Introduction

The Stonepillow Bognor Hostel and Hub offers support to homeless and vulnerable people within the Arun District. Run by Arun District Council, they have a challenging job to ensure that all of the facilities at the hostel are safe, secure and reliable.

The hostel is open 365 days a year and provides accommodation for up to 10 homeless people every night as well as being open 10 am to 3 pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Which is particularly important when the weather is tough through the winter months and many welcome the respite from being out on the streets at night.

The Project

Arun District Council regularly review their housing stock to see that it is fit-for-purpose as part of their ongoing checks and assessments. One aspect of this is the structure of compartmentation within the hostel. Owing to the heavy usage at the shelter, the previous doors started to deteriorate. As a result, the doors would not have done their job in resisting fire and smoke or withstanding the heavy usage they are subject to. So to conform with the latest Building Regulations and to guarantee the safety of the hostel’s residents and volunteers, Arun District Council made the decision to evaluate replacing the doors to the room entrances. Of paramount importance was the fire resistance, the prevention of spread of smoke in the event of a fire and the durability of the investment. The solution needed to endure all forms of misuse, whether this was accidental or intended.

The Outcome

The evaluation culminated in choosing Gerda FDS Complete FD30(S) doorsets which are known for their high-performance properties in social housing. The design takes into account the living environment, with features for longevity: frames that cope with temperature extremes; concealed door closers within the head of the door leaf ensuring maximum door opening space and prevention of swinging on closers or their removal and high-quality kick plates. The FDS doorsets are comprehensively tested in full scale performance tests for Fire, Smoke Control and Acoustics, all aspects of which, offer peace-of-mind to both the visitor and the housing officers.

The council were delighted with the specification they received: “The doors work perfectly and are exactly what is required for the purpose of the night shelter”. The high quality of the Gerda doorsets was instantly recognised: “They are very robust and capable of containing a fire and withstanding any possible violent attack”. The project as a whole has made a huge difference for both volunteers and residents at the night shelter: “People feel much safer since the Gerda doors were fitted”.