Oaklands Community School, Hampshire
Client: Hampshire County Council
Preparation of a report on the feasibility of a single lift within the school to enable disabled pupils to access parts of the building that had previously proven difficult.
Scope
Oaklands Community School was built in the early 1970's. Internally it was extremely difficult for disabled pupils to manoeuvre freely. This is because the internal floor levels vary along corridors and between classrooms.
Content
Upton McGougan was asked to report on the feasibility of a single lift within the school to enable disabled pupils to access parts of the building that had previously proven difficult.
Several options for the location were considered and it was agreed that the lift should be sited in the rear of the building on the mezzanine floor.
It was agreed that a motorless lift would be the most appropriate due to the limited space available. Whilst it was important for the school to have a lift for disabled use they were concerned about losing the existing space. This was an issue that had to be considered when designing the new lift shaft. The shaft was positioned internally on the rear wall but as it reached the mezzanine level it came out through the roof and continued outside of the existing building line. A linkway was required to join the shaft with the building, all of which had to match the original design features.
The new lift had provided ease of access for disabled users whilst maintaining the existing features of the building both.
The school had struggled for many years with manual chair lifts. They now have a lift which eases the work for carers and pupils alike.