The Year's Most Dramatic Door Designs Come Knocking
Creative visions take shape as JELD-WEN brings inspiration to real life

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. April 03, 2007 — What do you get when you take a dash of inspiration and a pinch of history and stir it up with some of the most creative young minds in the architecture industry? For the top winners of this year’s JELD-WEN Student Door Design Contest, the results are dream doors turned into reality.

JELD-WEN, the world’s leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors, unveiled the prototypes of this year’s winning door designs at the International Builders’ Show (IBS). The designs, created by students Nathan Williams of Virginia Tech and Anna McCorvey of Howard University, earned each winner a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to IBS in Orlando, Fla., where they saw for the first time full-scale versions of their door designs. While very different in style, each door is a study in high design.

“Every year, students amaze us with their creativity,” said Shane Meisel, product marketing manager for JELD-WEN. “This year’s winning designs perfectly blend today’s hottest contemporary looks – modular doors and radius tops – with historic inspiration.”

A door that commands undivided attention

The winning door design created by Williams is based on the traditional Dutch door, a style that has a 400-year-old history. Dutch doors were used long ago as a way for homeowners to keep livestock out while allowing in fresh air. However, unlike the traditional Dutch door that is simply split in half, Williams’ design includes six individual hinged wood and glass panels that can be opened separately – giving it a very contemporary, modern flair. Also heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s legendary residential designs, this door artfully blends creativity, beauty, simplicity and functionality. 

Contest judges felt that the design was not only modern, but also inspired fun and creative new uses. For example, to help control ventilation, homeowners could simply open one or two panels while keeping the others in a locked, stationary position. The bottom section may be opened separately to let in the family pet. Or, opening the middle panel allows just the right access for delivery of a package or a pizza. This door also provides an interesting twist on a classic design that is already enjoying a major resurgence in popularity.

“We’re seeing quite a bit of interest in contemporary style as well as more classic styles, such as Dutch doors,” Meisel said. “This design combines the best of both worlds and provides a completely fresh take on a door design that is beloved by homeowners.”

The prototype unveiled by JELD-WEN at this year’s IBS trade show demonstrated how different wood stains and hardware may be used to give the door a distinctive look. Different glass styles and wood species are also possible.

Romance of Art Nouveau redux

A very different interpretation of history was the inspiration behind the second grand-prize winning door design. Big and bold, McCovey’s door design harkens back to the European Art Nouveau movement of the late 18th and early 20th centuries and is inspired by Victor Horta, an exemplary architect of the time.

In contrast to the strong horizontal lines of Williams’ design, this radius-top door is crowned by an asymmetrical transom, the glass window above the door, in a fanciful paisley shape. Overall, the door creates a composition of curving forms that flow from the top down the side. The door showcases traditional elements – glass and wood – to create a dramatic entry without being too dark or heavy.

The popularity of Old World and Tuscan home design in recent years has led to a resurgence in demand for radius-top doors that evoke European style. McCovey’s design capitalizes on this trend with a door that measures up to 10-feet tall and blends a combination of wood species. Today’s homeowners also crave more natural light in the entry, and this is accomplished with the glass transom and door. Additional textures that personalize the design can be added by drawing on JELD-WEN’s catalogue of standard and custom glass.

“This door design is perfect for homeowners who want to make a big impression on guests at the front entry,” Meisel said. “The asymmetrical design and options for contrasting woods and textured glass mean that this design can be personalized.”

 
FACT SHEET

Meet the Winners of the JELD-WEN Student Door Design Contest

WHO
Nathan Williams, a native of Manassas, Va., is a third-year architecture student at Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Following graduation in 2009, he would like to work for a small, design-oriented architecture firm that will allow him to mature as a professional. Ultimately, he would like to have his own practice.

Anna McCorvey, a native of Moss Point, Miss., is a third-year student at Howard University’s School of Architecture and Planning. McCorvey is very involved in the student community and serves as the president of her local American Institute of Architects (AIA) student chapter. Following graduation, her goal is to become a licensed architect, and she is considering continuing education for an MBA with a focus on real estate.

WHAT
For the second-annual competition in 2006, JELD-WEN’s Student Door Design Contest drew more than 200 student entries, representing 56 colleges and universities. Two grand-prize winners, Williams and McCorvey, each received $5,000 scholarships from JELD-WEN and all-expenses-paid trips to the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla.

Three students each won $2,000 scholarships. They are: Andrew Davis of the University of Florida; Justina Hohmann of Montana State University at Bozeman; and Michael Kautzer of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

WHEN & WHERE
As part of their grand prize in February 2007, Williams and McCorvey met the national media at IBS, had access to hundreds of educational seminars and, for the first time, saw full-scale prototype doors based on their designs.

WHY
As a leader in the custom door category, JELD-WEN has made it a priority to engage the next generation of architects and designers. The company seeks to familiarize students with the endless range of design possibilities that can be achieved in a residential context, starting with the front door.