A groundbreaking approach to underfloor door automation has secured top honours at the AI Specification Awards 2026, with Gretsch-Unitas Ltd winning the Product Design & Innovation – Electronic Award sponsored by the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA).
The award, presented at a ceremony held at IET London: Savoy Place, recognises outstanding innovation in electronic access control and automation, celebrating products that enhance performance, safety, security and usability within modern building design.
The winning entry – which beat ASSA ABLOY and Finfort Ltd to the top spot – impressed judges with its ability to ‘combine high-performance door automation with a discreet architectural solution’. Fully concealed beneath the floor, the GU DTN 80 UFO enables specifiers and designers to deliver automatic door functionality while maintaining clean architectural lines and unobstructed aesthetics.
Designed for demanding applications including fire doors, escape routes and accessible entrances, the operator is capable of automating doors weighing up to 600 kilograms while delivering smooth, quiet and reliable performance.
Darren Hyde, ADSA’s Head of Technical at ADSA, said: “The GU DTN 80 UFO is an excellent example of how innovation can address both technical and architectural requirements without compromise. Modern buildings increasingly demand solutions that combine accessibility, safety, performance and aesthetics, and this product demonstrates how those objectives can be successfully achieved within a single system.”
A video of the winning entry can be viewed here:
The Product Design & Innovation – Electronic Award recognises cutting-edge developments in electronic access control and automation, highlighting technologies that advance building performance while supporting the evolving needs of architects, specifiers and building users.
ADSA sponsored the category for the third consecutive biannual awards, reflecting its commitment to promoting innovation, safety and technical excellence across the automatic door and access control industry.
The awards are organised by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and celebrate excellence in the specification and design of architectural ironmongery throughout the construction industry.
For more information about ADSA visit: www.adsa.org.uk.
Pic Cap: (L to R) Philip Goldberg – Em-B Solutions Ltd (GAI Vice President), Robert Rossall – Gretsch Unitas Limited, Craig Lakin – Gretsch Unitas Limited, Darren Hyde – ADSA