Renovating older buildings requires a delicate balance of facilitating disability access while remaining sensitive to a building’s original character, says Sean O’Sullivan from The Platform Lift Company
A visit to a local market town or high street provides stark evidence of just how many retail buildings are now standing empty because of the pandemic, rising energy bills and competition from online stores.
What is happening to these buildings? A report by Save Britain’s Heritage, ‘Departing Stores: Emporia at Risk’ highlights the historic significance and architectural merits of the department store, and argues that these “cathedrals of commerce should – and can – be rescued, and new uses found.”
The £95m government-funded High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme, which is being delivered by Historic England, also aims to “unlock the potential of high streets, fuelling economic, social and cultural recovery, and breathing new life into them for future generations.”
The argument for reuse versus demolition is further strengthened by the Climate Change Act to reduce emissions and waste. Transforming and restoring disused and dilapidated buildings into new homes, workplaces and community space is a much greener and more ethical solution. It is also an opportunity to update older buildings into accessible spaces.
Irregular layouts, limited space, narrow corridors and steep stairs as well as differences in floor heights or steps can all present physical barriers within an older building. However, with the advancement in design of platform lifts, even historic environments which might have been deemed inaccessible because of the layout and precious fabric of the building, are now achieving access through sensitive alterations.
Bridging the gap between old and new
Low rise platform lifts are still one of the most popular products to reach heights of up to 3 metres. Not only do they take up less space than a ramp, they are also easy to install and are visually unobtrusive. Hidden step lifts and stairs which transform into a platform lift are also available, offering innovative solutions that can be subtly integrated while preserving the character of the building.
To reach heights of over 3 metres, the vertical platform lift wins against the passenger lift when it comes to cost and energy efficiency. They also have very small footprints – as little as 1,560 mm deep x 1,250 mm wide – but remain compliant with Part M of the Building Regulations.
A vertical platform lift also requires much less head space than a passenger lift, making them ideal for older buildings that are being repurposed. For example, a standard platform lift requires 2.2 metres from the finished floor level – the distance from the floor up to the top of the shaft when the lift is at its highest point. A cabin style platform lift will need a little more head space (2.5 metres).
Vertical platform lifts can be installed by creating a 50 mm pit in the floor but in many cases a ramp is fitted to the front of the shaft to conserve the existing floor material.
The self-supporting shaft is also freestanding and doesn’t require any fixings, leaving sensitive wall fabrics untouched. In some cases – especially with a department store, warehouse or factory style building, an existing lift shaft can be used.
Wenlock Works
This 1980s building in east London has been renovated into a refurbished contemporary office designed to tie in with the unique industrial architecture of Shoreditch. Fit-out contractor Thirdway specified a platform lift with a unique finish, and one which could comfortably reach a total ‘travel’ of 3,555 mm, as well as fitting in the existing shaft. The clean-lined model chosen combines a large platform size with a small external footprint, plus a low noise level and dual guided chain system.
Featuring a fully glazed door, it was supplied with a special narrow platform to accommodate the current shaft. A non-standard jet black finish was used to co-ordinate with other structural elements. Glazed panels were incorporated into the shaft on the upper ground level, contributing to the natural light.
Installation was carried out over two days with minimal building works. The three-stop lift has made both floors fully accessible from the street level entrance and overcome steps between office suites.
Disability access
Creating a new injection of life into a building gives so much opportunity to not only conserve historic features or its industrial past, but also to embrace change. Over 20% of the population have a disability, so accessibility is a vital element of the future of any public or private building that is destined to become a home, workplace or a community space.
It is a careful balance of retaining the integrity of the historic architecture, the heritage of the building, and introducing modern design to enable the environment to be accessed by all. Architectural solutions like wheelchair lifts can help transform derelict buildings to produce positive accessible results for the future.
Sean O’Sullivan is managing director of The Platform Lift Company