News: In detail

Secured by Design garden selects NorDan doors

Date: 22/07/2009

Security doors from NorDan, have been featured in a new 'Secured by Design' garden in London, highlighting both their security and sustainability credentials.

Capel Manor College in Enfield features 30 beautiful acres of themed gardens, including an Italianate maze, a Japanese garden and Le Jardin de Vincent. The College's new 'Secured by Design' garden aims to showcase the principles of 'designing out crime' and has been co-funded by the Secured by Design initiative and Enfield Borough Police. The NorDan doors have been selected for the facade as they give easy access to the garden while keeping the home secure.

Following a student competition to find the best design, the winning garden was created by Capel Manor College Garden Design alumnus Mary Morrison, now running her own London-based garden design practice, Root Design. Themed as a family space for the 21st century, the Secured by Design garden features a mock 'eco home' facade, incorporating today’s themes in housebuilding, to give the garden context. 

NorDan has supplied 1800mm wide, full height glazed, outward opening double (French) doors from its range of security doorsets for the garden. The range can be used as a main, balcony or back door, supplied either inward or outward opening. All models are fitted with three-point locking systems for high levels of security and weather-tightness, plus a variety of locking arrangements is available if additional security is required. With sturdy security hinges and laminated or toughened glass fitted as standard, NorDan’s security doors are 'Secured by Design' approved and are a natural choice for the garden.

In addition to fulfilling Secured by Design criteria, the garden had to consider sustainability issues, with sustainably sourced materials. With full PEFC Chain of Custody accreditation on all products, high thermal efficiency, and low embodied energy ratings, the NorDan doors easily scored points here, too.

Designer Mary Morrison comments: "The Secured by Design garden is likely to be a feature at the college estate for up to ten years, so the 'eco home' has to be durable and stay looking beautiful. The NorDan doors with their basecoat stained natural timber finish look great set in the facade of Western red cedar and will stay looking good for years to come."

In addition, the Secured by Design garden features a wildlife pond to encourage biodiversity, a green roof on the shed, a compost area and points for electric car charging. Ingeniously, bricks and poles found on site during the garden's construction were recycled and incorporated into the new design, while a dense surround of thorny native hedging has been planted to make access difficult for intruders, but will be a great haven for wildlife.