A collaboration between B&D Garage Doors and Openers and Shape Homes led to the design and development of a bespoke range of garage doors for a very challenging application at a new townhouse development in Pascoe Vale, Victoria.
Prospect is a 21-unit townhouse development by Shape Homes, located less than 15 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD. Designed for the medium-density market, these architecturally-planned townhouses feature spacious open plan living spaces, Caesarstone benchtops, stylish floor-to-ceiling bathroom tiling, and striking curved facades. The home frontages also include a multi-level, timber-clad feature wall with a sleek, neatly integrated garage door.
However, the final design outcome of a seamless facade did have a few challenges along the way.
The original choice of a tilt door system for the garages was dropped in favour of a new solution to address a few issues such as weight restrictions, temporary driveway space reductions and ongoing maintenance requirements.
Following close consultation with Shape Homes, leading Australian garage door manufacturer B&D developed a bespoke, architecturally-designed and engineered system for the Prospect townhouses.
“The original plan was to look at a tilt door system, but these systems are somewhat outdated,” Tom Hammond, B&D’s National New Housing Manager explained.
“They have weight restrictions, can reduce your driveway space during operation and be high-maintenance. When Shape Homes approached the B&D team, the challenge was to solve these problems.”
The need for a design-led solution provided an opportunity for B&D to step outside the box, despite the challenges for both the design and engineering teams, observed Hammond.
“We were challenged not only by the redesign of the garage door tracking system having to fit inside the opening instead of behind, but we had to integrate and align the cladding on the garage door directly to match it with the exterior wall.”
The final solution was not only used for Prospect but has now been adapted to B&D’s ongoing market offerings.
“We were committed to delivering, which led us to trial some new concepts,” Hammond said. “We created a customised solution for this project by designing a flush-mount (integrated cladding) sectional garage door system.”
Part of B&D’s Designer Series, the flush-mount finish creates a seamless facade with the garage doors practically disappearing into the overall design. Cladding options currently available include Prodema Prodex and Biowood; however, B&D will soon be offering a range of new finishes.
The garage doors have drawn wide appreciation, says Daniel Ingram of Shape Homes as he recalls the overwhelmingly positive response onsite during installation.
“Everyone that looked at the doors agreed that they looked fantastic. Having an integrated garage door makes a real difference in a classic build.”
Ingram was not only impressed by the facade’s aesthetics but also its quality. Commenting on the sustainable composite timber cladding, he observed, “Biowood as a product is a standout. It’s durable, it wears well, and it weathers well.”
