A CNC-manufactured internal door kit

An internal door which can be CNC-manufactured and assembled as a kit without need for carpentry skills. OWL can be used with a number of different frame types, depending on the application. It could also be adapted for different door furniture / ironmongery including locks, glazed panels etc.

Traditionally, internal doors are installed by first fitting the frame into the oprning. If the opening is not precisely straight, any tolerance is absorbed by adjusting and re-hanging the door by trial and error, which requires time and skill.

The concept behind OWL is to custom-manufacture a complete frame and door kit, which can then be assembled. Tolerance is then left between the frame and the opening, which must be taken up using small packers (it is suggested plastic packers are used, these can be purchased in bags containing a range of sizes from 1mm-5mm). The frame can then be secured into the opening, and plywood caps fitted to conceal the fixings. Once completed, no fixings should be visible.

The foot of the frame is also recessed to allow floor finishe edges to be tucked out of sight.

There are three frame types:

Frame A - Uses an architrave to cover the gap between the frame and the structural opening. This is intended for situations where an existing door and frame are being stripped out and replaced, and there is no desire to spend time re-working the plasterwork.

Frame B - For fitting into an existing fully finished opening (which might be plasterwork, brick or any other material). The small 3-5mm gap around the edge will need to be properly packed and filled using a sealant.

Frame C - Where new internal walls are being made. Plasterboard corner trims are fitted and made good to the opening, which return onto an 18mm packer. The OWL door frame is then fitted onto that packer, leaving a neat shadow-gap around the door, which must be filled with sealant.

Issues and further development

OWL is in testing stage. Further work is needed around:

• Manufacturing and tolerances etc, through pilot installations
• Looking at ways of making the door lighter (for example, by pocketing out the centre) without dramatically increasing the CNC manufacturing time.
• Making a parametric model of OWL, which would make it possible to simply add opening width, height, depth, frame and handle types.

Architecture 00 (www.architecture00.net)

• Alastair Parvin
• Lynton Pepper

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