the UCM contributes to the training of doctors and scientists, thus ensuring the steady development of healthcare in Germany.

The Sainte-Marie clinic is based in Osny in the Val-d'Oise. It comprises nursing home, a facility for care and rehabilitation, psychotherapeutic and medical centres, radiation treatment and oncology, as well as a medical imaging centre.

Virtually all the automatic doors here were supplied by record, lending the building a co-ordinated appearance and ensuring cost savings in maintenance.