GEZE UK has created a custom-made curved sliding glass door and facade for Chestnut Grange, a progressive development of ‘extra-care’ retirement homes in Burton-on-Trent, which is one of the first of its kind in the Midlands.

The glass entrance from GEZE UK provides a striking focal point for visitors to the £9.5m Chestnut Grange complex, which has been designed to not only meet the needs, but also the aspirations of discerning residents as young as sixty with increasingly high expectations of interior and exterior design.

A good example of inclusive design, Chestnut Grange has been carefully planned to meet the 16 criteria set out in the Lifetime Homes Standard, providing residents with long-term, adaptable and flexible living spaces and communal areas. With such high requirements for the busy main entrance, glazing specialist Syte Architectural Glazing called upon GEZE UK to provide a safe, effective and elegant solution.

The brief was to design a stylish and contemporary entrance that would be safe and easy for all to use, so GEZE UK constructed a curved glass façade with bi-parting doors. A Slimdrive SC operator was tailored to a bespoke radius and door dimension, providing sophisticated automated access. Just inside the building, a Slimdrive SL automatic sliding door was also installed, creating a lobby area that minimises heat loss or gain, enhancing the sustainability of the development.

In order to provide safe and secure access to the 67 apartments and the rest of the unique multi-use building, which includes a hairdressing salon and health facility, GEZE UK also installed four highly compact Slimdrive EMD-F electro-magnetic swing door operators at side entrances and in corridors. As the EMD-F makes virtually no noise, it was ideal for this residential setting.

Operators in GEZE’s Slimdrive range are just 7cm high, which means they can be mounted discreetly, making them the ideal choice for Chestnut Grange where both aesthetic appeal and accessibility are intrinsic to the overall design. All the operators are designed and tested to meet the requirements of all relevant standards and regulations, including Building Bulletin 93, Approved Documents B and M, as well as assisting with the vigorous demands of the Equality Act.

Jon Page from Syte Architectural Glazing commented: “Chestnut Grange was an ambitious project to create a residential care facility that people actually want to live and grow old in. When we looked at creating an entrance that could meet the stringent criteria for accessibility required by the Lifetime Homes Standard, we decided to partner with a company that understood how good design can be used to create environments that work for everyone. GEZE UK was able to design a bespoke entrance that enhanced the space, rather than simply installing an off-the-shelf solution.”

GEZE UK’s operations director Simon Bowden said: “Chestnut Grange provides a blueprint for the future of retirement living across the UK and has been an exciting project to work on. The concept of inclusive and sustainable design is one that GEZE UK has championed in the commercial market and we’re pleased to be able to bring our expertise to the public sector housing market.

“This is not just about making access easier for the disabled. It’s about removing the barriers that make life difficult for anyone, perhaps those with arthritis or less strength, or even families laden with pushchairs or luggage. With projects like Chestnut Grange, we’re proving that good design can help everyone.”