Meet the jury

Dan and Hayden: Speciality Application winners 2023

Let's kick off this jury introduction with the dynamic duo Hayden and Dan. They are the winners of the Specialty category with their stunning, custom-made round door for their home in Redcliffe, Australia, a small town near Brisbane. This couple—a veterinarian and a pilot—flips and renovates houses purely out of passion and for fun.

Every now and again, in the midst of that passion-fueled fun, happy accidents occur. Like with their award-winning specialty pivot door. Hayden shares with us how this came to be:

‘It kind of happened by accident. The architect sketched a round door as a sort of placeholder just for fun. He did think it looked really appropriate for this building. Because the rest of it was so cubic in its design, and it evolved from there. And thanks to FritsJurgens, the round door moves like a charm.

Due to the door's immense weight, the only system capable of handling it was a FritsJurgens system. With our advanced motion technology, it became the obvious and only choice for Dan and Hayden.

What started as a joke evolved into a one-of-a-kind door, quickly becoming the centrepiece and main conversation starter of the house. It’s even become a bit of a landmark in Redcliffe, with neighbours and visitors frequently stopping to admire it. The home is still known today as "the house with the round door.” And every time someone encounters it, they are left in awe. It has become an undeniable focal point, drawing attention from every angle.

For Hayden and Dan, this kind of architectural creativity fuels their passion for flipping and renovating homes. As the winners of the 2023 Specialty Door category, we’re curious: what has winning the Best Pivot Door Contest brought them in terms of broader recognition and attention?

‘Well, we see it as a stepping stone to other architectural awards. And, of course, the attention on leading platforms like Archicomm and DesignBoom gave us a boost and momentum we could definitely use. So, overall, it got us noticed by people who found us and what we do interesting.’’

Speaking of interesting, is there any interesting advice these winners have for this year’s participants? Hayden and Dan take this very seriously and say the following.

‘Push your boundaries. Create something so well-crafted that it elevates your design into something you might have never thought possible. We also believe a door should positively impact the spaces it leads to, becoming an intricate yet striking part of the architecture. A door is never just a door; it's part of a larger vision. Most importantly, a door doesn’t need to be made of 24-karat gold or cost 200,000 euros to be exceptional. You can create something within budget that looks even better. Simply by tapping into your own creativity. Just trust in your design abilities.’

So, be bold and creative. Wise words from our friends down under.

Nick Elias: architect of winning specialty pivot door

The creative mind behind the impressive architecture of “The House with the Round Door” is Nick Elias, senior associate at Architectus Australia. Usually, the projects they take on start at a whopping 2.000.000, but for his friends Hayden and Dan, he made an exception. And with amazing results. Nick explains why he made the exterior door round.

‘It is as in some works of artists like David Hockney and Gerhard Richter, where they do something that kind of breaks with the expectations of the piece, and in that, of the viewer. For instance, Hockney might do some drippings on a perfectly realistic painting. And it is this that gives the painting an extra dimension. Because it is different, it stands out. It provides depth and is thought-provoking. The same goes for this round door in a predominantly square house. It breaks and, in doing so, exceeds expectations. For me, that is really interesting.’

Talking with Nick Elias feels like engaging with a living architectural encyclopedia filled with countless artistic and creative insights. He has a profound understanding of the undeniable value of conceptual context in architecture and the creative foundation that should support it. This means he never simply designs a building or house; every decision he makes is rooted in the context of its location and the core concept behind it. For Nick, there's always a deeper philosophy guiding the design. This approach was no different for the home he designed for Dan and Hayden.

‘I looked at the houses in the neighbourhood, at the historical context of the location, and used that to create a concept where these elements linger like a tribute or a memory. But always contemporary, always within the frame of current architecture.’

At the end of the interview, we asked him what valuable tips he might give future contestants. True to character, Nick had a few.

‘Remember that everything is contextual. So, think about the local language of the buildings, the materiality and the tactility, and the spiritual, the holistic concept of where you are designing the door. And, very important, always design what you want and what you feel, and then figure out how to do it. Be bold, be original, be ambitious. The idea is first, and then the production should follow that idea. It’s okay to make something weird as long as it works for the home and the location.’

From our perspective, that is truly cool advice. Be bold in the idea and trust that your craftsmanship will enable you to realise it. Aim high to reach even higher.

Luke Wainman of Hardwood Projects: exterior pivot door winner 2023

If anything, Luke Wainman is a bit of an outlier. He’s one of those people who, the moment you see him, your mind starts crafting a fitting backstory—but it’s almost always wrong. At first glance, you might think he’s an artist, a designer in an advertising agency, or something along those lines. But he’s not. He is, however, incredibly creative—just in a different field.

Luke designs and handcrafts stunning furniture. And more recently, he’s been making amazing pivot doors. Especially big exterior ones. This is pretty unbelievable for a man whose own front door is, in his own word: ‘shitty.’ About the winning exterior door of 2023, he has this to say:

‘The door we won the Best Pivot Door Contest with is actually the first door we ever made. It proved a stepping stone because nowadays, we do lots of pivot doors. And always with the FritsJurgens systems. About this door, though, we got an assignment for big medieval barn doors. Of course, we said yes, no problem. Afterwards, in the car back to the workshop, I thought: how exactly are we going to do this? But we did because I was sure we could. And look at the result. We even won an award with it.’

Creating that pivot door awakened something within Luke. Something big. And nowadays making enormous pivot doors is part of his craft.

Looking back at winning the Best Pivot Door Contest, he sees that it brought him more than recognition; it brought him the believe that he could do it and a confidence that he did not have before. And that confidence fueled the belief that when he agrees to an assignment, he can deliver in full. No matter how crazy and complicated the assignment may be.

‘If an assignment makes me doubt my ability to complete it, I always take it on. I like a challenge. Even more so, if everybody else says it can’t be done and they won’t take the job, I always do. And we always find a way to get it done. To create what the client wants.’

We already told you so: Luke is incredibly creative.

When asked if he had any solid advice for the participants of 2024, his answer reounded true and simple.

‘Just enter. You have nothing to lose, only to gain. It doesn’t have to be an enormous project, if it’s done in a proper way, and the details are meticulously executed, just enter it.’

The final question we asked Luke was about criteria. What will be your focus point when judging the new projects?

‘I want to see lots of close-up shots. I want to see the material that is used. Good craftsmanship and respect for the materials speak volumes to me. So yeah, show me the details!’

And looking at the doors Luke creates today it is the details that stand out and draw the attention they deserve. Much like Luke’s character.

Jens Otten of Preferro: winner of the interior door 2023

Round shapes have proven to be a key visual element in the 2023 Best Pivot Door Contest. This wasn't just evident in the speciality winner but also in the interior pivot door winner by Preferro. We believe it’s this round shape that adds that special touch, making it a true winner.

Based in the small town of Erp, Preferro operates on a global scale. While they specialize in metal doors, their creativity reaches far beyond that. It’s no surprise they describe themselves as passionate artists and experts in unique, customized creations. After seeing their projects and the door they won the Best Pivot Door Contest with, we couldn’t agree more.

Jens, together with Rob van Lieshout, founded Preferro nearly 13 years ago. Both are firm believers in the undeniable allure of perfection and strive to achieve it in every unique door they create. This pursuit of perfection is a conviction we share wholeheartedly. It’s no surprise that for almost 13 years, Preferro has consistently chosen FritsJurgens for their pivot hinges.

Starting from humble beginnings in a shed in Jens' parents' garden, Preferro has grown into an internationally renowned company serving a high-end clientele who demand perfection at every turn. Jens and Rob always deliver on that promise, and this same level of perfection is clearly reflected in the 2023 interior door winner. Speaking about this door, Jens says:

‘Together with StudioLIV we created this interior pivot door. The original idea for the circle came from Linda Verlouw of StudioLIV, who made one a bit like it for a Dutch entertainer. It immediately grabbed the attention, because it was so different from the usual interior doors.. And we like that. A lot. At Prefer, we want to create something that is not comparable to anything else. We want to create original pieces that are almost experiences in themselves.’

Asking Jens what he hopes to see this year, he tells us:

‘I am looking forward to seeing something new, something original, that really grabs the attention. I am keeping an eye out for the more daring designs made from materials you don’t really expect. Of course, the craftsmanship should be up to par, that goes without saying. And I think this is really important: make sure that the pictures and videos show what the door is about. That means that they are not only professionally shot, especially the video, but they also show everything, including the entire entourage. How does the door work within the space? How does it impact the interior? What materials is it made of?’

At FritsJurgens, we understand just how impactful a door can be. It influences the spaces it connects, shapes the interior design, and even defines the overall indoor experience. It’s far more than just a doorway—especially when it comes to pivot doors. Jens had the following to say about that:

‘Uniqueness comes in many shapes and forms. That means that a door does not have to be big to be impactful because bigger is not always better. The impact and uniqueness can be shown in the design, the meticulous detailing of the material, and the craftsmanship. This is what I, and Rob, of course, will be focussing on.’

And taking the advice of the other judges into account, so will they.

In conclusion: FritsJurgens

According to our future judges, the key takeaway is to make an original statement without losing sight of craftsmanship. Be authentic, but always keep in mind the surroundings and how the door interacts with the spaces it connects—or even how it relates to the design history of the location. At FritsJurgens, we echo this sentiment. A pivot door should never stand alone; it should embellish everything around it.

Therefore, we’ll pay close attention to the materials used and how they’re applied, with a focus on meticulous detail and ease of installation. Naturally, we also want to see how our pivot hinges bring the doors to life. If you have the opportunity to create a professional video, go for it—it might just be the game-changer that sets you apart.

We hereby invite you to join the best Pivot Door Contest. Just Luke’s words in mind: “Just enter. There is nothing to lose, only to gain.”