Case Studies

Asprey extends luxury lifestyle to all

Quintessential British Store chooses EquiLift
Earlier this year, Asprey, the British luxury lifestyle house, opened its magnificent flagship store, at 167 New Bond Street in London. The 20,000 sq ft of space has been the home of Asprey since 1847. The new design, by Lord Foster took two years to complete: careful consideration was made to ensure that both the old and new are blended together perfectly so that period features are maintained alongside stunning modern architectural elements.

Access All Areas at the Royal Albert Hall

Major development works to improve accessibility at the Hall
With support from the Arts Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, one of the UK’s most notable theatres, The Royal Albert Hall, has undertaken major development work to improve its facilities for visitors and performers of all abilities. Work on the Grade 1 Listed building began in 1996 and is due to be completed by the end of 2003.

Working with the recommendations laid out in the Disability Discrimination Act, the Hall has introduced many improvements including assisted hearing facilities and unisex wheelchair accessible toilets. A major emphasis has been placed on making adjustments to the physical features that could impede access for physically disabled people. Access to all areas, from the Basement to the Gallery is covered by passenger lifts, which feature tactile, and Braille buttons.

The Hall has three restaurants, all of which are now fully accessible: Located on the Circle level, the Elgar Restaurant is on two levels. With limited space available, it was decided to install a EquiLift Spira Platform Lift. The lift is fitted to the staircase and can accommodate a wheelchair passenger, when not in use, the Spira can simply be folded neatly away, to not impede access for other people.

The Spira lift has been manufactured in the UK by EquiLift for over twenty years, a testimony to the quality and performance of the product, it remains one of the company’s best selling products.

 

Raising the Standards for Accessibility

First BSI approved Vertical Platform Lift Installed at Birmingham’s Revolutionary Arts and Media Quarter.
The UK’s first BSI approved Vertical Platform Lift, The EquiLift Vertex, has been installed within The Custard Factory, Birmingham’s vibrant hub or arts and Media activity. The Custard Factory is a 5 acre site which was originally built as industrial factories by Sir Alfred Bird, the inventor of custard a hundred years ago.

By the early 1980’s the factories had fallen into a derelict state. In 1990 work began to restore the buildings and by Summer 2002 a hundred studio’s/offices, lakeside shops, galleries and restaurants plus the Green Man, a towering 40ft sculpture made of earth fire and water were in place. Still to come are a luxury hotel, apartments, a riverside walk, bridge and perfume garden for the blind.

One of the bright young companies who have taken office space at the centre is Maverick TV. The company have been creating award winning television programmes, books and blue chip corporate video’s since their launch in 1994. Maverick are proud of their commitment to their staff as well as giving opportunities to new talent. With a production centre in the heart of London, the company’s Head Office, at the Custard Factory is housed on two levels. In order to make their premises accessible at all levels to all abilities the company has chosen to install the UK’s only BSI Approved Vertical Platform Lift, the Vertex from EquiLift. The Vertex links the lower level reception to the upper level office area.

The Vertex has been designed and built in the UK by EquiLift, to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995). The lift is built to the highest standards of quality, safety and reliability. As a testament to this the Vertex is the only Vertical Platform Lift on the market that has been approved by the British Standard Institute.

As standard the Vertex is fitted with soft start and stop to ensure an ultra smooth and quiet travel for passengers, whilst ensuring minimum disturbance to the working environment. Customers have a choice of colours and finishes available to them, so that their lift can match the surroundings where it is situated.

 

Thyssen Gets Top Marks at Woodingdean School

The installation of two incline platform lifts at Woodingdean Primary School, Brighton, is a prime example of how leading UK manufacturer EquiLift is helping to meet the growing need for wheelchair access in schools, colleges, universities and other places of education.

Although a single-storey construction, the 340-pupil Woodingdean Primary School is situated on a hillside location, meaning that the interior of the building is a two tier design.

The need for access facilities arose when a pupil with walking disabilities enrolled at the school, and it was decided that the installation of a Tangent EquiLift Straight Platform Lift at each of the two sets of stairs which link the lower classroom level with the assembly/dining hall and offices on the upper tier would be the ideal solution.

The lifts, which each operate along an eight-step run, are equipped with a handrail and side safety guard which both move automatically into place at the touch of a button, and the landing controls operated by a member of staff provide constant pressure with stop buttons and key switches to prevent unauthorised use.

The Education Services department of Brighton and Hove City Council specified the EquiLift product after a successful installation at another of the local education authority's school premises.

Gary Chapman, of Brighton and Hove Education Services, said: "We provide access facilities for wheelchair users in our schools as and when the need arises, and EquiLift was chosen on this occasion for the space saving design of the straight platform lift, and because of our complete satisfaction with a previous installation."

The Tangent is suitable for a vast range of public buildings, including restaurants, theatres, town halls, office buildings and leisure centres, and its efficient design is an effective alternative to costly passenger lifts or long ramps which can both result in a loss of valuable floor area.

Application of the Tangent is appropriate for straight staircases, internal or external use, dual purpose wheelchair platform with fold-down seat or for one person in a wheelchair.

Fitted as standard are sensitive edges to the underside of the platform to halt the unit on meeting an obstruction. There are optional features including a special colour, fold-down seat and fully automatic platform and barrier arms, a vertical rise is also available where space is a constraint at the bottom of a staircase.
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