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Whilst the garage – and hence the garage door – may not be at the forefront of most building design concepts, thinking creatively about this part of a property at an early stage can unlock the potential for some very different aesthetic and functional possibilities.
The design of the garage door is key. Rather than approaching its design and specification in purely practical terms – i.e. a door to span an opening and enable access as necessary – with a bespoke door it is possible to create garages that are far more creative, going way beyond the simplistic approach of a rectangle with either a double or single vehicle capacity.
This is the experience of Rundum Meir UK, who work with architects and property developers to design, manufacture and install garage doors that are extraordinary. Its doors have featured in a variety of high-end residential properties, including RIBA award-winning schemes, with many being listed buildings or located in conservation areas.
The creative possibilities are extensive. For example, using a side sliding ‘round the corner’ garage door or a sectional side sliding door, the garage can be designed to feature curves or even an S-shaped door. Convex garage doors can be used for buildings where a radiused corner is sought, and concave doors are ideal for matching the shape of car turntables, which are popular in high-end residential properties where vehicular access is limited.
A building can also be designed with the door as a centrepiece with very wide spans possible. A Rundum Original single side sliding garage door can be used in openings up to 15m wide, so adding two of these to open each way allows for an opening width of 30m!
Numerous different materials are available too. Timber is commonly used with varieties including Spruce, Oak, Larch, Sapele and Cedar. These are hand selected, rift and quarter sawn and virtually knot-free, although doors with knots can be manufactured too.
Aside from timber, high strength extruded aluminium and steel doors are also popular, with the scope for RAL colours and special finishes where a particular material is sought.
But it is not just side sliding doors that are bespoke designed and manufactured. Rundum Meir also provides custom sectional overhead garage doors and one-piece up and over doors in any number of materials ranging from copper to glass.
This enormous flexibility in the shape, size and style of the garage door, as well as the materials used in its manufacture, enables architects to incorporate elements such as windows and ventilation louvres in the doors to give garages new purpose. For example, incorporating ventilation into a garage door allows the garage to be integral to an air-conditioning system’s airflow, which could open up a new route for heating, cooling and optimising comfort inside the property’s living areas.
To find out more, visit www.rundum.co.uk.