ACCESSIBILITY & LIFTS 63
Rising to the refurb challenge 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
ADF DECEMBER 2022
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
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
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