Commercial Archives

September 20, 2021September 21, 2021

Durham County Public Library

Durham County Main Library - Durham, NC

A beautiful example of modern and sustainable architecture, the main branch of the Durham County Public Library opened in 2020, and ActivWall is honored to have two Horizontal Folding Door units in this award-winning facility.

Designed by VINES Architecture and constructed by Skanska and Holt Brothers, the LEED Gold certified library is 85,000 square feet with four levels.

The Durham County Main Branch library has more than 179,000 items in it’s collection. In addition to traditional library offerings, the facility also provides unique resources for the community, including a recording studio, a sensory calming area, a business incubator space, and a lush green rooftop terrace.

Guests entering the lobby from Liberty Street are first greeted by an expansive set of oak-stained steps.

Off to the right of the staircase are the library’s café and an upper-level entrance to the 300-seat auditorium. In this space, an ActivWall Horizontal Folding Door is used to connect the spaces.

The eight-panel unit on this floor measures 316″ wide by 116″ high and features a top-supported carriage for smooth gliding and a low-profile saddle sill on the floor.

According to Main Branch Library Director Claudia Alemán, “the doors create a welcoming space for the auditorium and café area.”

The unit also adds great functionality to the facility; she explained, “if we are to have a big program and want everyone to hear what’s going on in the auditorium, we can open up the doors, so everyone is welcome.”

The ActivWall Horizontal Folding Doors can be partially open for small events, and when fully open, all eight panels fold away into a recessed pocket.

Upstairs on the third floor, a smaller five-panel unit is used to connect the library’s STEAM Innovation Lab to a smaller auditorium with amphitheater-style seating. The door for this space measures 204″ wide by 121″ high.

Gracey Gordon, STEAM Services Manager, noted it was very helpful for library programs to have flexible space. She said, “As the door opens up, we have space [in the auditorium] for patrons to sit and then float into the lab where we have our equipment set up.”

Both door units have brushed chrome handles and are custom-finished in a metallic powder coat to match the rest of the doors and windows in the facility.

Since designing the Durham County Main Library, VINES Architecture has received several awards and recognitions for the project including the AIA NC Merit Award: Design, the AIA Triangle Merit: Design, and the NOMA Award: Design.

See the Horizontal Folding Doors in Action

Acknowledgments: Story by Jennifer Doss. Photography by Jennifer Doss, Rob Connelly, and Mark Herboth. Video edited by Jennifer Doss. Narration by Kacel Witcher. Design by VINES Architecture. Construction by Skanska and Holt Brothers. Public Art by Volkan Alkanoglu | DESIGN LLC. Interior Design by Kaitlin Phelps. Building Engineering by Durham County: Peri Manns, and Brenda Bright. Windows by SPS Corporation and Horizontal Folding Doors by ActivWall. Special thank you to Claudia Alemán, Gracey Gordon, Sara Stephens, and Daniel Davis of the Durham County Main Branch Library.

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Durham County Public Library

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Rooftop Veranda in Danville, Virginia

At the corner of Patton Street and North Union Street in the River District of Danville, Virginia, sits a stately building that housed the Danville Bee newspaper from 1921 to the 1970s. Today that location is an upscale boutique hotel with a beautiful rooftop veranda that features an ActivWall Horizontal Folding Door.

After the press moved to a larger, more modern location in the ’70s, the Danville Bee merged with the Danville Register to become known today as the Danville Register & Bee. The grand stone building stood vacant for more than 40 years until it caught the attention of Ed Walker, a developer from Roanoke, Virginia, who had an incredible vision in mind. Ed and his team bought the building in 2018 and began restoring it.

In November of 2020, Marshall Hotels & Resorts opened The Bee, a 47-suite urban boutique-style hotel that tastefully blends high style and history for business travelers and vacationers to enjoy.

The developers, architects, and designers involved preserved as much of the historic property possible by incorporating the elaborate portico, original wood floors, an original spiral staircase, and historical photographs into their designs for the boutique hotel.

Rooms at The Bee have modern amenities and take their cues from the style pages. They feature sleek contemporary furnishings, warm wood finishes, rich textures, and a dash of shimmer.

The undeveloped rooftop of the building at this location presented an opportunity to add a unique feature to The Bee – a rooftop suite and veranda. The veranda offers entertaining space and scenic views of Danville’s thriving River District.

Working with the staff at Piedmont Glass, who handled all of the property’s commercial aluminum windows and doors, ActivWall designed and manufactured a custom six-panel Horizontal Folding Door to fit a 195″ wide by 86″ high opening between the suite and veranda.

The design of the ActivWall Horizontal Folding system allows it to be used as a single outswing door, a set of double outswing doors, or you can open all the panels for full access to the suite.

Roger Adkins and Jason Doak of Piedmont Glass had previously heard of ActivWall products from a fellow contractor and they took a tour of the Martinsville, Virginia production facility to learn more.

Later on, when Roger and Jason learned that The Bee’s developers were interested in a folding door unit for this project, they knew exactly where to turn for a high-quality, American-made product.

See the Horizontal Folding Door in Action

The custom ActivWall door designed for The Bee is made of thermally broken aluminum in a black powder-coat finish with insulated Low E gray-tinted glass and a saddle sill.

According to Roger, “Our experience with ActivWall was great. The sales team was very knowledgable about the products and the installation team was very professional.” He added, “when the unit arrived it fit perfectly, so we were very pleased with the whole process.”

Since completing this project, Piedmont Glass has become an authorized ActivWall Reseller and Installer.

Carter Ferrell, VP of Engineering for ActivWall, said, “It was a pleasure to be part of the revitalization effort for this beautiful building and we look forward to working with Piedmont Glass on additional projects in the future.”

Interior View of the Rooftop Suite

Portico with Terra-Cotta Art and Newsboy Figurine

Breakfast and Gathering Area for The Bee