Victoria Tower, SA

Commercial carpentry specialists Capstone Construction managed the interior fitout. Capstone elected Spence to supply the building’s expansive doorset package. This amounted to over 1,400 doors spanning fire-rated and flush panel doors greatly varying in size, configuration, and finish.

Large and Variable Manufacture

The project was well within Spence’s wheelhouse demanding large commercial-scale manufacture with substantial variations from one doorset to the next. Spence’s dual-factory setup managed the rapid manufacturing timeline, backed by an experienced team understanding of the contextual purpose of each doorset.

Over 1,400 doors were manufactured ranging 35mm – 42mm in thickness. These doors were built for a mixture of swing and sliding purposes in accordance with the space-efficient floor plan. Door construction variations include the aforementioned blend of flush panel doors, cladded doors, and fire doors. Within these categories, further variations applied to interior composition such as Semi-Solid and Solid Core builds of Flush Panel Doors. Additionally, cladded doors encompassed veneer cladding for visual purpose and metal cladding for security and non-combustibility functions.

Fire Compartmentalisation

As a multi-residential building, Victoria Tower has strict requirements for occupant health and safety. Separating fire compartments for safe evacuation in the event of a fire involved the specification of 1- and 2-hour fire-rated doors. All fire-doors utilise a proprietary fire system tested for effectivity and compliance.

The changing needs of each room and corresponding doorset were accounted for during door manufacture. Spence’s custom production capabilities were exemplified with door openings ranging 820mm – 1270mm in width and 2040mm – 2340mm in height. This included both single- and pair- doorsets throughout the building.

Luxury Interior

A key feature of the building’s interior aesthetic is its modern touch. Flush panel doors fulfilled this design brief with varied outer skins suited to the specific purpose of each doorset.

MDF skin delivers a smooth texture for high-visibility settings that residents and visitors will commonly see. The smooth grain also contributes to easily hosting paint – a benefit for the timeliness of painting. Conversely, wet areas like bathrooms require a moisture-resistant material in order to hold form over time. Ply skin was applied in such instances as the functionally sound substrate disallows the entry of moisture and so will support the door’s long-term function.

Veneer doors were specified in spaces where eye-catching design was sought. Beautiful Victorian Ash veneers were prime coated, doubling as a durable hardwood protection and an organically warm appearance.

Pressed Metal Frames

Along with door leaves, Spence manufactured door frames for precise pairing. These Pressed Metal Frames were manufactured from 1.6mm Zincanneal for a balance of structural integrity and cost efficiency. The build of each frame accommodated to variations in door leaf thickness and wall thickness.

Frame preparations were made during the manufacturing process; completed in Spence’s factory in order for less time and labour input once on-site. Cutouts for latches and electric strikes were made for easy hardware fitting specific to the security requirements of each door set. Similarly, fire-rated frames were prepared with backfilling and seals installed and supplied respectively. These preparatory measures were means of minimising on-site involvement. This supported the value engineering of overall doorset cost, and the ability to keep up with construction phasing.

An Accomplished Build

Victoria Tower is a tremendous accomplishment of commercial construction. The building answers to the growing demands of Adelaide’s continued growth. It does so to a high standard with respect to the build quality, and specifically to the doorset quality. Each doorset was manufactured to its exact performance requirements delivering fire safety, fundamentally sound structure, and visual flair. Working with Capstone Construction was a smooth process from start-to-finish with an exceptional result.