Project Specification Group, a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, has specified a range of solutions for a RAF nursery in Oxfordshire, delivering assured access and safety for children using the facility.
Working in partnership with designers Frankham Consultancy Group and contractors Antac, the company specified a series of door opening solutions to the nursery at RAF Benson.
The RAF base required an extension to its existing nursery facilities, increasing its capacity to cater for more than 100 children. As a result, the specification process demanded products that were fully compliant and tailored to the needs of the young children that would be using the facility.
Products specified by Project Specification Group included the DC500A CAM-Motion door closer, delivering a low opening force while providing sufficient closing forces to satisfy fire legislation, and ASSA modular high-security deadlocks, delivering a strong locking solution for doors.
Other solutions specified included P600 cylinders, patented to ensure keys cannot be duplicated by unauthorised parties, and ScanFlex door furniture, offering classic Scandinavian design in a hard-wearing stainless steel.
The doorsets provided were all oak laminate with a horizontal grain, complete with PVC edges – making them easy to clean – and factory-painted frames, meaning the products arrived to site in their finished condition, ready for a quick installation. Project Specification Group also supplied the graphics for the toilet doors in a self-adhesive vinyl.
With access and safety for young children of paramount importance, solutions such as ASSA finger guards – protecting children from accidentally trapping their fingers in doors – and thumb turn locks for the toilets, installed at a lower height, were other crucial considerations.
Discussing the requirements of this project, Matthew Beech, Associate at Frankham Consultancy Group, explained: “For this kind of environment, the products specified needed to be completely fit for purpose and robust. Young children will be using this facility, and so products need to be built to last and ensure users can move about safely and easily.
“A key benefit to working with Project Specification Group has been the fact it supplies factory-fitted ironmongery doorsets. Whilst not only reducing the amount of on-site workmanship required, this offering also means the risk of specifying incorrect ironmongery is significantly reduced.
“The service we have received from ASSA ABLOY has been excellent. The team was very efficient in following up any queries, ensuring there were no delays to site throughout the whole process.”
Doug Swadling, Site Manager from Antac, said: “Specifying and installing ASSA ABLOY’s products could not have been a smoother process. We always received regular contact with the Project Manager and any questions I had were answered straight away, which was brilliant.
“The end result is fantastic – the building looks great. We’re so pleased that we managed to deliver an upgraded nursery for RAF Benson with some of the best door solutions available on the market.”
David Shields, National Specification Manager at Project Specification Group, added: “The plans for the build were incredibly multifaceted, but – as we have access to such a wide range of products – we were able to adapt and supply a bespoke specification.
“On a project like this it’s not just about the products but also the added value that the team can provide. Performance guarantees, door scheduling and an understanding of the building’s ongoing use are invaluable.”
For those operating in the education sector, ASSA ABLOY Project Specification Group offers a range of sector-specific solutions, derived from thorough research into product usage and the flow of traffic for specific markets. Other insights, such as BIM objects and whole life costing, ensure the organisation can work with architects and design-led contractors to specify solutions that meet individual requirements and needs, seeing a project through from start to finish.