Today’s Wordless Wednesday photos came all the way from Qatar – twice! First, I received photos of the building under construction from Waleed Helal of Allegion:
Then, Tolga Aslan of Framaco International sent me this photo taken by Thamer Tahat of Allegion after the railings were installed:
The panic hardware isn’t a code violation but it has me scratching my head from a security standpoint. Any theories about why this happened?
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Clearly to get people in visual distress away from the pink wall surfaces on the exit balcony / landing as quickly as possible.
While the doors to either side appear to open in, these balconies appear to be landings in an exit path. Looks like there are fire hose cabinets at each (right side) and a standpipe (artfully surface-mounted). Perhaps the center element is a stair, and these exit devices make it easier for a person to enter the stair.
Maybe it’s an ‘entrance’ to the stairwell to get out of the building ?
Looks like the exit device leads to a stair tower. exit from each apartment to the porch, looks like there is access between the column and the wall of the building
Experience shows that the occupants often party too hard and lock themselves out on the balconies.
To prevent a tenant from being locked out on the patio. Willing to bet that there is some type of thumb turn deadlock (maybe even two) on the inside to secure the door when the tenant is at home.
Panic hardware is a dumb application. There are better ways.
It appears to me that there is a railing return between the balconies so it means it’s probably not a means of egrees.
I have to agree with exit stairwell.
Salesman is compensated by commission structure so since exit devices bring more $$, sell more exit devices.
Like it…..
Sorry to bring down the mood, but the real reason is probably because the building was built by slaves:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/apr/19/construction-industry-must-step-up-on-human-rights-migrant-workers-qatar
Combine that with lazy, incompetent foremen/managers, and it wouldn’t surprise me if hardware ended up on the wrong door, or the wrong side of a door.
🙁
I’ll agree with the fire escape for tenants on each side of it.
Possibility: The two doors on each side look to have pull handles and keyed deadbolts and swing in and my assumption is they enter directly to individual living areas (apartments). IF, and this is a big IF, the balcony has an occupant load of over 50, then it would be an Assembly space required to have the door swing in the path of egress travel AND have a panic. If one or both of the two side doors were inadvertently (or intentionally) locked with the keys (because they may lead to someone’s apartment), then the center door would be the only means of egress off the balcony. The balcony center door may serve a stairwell, or may just serve the hallway to the floor and allow tenants (other than the two apartments that lead directly to the balcony – maybe cheaper priced units) to go to the balcony for a smoke or whatever without having access to the two apartment doors on either side.
Anyway, just maybe…..