For example, most exterior doors in public buildings are outward opening. This is for safety reasons. If a large crowd of people attempt to escape from a building, they will all have to back up to open an inward opening door.
One of the main benefits of using an outswing door is that it's a safer option than doors that open inward. Safety is especially important for public buildings, as an inward swing door can make it nearly impossible for a group of people to exit due to an emergency.
Security is enhanced. A very high percentage of home invasions and burglaries begin with the intruder simply kicking in a door. That's virtually impossible when the door swings outward. Windows may still offer a relatively easy way to access a property, but outward-opening doors will certainly deter many intruders.
In older style doors, having the door open outwards would mean that the hinges would be on the outside. This would mean that the door could easily be unattached and opened by a burglar with the right tools. Whilst there are hinges that can be hidden in the door, it's become the norm to have them inward opening.
One of the reasons given for this is modesty, as it is easier to cover up before someone comes around an opening door. Another argument for inward-facing interior doors is safety. If your bedroom door opens onto a passageway with high traffic, you may knock someone over as they walk past.
The front door usually opens outward, which is opposite of in Western houses. This is because Japanese people do not wear shoes in the house, they take off and line up their shoes at the entrance. If the door opens inward, the shoes will be in the way and could cause you to be not able to open the door.
Apartments in Scandinavia were traditionally built quite compact. External doors opening outwards can create a feeling of spaciousness. Where you're restricted on size, it's natural to want to make your home feel quite roomy and outward opening doors go some way to achieve this by not causing any internal obstruction.
Security – inward-opening doors keep the door's hinges safely inside the house, which prevents any potential tampering, and can also be more easily fitted with extra security features such as latches and chains.
Doors in all commercial establishments always open outward, per both commercial building and fire codes. This insures that means of egress will not become choke points in the event of fire, natural disaster, or general panic. Why don't all front doors open inward?
Two doors indicated that the house probably had more than one room, which was a real symbol of prosperity for the American pioneer class. This reason makes sense when you consider that many midcentury homes (and even today's houses) make a show of the number of garage doors attached to the dwelling.
For safety in case of fire. It would be much easier to leave house or apartment.
Outward-opening doors are also more secure than inward-opening doors because they're less likely to be forced open from the inside. Additionally, outward-opening doors can be secured with locks and latches that are located on both the outside and inside of the door, making it difficult for intruders to gain access.
Inward opening French doors may be better suited to you if you have the opposite – more inside space vs outside space – making this configuration ideal for balconies.
No One Uses Their Front Door (But Everyone Has One)
“Front door” is a misnomer. They're just decorations to confuse out-of-state guests. No one uses them. You might be bewildered to see planters, barrels and all manner of seasonal landscaping placed squarely in the way of front doors.
The initial purpose of this door design was to keep animals out of farmhouses or to keep children inside while allowing light and air to filter through the open top; essentially combining a door with a fairly large window.
Australian houses, especially Federation houses and those built before World War II, would often have door handles two-thirds of the way up the door. The exact reason why is still unclear. Some people argue that it was to ensure children couldn't enter rooms, while others say it was more a trend or fashion.
But why do bathroom stall doors swing in? The most common answer is that it comes down to space saving. Public restrooms are often cramped and crowded. People are trying to move from the stalls to the sinks and back out the door.
The hinges will only be visible from the inside of the home or building. Therefore, burglars and other nefarious individuals won't be able to easily remove them. They won't be able to see the hinges, so they won't be able to pop out the pins holding the leafs together.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, red doors were common in churches as a sign of sanctuary and as a symbol of wealth and status in the homes of the wealthy. This practice was replicated across the colonial United States. This reason was partly practical as red paint was the most stable and the least expensive to produce.
Irish culture has many known associations with the red front door. When Queen Victoria ordered them to paint their doors black, red doors were a sign of rebellion. There is also folklore symbolism with some choosing to believe a red front door warns off evil spirits and ghosts.
In Ireland, doors are painted red to ward off ghosts and evil spirits, but in Scotland people paint their doors red to show they have paid off their mortgage. The Israelites put lamb's blood on their doors to protect them from death during the Exodus.
They will always provide a means to secure your things, like a coin locker or storage room where you can leave your belongings safe while exploring the city. If you wonder why pods cannot be locked, it is because capsule hotels are technically not considered actual hotels in Japan, thus not requiring a locking system.
When a mob of people rushes an exit, it's very hard for somebody to open the door inward -- everyone pushes up against the door, and there is no room for it to open. For this reason, an effective emergency exit needs to open outward, moving with the force of the mob.
Why are doorways low in England? The low doorways you speak of were most likely found in very old houses & cottages, which also have low ceilings for the simple reason that people were generally smaller in stature than today.