High-speed doors provide security for high-rise tenants and high-end cars
Houston-based Ziegler Cooper Architects designed 2727 Kirby to be a signature building in the prestigious Upper Kirby/River Oaks neighborhood of Houston’s Inner Loop. Among the 30-story building’s many luxury amenities is a five-level private parking garage with 24-hour valet service available.
According to Lacey Buxton, general manager for the 2727 Kirby condominium complex, “We have a lot of high-end tenants with upscale cars and we are concerned about those high-end cars being broken into, so we decided to go with the Rytec Spiral high-speed doors.”
The high-speed aluminum slat roll-up doors heighten the level of security at this building, necessitated by the high volume of foot traffic on Kirby Drive and Argon Street. Buxton points out the speed of the doors discourage those with criminal intent. “Since we installed the high-speed doors we haven’t had any unauthorized entries into the building.”
Having a secure parking facility can be an aspect that attracts buyers to an upscale complex like 2727 Kirby. The door’s high speed discourages the temptation to illegally enter the complex through the parking level doorway. Once the door is closed, the aluminum slats are impenetrable.
Randy Shaver, building chief engineer, notes that the “security is a major concern of ours, so we are pleased that these doors open very quickly and close very quickly.”
At an operating speed of 60 inches per second, the Spiral door provides another amenity for the busy occupants at 2727 Kirby. “When we first installed the high-speed doors,” says Buxton, “we had a number of compliments from homeowners because there was no waiting behind one another or piggybacking.”
The time waiting for a parking facility door to open may not actually be long, but for time-starved drivers it can feel like an eternity. As cars approach the door at 2727 Kirby, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip on the vehicle’s visor signals the door to open. Because the door opens so quickly, the driver can glide in and out of the parking area without waiting.
In addition to providing security and convenience, the Spiral doors fit in with the design of the complex. “We were also looking for something that was aesthetically pleasing as we are a very modern building,” says Buxton. “We wanted to keep with modern aesthetics and the Rytec high-speed doors were a perfect fit for us.”
Durable powder coating on the Spiral door’s roll-up aluminum slats can be applied with almost any color, including a simulated wood look. The high-speed door design also enables the doors to fit tightly in the wall so as not to dominate the façade with hardware. The rolled up door bundles and tucks in over the doorway with as little as 11 inches for headroom and along a track that is just a few inches wide.
The doors are easy on the ears as well as the eyes. The slats on the Spiral door have no metal-to-metal contact, which allows for ultra-quiet operation.
Shaver also appreciates the door’s low-maintenance design. The Spiral door has a coiled track, which prevents the metal slats from rubbing against one another as the door opens and closes. This design results in smoother operation and much longer service and life cycles while enabling the painted finishes discussed previously to enhance the look of the door.
Door speed itself also has a significant impact on the door’s useful life and reduced repair costs. Slower speed, conventional doors invite collisions because impatient drivers often rush through the half-opened doorway and clip the bottom of a door that is not yet fully open.
The door’s operating speed of 60 inches per second means it is too fast for a vehicle to catch. This means the doors at the 2727 Kirby complex are generally fully opened before the driver’s foot moves from brake pedal to gas pedal.
In addition, the high-speed doors are highly customizable. The Spiral door controller has pre-programmed menu options that allow the maintenance crew to easily adjust door operation to match the specific needs of each doorway location.
Moreover, these control panels are located at floor level. The building’s maintenance crew no longer has to go up a ladder to make adjustments. And the controller’s self-diagnostic capabilities keep maintenance time to a minimum.
Though doors may not have been a major aspect of a project such as 2727 Kirby, the attention the building’s management has paid to them reflects on their overall commitment to the safety, security and satisfaction of their owners.
—
Michael Watkins is vice president of marketing at Rytec Corp., Jackson, Wis. For more information, visit www.rytecdoors.com.