Construction Specialties (CS) has a long history of collaborating with industry professionals to engineer entirely new solutions to meet a project’s specific design objectives. In doing so, the company’s research and development often reveals market-specific needs that can be met on a broader scale by the resulting design solution. The Acrovyn Curved Door is the newest product solution to emerge as a result of this collaborative approach to product development.
Saving Time Through Sight Lines
The Acrovyn Curved Door was developed in collaboration with a team of architects, designers, builders and healthcare professionals for the University of Virginia Hospital patient tower expansion. “The big concern that was brought to our attention at the start of design was that the nursing staff needed to have a clear line of sight to the patients at all times,” says Matt Kidwell, senior project manager for Skanska USA Building Inc. “The nurse is responsible for multiple patients at once, and they can’t be in every room at the same time. So having that clear line of sight from the nurses’ station was a key issue at the beginning of the project that really drove our solution to this issue.”
To give the new healthcare tower a friendlier and more private atmosphere, architects envisioned rounded walls and curved spaces. This approach also added the benefit of time efficiency. Incorporating strategically placed radius doorways gave staff nurses wider sight lines into patient rooms from duty stations. With the ability to visually check on patients, rather than having to walk into each room and potentially disturb those who are resting, time is reduced, and patient comfort is put front and center.
Space-saving is another benefit gained by its construction as a sliding door. By sliding along its track, it remains against the wall and does not require clearance into the room, as would a swinging door. A sliding door also benefits sightlines as the door will never be left open, inhibiting views into the room.
“We showed the curved door to the nursing staff, and without a doubt, they loved the curved door. So from there, the real challenge became, how do we make this a reality,” says Brian Sykes, project architect.
Built to Last
Based on designs provided by Perkins & Will, Construction Specialties engineered a door that would follow the radius walls but have the durability to stand up to many years of use in a busy healthcare environment. Creating the Acrovyn Curved Door presented exceptional manufacturing challenges in that the door is radiused and features additional ribbing and supports within.
Featuring ultra-durable Acrovyn on the door’s exterior, these doors can handle more than their share of traffic, abrasion and cleaning cycles typical of a healthcare or commercial setting.
The new Curved Door is available in all Acrovyn solid colors and woodgrains which coordinate across all of Construction Specialties’ interior product solutions. The same benefits of a lifetime warranty, cleanability and abrasion resistance apply.