Accessibility in architecture is essential for creating built environments that accommodate of all ages, from young children to the elderly. In both public and private buildings—whether residences, infrastructure, or facilities—the design of internal pathways, circulation areas, and entrances and exits must prioritize safety, clarity and efficiency. This approach enhances daily activities and ultimately improves quality of life. ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems offers a wide range of products, including automatic, industrial, and commercial doors, as well as digital solutions, to meet user needs.
Doors, though often overlooked, have a significant impact on users as they enter and exit spaces. While some architects focus on costly elements like facades, structures, and finishes, it's crucial to optimize access and circulation by considering user behavior, capacity requirements, and entry and exit dimensions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established international standards for accessibility in architecture, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in 2006, mandates accessible design in public and private spaces. Various door systems—such as sliding, folding, and revolving doors—combined with automation enhance security and accommodate the flow of people, materials, and equipment.
So, how did revolving doors come about? What factors should be considered when implementing them? Revolving doors, invented by Theophilus Van Kannel, have had a lasting impact on architecture and interior design. They were created to address issues related to energy efficiency by minimizing heat loss or gain within buildings, as well as to enhance mobility and comfort for users. ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems offers a wide range of revolving doors tailored to meet various specific needs.
Installation Guidelines for Revolving Doors
A revolving door operates independently of a building's structural facade, but its placement must consider both external and internal factors. For example, external elements such as rain or melting snow at the entrance require adequate drainage, while interior features like entrance mats help prevent dirt and moisture from being tracked inside. Determining the ideal location and configuration of revolving doors depends on factors such as the entrance's scale, daily foot traffic and more. According to ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, approximately 97% of revolving doors are partially installed inside and outside buildings. They can be set on a finished flat floor, a stainless steel ring, or a hard stone sill, depending on site conditions, infrastructure layout and more. For doors positioned both inside and outside, a semicircular base may be required to support the door's size and diameter.
Revolving doors connect to the building facade at three points—on both sides and at the top—and must be carefully aligned. At ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, the idea is to avoid the presence of leaks that allow water to pass through the electronic components of the door. Depending on the electrical wiring and piping, vertical connections to the facade will be required. The door's position in relation to the facade, along with its aesthetics and final finishes, plays a crucial role in the building's entrance design with profile solutions of different thicknesses according to the spatial and design resolutions already projected.
The Role of BIM Technology
As Eron Costin explains, BIM (Building Information Modeling) software involves "simulating construction information through a model." This allows architects to focus on the design aspects of a project while delegating the more labor-intensive tasks to technology. With the help of digital processes and tools, it's possible to achieve more accurate and faster results, potentially anticipating future complexities that may need to be addressed during construction.
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems recognizes the potential of BIM technology to integrate access solutions like revolving doors into building models early in the design process. They provide BIM families for revolving doors, which allow for more efficient planning. A single family may include multiple versions of revolving doors, helping to identify the most suitable products based on dimensions, materials, and functions, as well as their impact on the building.
Towards Sustainability
By 2050, ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems aims for 100% circularity, with about 30% of materials used in revolving doors being recycled and approximately 90% being recyclable after the door's lifecycle. In relation to thermal and acoustic comfort, some types of glazing can regulate solar heat gain or loss through the doors (thermal comfort). Also, revolving doors can provide options to reduce external noise by maintaining a closed entry (acoustic comfort).
The Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for ASSA ABLOY revolving doors offer comprehensive information about their environmental impact, material sourcing, energy consumption, and packaging. It's important to highlight that revolving doors can also be equipped with air curtains to separate indoor and outdoor environments. Although the revolving door already provides some separation, air curtains serve two main purposes: warming incoming cold air and expelling chilly air from visitors' clothing, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
As various challenges arise, the placement of revolving doors at building entrances must consider security, aesthetics, comfort, efficiency, sustainability, and cost savings. ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems offers support and guidance, from product information to advanced BIM objects, PDF drawings, DWG plans, EPDs, and more, covering a range of automatic access solutions like sliding and revolving doors, as well as industrial access systems and loading solutions.
