A significant entrance redevelopment project at Southwark College’s Lewisham campus has been completed following a major front-of-house renovation delivered by British security door specialist Warrior Doors in Birmingham.
The entire project, marking a significant six- figure investment, involved a full redesign and rebuild of the college’s main entrance, including the installation of four high-traffic automatic sliding security doors, new paving and structural adjustments to accommodate a roller shutter system. The work was carried out during a half-term installation window to minimise disruption to students and staff.
The Lewisham campus forms part of NCG (Newcastle College Group), one of the UK’s largest education and training organisations, serving thousands of learners across London. Warrior Doors was appointed main contractor following a competitive tender process, delivering both the design and installation of the new entrance infrastructure. A future-proofed entrance for a high-use campus was the critical brief.
The redevelopment involved moving the building’s door line forward to create a more robust and controlled entrance environment capable of handling high daily footfall. Alongside the four doors, the project included re-laying entrance slabs, integrating a roller shutter and completing internal finishing works to future-proof the access point.
Brett Barratt, Managing Director of Warrior Doors, explains that the project demonstrates how carefully designed entrances can significantly improve operational reliability in busy educational settings.
“College entrances experience constant use throughout the day, often with hundreds of people moving through the doors every hour,” he said.
“Too often, entrance systems in public buildings are treated as short-term installations rather than long-term infrastructure. Our approach at Warrior Doors is to design entrances that can withstand sustained daily use while maintaining reliability and security.”
He added: “Winning the Lewisham project through an open tender process was an important endorsement of our manufacturing capability and our ability to deliver complex installations within tight operational windows.”
From an engineering perspective, the project required careful design considerations to ensure the entrance would perform reliably on a busy London street frontage. Dominic Barratt explained that the team made several design adjustments to prevent common operational issues such as constant sensor activation from passers-by.
“Because the entrance sits on a busy public street, we had to consider how the sensors would behave in a high-footfall environment,” he said.
“By recessing the door position and adjusting sensor behaviour, we reduced false activations and ensured the doors respond only to genuine users entering the building.”
Barratt also highlighted the importance of designing for longevity in education environments.
“Educational buildings see heavy daily use, so durability and maintainability are critical. The entrance was designed to cope with constant movement while remaining easy to service and maintain over time.”
To avoid disruption to the college timetable, installation was coordinated around a half-term break, with engineers present on site to complete high-cycle testing before the entrance was handed over, meaning strict manufacture and installation deadlines were required. Warrior Doors’ installation team oversaw the project on site, working closely with the company’s engineering department to ensure the doors were fully tested before returning the entrance to operational use. The installation also includes a service and maintenance contract, with routine inspections planned to ensure continued reliability as the doors experience daily use.
The Lewisham project forms part of Warrior Doors’ growing presence in the education sector, where institutions are increasingly investing in more durable entrance systems capable of handling intensive daily use. Mehdi Karim, Assistant Projecrt Manager at Lewisham College had this to say:
‘Warrior doors were identified by us via their listing on a procurement framework which we tend to use to find trusted suppliers for various projects. Warriors were invited to tender and prior to submitting their return, they immediately showed great interest and promptly attended the site to survey and ensure accurate recommendations. The team was very personable and open to discussion. Warriors returned a positive tender, meeting our expectations, and were subsequently appointed as the main contractor under a JCT Minor Works contract to deliver the works.”
“The main compliment I can give Brett and the team is that they delivered the new entrance within 1 week which was originally a 2 week programme. The team was under pressure to deliver within the timeframe as it was the colleges only available window before students returned. The team worked brilliantly with the roller shutter company and ultimately the work was all completed within the set timeframe’
Barratt believes the sector is beginning to place greater value on whole-life performance rather than the lowest initial cost.
“Schools and colleges are recognising that entrance systems are critical infrastructure,” he said.
“When doors fail in high-traffic buildings, the impact is immediate. Investing in well-engineered entrances reduces maintenance calls, improves security and creates a more welcoming environment for students and staff. The Warrior Doors slider perfectly fit the criteria for a robust solution that will withstand considerable use.”
