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National Inventors Month: Our Architect Design Support Team (ADS)

For National Inventors Month, we're highlighting the brilliant minds behind our cutting-edge rolling door products! 

Shawn McCormick, Architectural Design Support (ADS) manager, goes in-depth about how ADS started and how his team helps architects bring their design visions to life with custom commercial door solutions

Shawn McCormick in office pointing to computer.

What inspired the creation of the Architect Design Team (ADS), and how has it evolved?

Cornell and Cookson have always strived to be a leader in the industry and trusted advisors in the design community. ADS was created as a single associate department and has grown, now we have nine team members. 

How do you collaborate with architects to bring their design visions to life while ensuring functionality and durability?

We meet with architects over the phone, in virtual meetings, and in person. We work with them on their plans, asking the right questions to pinpoint the exact design requirements they need for the product. We then design each door to fit the architect’s application and write the specifications. This process ensures that we’re nailing the design intent for each project. 

What are some common challenges you face when creating custom doors, and how do you overcome them?

The biggest challenge is providing a door that meets design criteria that an overhead door typically doesn’t need to meet. Also, designing a door to meet the aesthetic requirements of a project can be challenging. But, by communicating closely with the client, we can determine their needs and find solutions—exceeding their expectations. 

Can you share a memorable project or design the team has worked on in the past?

That would be PARK PLUS at 12 East 13th Street, NY. We developed a fixed panel door that didn’t coil but lifted straight up vertically on the wall for a boutique luxury residential condominium parking garage with an automated robotic parking system designed by PARK PLUS. It needed to be high-speed and high-cycle and also needed to match the exterior of the building. A few other projects include Kaufman Astoria Studios, Liberty Lobby Bar at the Liberty Hotel, and the Just a Splash Bar and Kitchen at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. 

PARK PLUS
12 E. 13th St. PARK PLUS state-of-the-art AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) parking garage in Greenwich Village, NY. Read more about this project

Kaufman Astoria Studios
Kaufman Astoria Studios, a film studio located in Astoria, Queens in NYC. Read more about this project

Liberty Hotel
Liberty Lobby Bar at the Liberty Hotel, Boston, MA.

Desert Ridge Pool Bar
Just a Splash Bar and Kitchen at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, Phoenix, AZ. 

What sets custom commercial garage doors apart from standard options available in the market?

Custom garage doors meet the demand of more stringent design requirements than standard overhead doors. Yet, they blend into the design and aesthetic that architects need for the building.

What role does innovation play in your department, and how does your team stay ahead? 

We work alongside our marketing and engineering teams and relay trends that we see in upcoming projects. Through our internal processes, we develop new products that exceed the ever changing requirements of the design and building world.

Lastly, what advice would you give to architects and the design community looking to collaborate with your team on a custom garage door project?

Just give us a call or send us an email! We will work with you every step of the way to make sure you are getting exactly what your projects need.
 
From custom design help to creating plans for a door that fits the specifications of a project, the ADS team can help at any step of the commercial door selection process. Contact the ADS team today to find the commercial door that will fit your design.

Contact Architect Design Support