The link between design and quality of life highlights the importance of design as a driver of happiness and comfort within a space. As such, designers that work toward creating comfortable living environments that combine style and functionality, in turn, improve the quality of life of end users. It reiterates that ease of operation in home environments is now more in focus than ever before.

In part two of this three-part series, Hettich explores functionality as a key characteristic that contributes to comfortable living environments and presents ways that this can be achieved with Hettich hardware.

As New Zealand’s ageing population grows, homes around the nation are shrinking. As space efficient and functional as they are ergonomic, sliding doors are ideal for today’s compact living environments. They do not require a clearance area to accommodate door swing, nor do they consume valuable floor space when opened or in operation. This feature also means that even when in the ‘open’ position, doors do not pose a safety risk to elderly users or children in terms of being walked or bumped into.

For areas where space is less constrained, folding doors pose another contemporary, highly functional alternative to hinged doors. Ideal for wardrobes or other environments where a panoramic view of contents is desired, folding doors provide complete, quick and easy access. Like sliding doors, they are quiet to operate and do not bang or slam. Fully integrated and concealed components lend folding doors a clean, streamlined aesthetic and protect key mechanisms from damage and wear over time, ensuring a longer product lifespan.

Handleless folding door systems fitted with magnetic push-to-open mechanisms can facilitate operation by users with accessibility issues. Smooth and easy to operate with little force, such fittings also eliminate the risk of injury posed by accidentally walking into protruding handles.

Hettich provides a wide range of interesting design options offering a choice of solutions for optimising folding door applications and reliably move door elements in practically any size, material and weight.