Located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, adjacent to Tower Bridge in the prominent position looking over the River Thames is Devon House at St Katherine Docks.

Originally built back in 1989 forming part of a historic redevelopment by an Act of Parliament, Devon House sits surrounded by shops, restaurants and bars with enviable direct transport links close by, including transport by boat.

Devon House underwent a full refurbishment internally and externally that included a brand-new reception space and terrace with prime views over the River Thames. The new reception area encapsulates that of a social space almost mimicking a coffee house with a relaxed atmosphere.

A refurbishment by Blackstone, demanded distinctive design features including warm brown with gold tones standing out in this project which are symbolic to Blackstone’s previous refurbishments.

The lead architect refurbishing Devon House was Stiff + Trevillion. A West London based Architectural Practice established in the 1980’s that has an impressive portfolio of commercial, restaurant and retail projects.

Having worked closely with the practice in previous and current projects including Blackstone refurbishments, there was an established relationship and good understanding of the firms wants and needs regarding Devon House.

Being brought into the project at Stage 2 of the design process by Stiff + Trevillion, the architect’s client had already decided that the entrance would consist of one revolving door. With a predicted NIA of 92,819 sq ft over multiple floors and, a variable design occupancy it was Boon Edam’s responsibility to formulate the best entrance solution for possible density increases that would allow for those building throughput's.

For smaller buildings, it’s common to only require one revolving door that has the ability to cope with busy periods. In this instance, the choice of door came down to design. It was decided that a four wing Type One Tourniket would be the most suitable entry solution meeting both throughput and aesthetic requirements.

A Type One inherits a slimline 18mm soffit from the all glass revolving door (Crystal Tourniket) with the overall structural features of a standard revolving door (Tourniket) such as aluminium framed profiles. This hybrid door allows for the drive to be located under the slab rather than in the canopy.

Along with the Type One Tourniket installation, it was understood from the beginning that Devon House would be designed with adaptability and growth in mind. Boon Edam were aware of the design capacity of the building from very early on from Collins Construction who were the contractors on the project.

The building capacity helped to dictate the number of lanes needed. Boon Edam also had to consider DDA access which lead to a wide lane set up on the east and west side of the reception area. A wide lane configuration would allow disabled users to enter/exit through a similar type of turnstile.

There also needed to be consideration made for peak times which being a workplace, Boon Edam understood these to be the start and end of the workday with lunch time also having to cope with bi-directional traffic where users will be leaving and entering the building simultaneously.

The aesthetics of the lanes consist of Boon Edam’s business edition Lifelines, where the construction is stainless steel and coated with Black RAL finishing.

Working in collaboration with the London Specification managers, the architect already had a clear idea regarding the outcome of the new entrance. The UK team work through a process known as Boon Select.

This process enables teams to generate, analyse and formulate the perfect entry scenario going through seven key considerations. Being able to map out considerations enables better, more sustainable decisions that in turn highlights all aspects of entry requirements.

Throughput
There was a need to protect the waiting area/reception from the outside environment at all times.

Along with this, there needed to be ease of flow during peak times in and out of the building, this also includes the reception throughput also.

Security
A need to ensure building users during out of working hours were secure within the building, that the building and property would be secure and that deterrents were in place to monitor building use.

Safety
Ensuring that all products fully complied with European safety requirements and that user safety and throughput during emergency procedures were guaranteed.

Aesthetics
The design of the entrance needed to feel open, bright and elegant to match that of the overhauled-building rebrand. The design elements were fully understood and the end result of the additional halo lighting and product colouring mirrored the design.

Technology
Security into the main entrance was a necessity, this required two external card reader posts to be placed either side of the door for access control integration.

Comfort
As always, the products needed to be easy to use and intuitive. With two sensors located in the floor entrance, upon entry the sensors will activate door rotation, creating a welcoming entrance. The Lifelines also intuitively guide users through the lanes with ease.

Service
With a truly nationwide network of experienced highly skilled, directly employed, service technicians Boon Edam were able to reassure the client that any issues could quickly be resolved.