IDIAMM

It’s not uncommon on commercial or hospitality buildings to have automatic doors. If you are putting them into your design, consider the following to really show real world mindset:

1. Sliding or revolving or pivot? Each has pros and cons but justify your choice to work with your design. Circulation and flow is key to a building and it starts at the front door. Each can be manual or auto so decide what you need and why

2. If sliding do I need a lobby or a barrier to stop all of the weather, etc coming into the building, heat going out if door is open for a considerable period of time?

3. Revolving doors don’t have this issue however are not suitable for DDA compliance. They can be manual or auto

4. Pivot swing auto doors are not always for general use, moreso for DDA compliance and to the side of a revolving doors for example. Remember you need to locate the control button in a suitable location either on a post pending swing direction so allow for this. You can have a wheelchair user going up to the door, pushing a button then having to roll back as the door opens outwards

5. Auto doors need PIR sensors to dictate when they open or close. Wrong settings mean they op n and close when people walk past not into the building. See point 2

6. It’s  not uncommon to have a manual swing, a revolving and an auto pivot on 1 entrance set up

7. Auto doors regardless of type need a door release, break glass in event of a fire to override motor if it doesn’t turn off.

8. Always note signage to doors. This can be words AUTO DOOR for example if it’s not obvious and can be a sign just beside it. In a world of health and safety and lawsuits this is  key

9. Glass doors regardless of type need manifestation of some description to stop people walking into it. See point 8. This can be bands, a design or the basic 50mm dots set out 100mm centres or more is a good starting point. Alternatively incorporate your branding into it

10. Sliding doors need pockets for the door to slip into (can be part of the frame system), pivot doors should have enough distance to not swing into people’s faces so make sure there is distance to step aside etc and let people in and out. This where ergonomics come into play to not waste space

The 10 points above are just the beginning but as your design starts at the entrance to your building, design it right, justify your choice, incorporate industry standards to demonstrate real world thinking