Union Door Solutions Refurbish University of Birmingham

Union, a manufacturer of security products within the education sector, was the primary choice to secure University of Birmingham's refurbished US$70 million Muirhead Tower, and Ashcroft House and Centre Courts halls of residence.

Situated on the University's Edgbaston campus, the Muirhead Tower is one of the most recognizable buildings at the University and is the home of the College of Social Sciences.

The refurbishment involved stripping the iconic structure right back to its concrete shell, effectively starting from scratch. An ambitious project that took more than two years to complete, the regeneration program included a new library and special collections facility that was funded with the help of generous private donations.

Union supplied more than 350 cylinders for the Muirhead Tower as part of a grand master-key system with both single and double cylinders incorporated for a range of applications.

The products feature protection to prevent the duplication of keys with only legally authorized personnel able to do so. Incorporating technology to ensure pick and drill resistance, the system allows maximum security and selective accessibility.

Union also provided door sets for the Ashcroft House and Centre Courts halls of residence as part of a general redecoration and security refit of the two buildings. Ashcroft House had its 190 bedrooms fitted with a master key and turn system, mortice lock cases and retro door closers, while Centre Courts received the lock cases and door closers for its 180 rooms.

Internal doors are of vital importance to security in any University with the communal nature of residential and administrative buildings meaning that there is always a heavy pedestrian traffic.

“A project this size always has the scope to go wrong, but the planning and customer service that we received from Union was very good. Meeting all of our security criteria, Union has provided us with a high-tech system to complement the rest of the regeneration work,” said Ian Humphries, Maintenance Planning Officer at University of Birmingham.

With more than $53,000 spent on door opening solutions alone, specification was important to ensure that all of the project's needs were met.