DDA-compliant access in Grade 1 listed building

YMCA Winchester

The biggest challenge faced by the project team in refurbishing the new YMCA premises in historic Winchester were the regulatory building constraints placed upon the Grade I listed building. The YMCA premises hosts a diverse range of visitors and therefore requires easy DDA-compliant access, with the main reception area being 1m below pavement level, accessed by a short run of stairs. A 1m steplift was specified for the project.

However, the Platform Lift Company had to think laterally – they were not permitted to fix the steplift to the wall or the floor in the vicinity of the entrance, as the building structure was protected by the Listed Buildings Regulations. Instead a custom built steplift was supplied to fit flush to the stair run and was affixed directly to the stairs. The final appearance was enhanced by powder coating the rails on the steplift to the architect’s exact colour specification, creating a low impact installation that complemented the environment.