Four, Five, Six and Seven Step Sesame Wheelchair Lift Examples
Arkwright House, Manchester
Arkwright House is a fine Grade II listed building located overlooking Parsonage Gardens in Central Manchester.
This building underwent a dramatic office refurbishment process which relied heavily on approval of plans by the local council for wheelchair access over the five steps rise, which was granted thanks to the nature of the Sesame System.
Institute of Civil Engineers, Westminster
The Institute is housed in a listed building in Central London and in order to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act needed to find a solution for wheelchair users to gain entrance over the stairs leading from the street to their reception area and then over a further short rise set of stairs within the building. Given the technical expertise of the many visitors to the Institute, the unique engineering concept of the Sesame System was very appealing as it offered to them a practical solution that was also very much in keeping with the professionalism of the Institute's membership. As seen in the photograph the Sesame six step wheelchair lift fitted to the external entrance is clad in Limestone and once this is weathered it will fully blend into its surroundings as there are only 6mm gaps bounding the moving parts and static area. A further feature of this installation is that the control button box rises from below the stair lift when the stairs retract.
The internal Sesame five step wheelchair lift is clad in marble to match the surrounds and the option of a swinging gate has been chosen rather than the rising barrier. Again like the external lift it has been fitted with a rising control button box when the lift is called but whilst the Sesame is in stair mode for pedestrian use the box is fitted into the wall to make the System anonymous and blended totally with the surrounding area.
The following is a quote from the Institute of Civil Engineers own web site:
The Honourable Society of Grays Inn
The buildings within the Inn are grouped principally in two squares, with the remainder ranged around the gardens. The buildings range in age from before the 18th century through to the 20th century, with the former group all being listed as of architectural and historic interest.
It was the renovation of the bar and dining area in Grays Inn that prompted the search for a Sesame system to give discrete wheelchair access to the members and guests. The architect in this, like many examples, had used the Sesame system before which allowed him to incorporate the system into the design at the early stages of the renovation.
(BBC) Beaumont House, Westminster
This attractive listed building is situated in a terrace of similar properties located in a prestigious area of West London. It is part of the BBC's portfolio of accommodation, housing both visitors to the Corporation and staff. Like the other properties in the area the front door is above street level and entrance is gained up short rise steps bridging the boundary moat between the property's frontage and the pavement.
With the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act now on the statute book it was necessary to solve the need to provide access to the property for wheelchair users. With only limited space available and the restrictions imposed on changes to the fabric of listed buildings, the problem appeared to be insurmountable. Clearly the option of a removable ramp would be both out of keeping with the general environment and detract from the desire to maintain conformity. It would also take away from the disabled their wish to be as independent as possible.
A Sesame System provided the answer to this conundrum, which as shown in the pictures, when not in use is invisible thus making the entrance to Beaumont House identical to the neighboring properties. Furthermore when in use, the Sesame System is linked to the entrance doors, so these open automatically giving the wheelchair user greater independence and a shorter time in returning the stairs to pedestrian use. The installation is much appreciated by the residents of all the properties in the area and unlike other disabled access facilities; the Sesame System does not detract from the quality of the architecture.
The problem of disabled access faced at Beaumont House is replicated throughout the U.K. Early architectural design was often based on the concept of a moat surrounding properties incorporating a basement housing kitchens and servants quarters with steps bridging up from street level to the remainder of the residence. Many of these properties have been converted into commercial use and the Sesame System offers the answer in providing wheelchair access without compromising the aesthetic design of the building.
