Embracia Moonee Valley is a family owned and operated Retirement and Aged Care facility. The owners and staff are passionate about delivering a service that makes their residents feel comfortable and safe, whilst enjoying the high standards this luxurious facility provides.
DKO Architects were commissioned with the task of designing a facility with a premium quality, top-end design based on classical timeless themes. They were challenged to not only provide a friendly and functional design to suitably handle all the requirements such a facility demands, but also to pay attention to the entire layout, right down to the selection of quality fittings. This was to ensure that the quality of their work not only meets the design brief, but also complement the rest of the surrounding trims, and deliver on high performance expectations.
Door hardware considerations
The key door hardware challenges faced by architects at DKO for Embracia included functionality, DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliance, style, finish, and budget.
Entry leversets needed to be compliant with the relevant accessibility requirements, and Fire and smoke doors required installation of door closers which are easy to open. Both requirements were to ensure that the elderly residents of Embracia could use them with ease.
The door hardware at Embracia needed to complement the luxurious classical design of the facility, including meeting the special bronze finish requirement for that classical feel. DKO wanted all door hardware to be delivered within a set budget and also within a short timeframe from the placement of the order.
Specialised door hardware solutions
Door closers on fire doors at the facility needed to open easily without much force and also provide enough time for people to pass before closing. Briton 2700 Series door closers were selected for this purpose, as these door closers use linear cam action principle making them extremely efficient. With an initial opening force that rapidly decreases as the door opens (less than 20N), and easily adjustable closing action, the Briton 2700 Series door closer meets the strict standards guidelines associated with the AS1428.1.
DKO Architects required classical designed bronze finished door furniture for the entire facility and DDA compliance for the suite entry doors.
Ergonomically shaped Trilo (part of Legge 6000 Series) with its gentle curves and raised profile on the underside of the lever operates seamlessly without using much force. Trilo is engineered specifically for use in areas that require compliance to the Australian Standards AS1428:1-2011. Trilo levers are used for all suite entry doors across the facility.
Curved design and easy grip of Alessandro (part of Legge 6000 Series) made it ideal for doors which did not need to be compliant. Alessandro levers are used on interior doors of the suites and storeroom doors all throughout the facility.
Allegion’s extensive experience with managing large-scale aged care projects ensured that everything was delivered within budget and on time to the builder for timely installation.
