The Swan at Streatley

The Swan at Streatley is a 17th century hotel on the banks of the River Thames, around 11 miles from Reading. The Hotel recently underwent a £12 million refurbishment including a new restaurant, redesigned rooms and a Coppa Club. The Coppa Club is a take on a private members club with a 380 cover restaurant, a large bar, fireplaces, events rooms and a private dinning room overlooking the river. Other Coppa Clubs are situated on the Thames at Henley, Sonning, Maidenhead and the most well known on the north bank by Tower Bridge in London. 

During the renovation we were asked by Quadrant Design, having worked with them on projects at Venture House in Reading and Wagamama Wigmore Street, to install two platform lifts. The first, outside of the restaurant, travels a total of 800mm linking the restaurant with the covered terrace on the banks fo the river. The second, outside of the riverside function room, also travels 800mm which allows guests to access the small island off of the main hotel's ground to enjoy all the river has to offer. The lifts were finished in the same dark grey colour as the windows and door frames. They feature non skid platforms so that even in the rain the lifts can be used quickly and safely. Both platforms measure 1100mm x 1400mm and have rated loads of 300kg so even the largest electric wheelchairs can be accommodated.  Both lifts are designed to withstand even the harshest of conditions and as you can see in the photos they can easily cope with the British summer. 

The lifts were installed in time for the hotels grand reopening in July 2019.

Location: Berkshire

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2019

To see some of our projects that are similar to The Swan at Streatley click on the following links:

Disabled platform lift outside the function room at The Swan at Streatley
Outside platform lift linking the function room with the lower terrace
Wheelchair lift allowing access to the island to enjoy the river at The Swan at Streatley
Platform lift outside the restaurant at The Swan at Streatley
Wheelchair lift overlooking the covered terrace at The Swan at Streatley
Platform lift overlooking the River Thames

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

The Base at Greenham

We were approached by Calco Construction, a Newbury based construction company, who we had previously worked with during the construction of a home in Enbourne, Berkshire. Calco builds several luxury homes in the Newbury area as well as the wider South. In addition Calco has undertaken several commercial projects including the construction of The Base during wider renovation works of Greenham Common. Greenham used to be the location of RAF Greenham Common and later US Air Force base during the Cold War. After many years the infamous base was then turned back into public land in the 2000s. Redevelopment works have kickstarted over the last few years with new commercial buildings being built. Calco was responsible for the construction of the new £1.7M building that would house a number of arts and craft installations. 

Calco needed a lift at The Base, Greenham that would connect the ground floor where the café and main gallery is located with artist's individual small galleries on 1st floor. The building has an industrial appearance throughout its structure with individual caged artist studios, exposed concrete blocks and no suspended ceilings. The lift cabin features white panelled walls with a half height mirror opposite the lift doors. These features attract light into the lift cabin making the space feel larger than it is. The lift has sliding doors on each floor and is finished with plastic coated steelwork. The advantage of plastic coated steel on an installation like this is that it is less likely to smudge compared with brushed or polished stainless steel. In commercial buildings such as The Base, Greenham with many daily visitors, fingerprints can cause greasy marks and can quickly make the lift look unclean.

The lift installation was finished in time for The Base's grand opening in February 2019.

Location: Berkshire

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2019

To see similar projects to The Base, Greenham click on the following links:

Meriden Hall | British Library | New Forest Ice Cream | Paternoster SquareBranksome Park | Powys | Whitecliff | Bosham

Outside The Base Arts Centre in Greenham near Newbury
Lift on 1t Floor at The Base, Greenham
White Lift Interior at The Base, Greenham
Ground Floor Lift at The Base, Greenham Common
Lift with open sliding doors on 1st Floor at The Base, Greenham Business Park

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

The Newt in Somerset

Hadspen House was built in the late 17th century and is situated in East Somerset. The Grade II* listed building has undergone many transformations in its time and now the main house as well as the surrounding outbuildings and lodges have been renovated into a luxury country hotel. The Newt in Somerset boasts 35 rooms from converted stable blocks to a loft in the main house. In addition to the rooms, there are a number of other attractions on the estate. The spa is located a short walk up the driveway from the main house. It features various treatment rooms, a pool and even a mud chamber. The restaurant, attached to the main house, features a complete sloped glass ceiling combining the original Georgian house with state of the art modern style. It serves food from their kitchen garden which you can see while enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner. They even produce venison from the estate's deer park, making sure as much produce as possible is gathered from the local area. The estate also features 3000 strong apple tree orchards with its very own cider press where guests can see the whole process from pressing the apples to enjoying the cider. 

The client needed two lifts for The Newt in Somerset, the first a goods lift which would be used to ferry items from the kitchen on the ground floor up into the rest of the hotel as well as take deliveries. This one tonne goods lift was finished with brushed stainless steel walls and ceilings to match the kitchen surfaces. The second, an antique passenger lift that would provide access for guests across the 3 floors of the hotel. The client had a very specific vision having purchased the stripped down panelling of a 19th century mahogany lift from an antique shop. They wanted a lift that would be befitting of the hotel and vice versa. Our task was to use as much of the original materials as possible whilst adapting the panelling into a completely new lift layout. The antique panelling was then fitted onto a modern hydraulic lift. We even managed to keep the original operating instructions, original brass push buttons, original green leather seat and the 19th century brass R. Waygood & Co sign. 

Below are a number of photos of the antique passenger lift at The Newt in Somerset.

Location: Somerset

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2019

To see projects similar to The Newt in Somerset as well as other projects in listed buildings click on the following links:

British Library | York Theatre Royal | Dancing Man Brewery | National Theatre | Meriden Hall | Sissinghurst Castle Garden | Hotel du Vin Poole

The driveway leading up to the main house at The Newt in Somerset
The main house at The Newt in Somerset
Interior of the antique lift in The Newt in Somerset
The antique passenger lift on the first floor of the The Newt in Somerset

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

R. Waygood & Co brass threshold plate
Mirrored light-box in the antique passenger lift
Instructions for operating the lift

Hidden Traversing Lift at Sissinghurst Castle Garden

We were approached by a representative of the National Trust as they were looking for a way for less-able visitors to access the lower level of the shop at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Sissinghurst Castle Garden was bought by the writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson in 1930, with various buildings around the site dating back to the 1530s. Sackville-West and Nicolson restored many of the buildings and designed the layout and style of the now famous gardens. It is one of the National Trust's most visited sites and one of the world's most well known gardens. Due to their cultural significance and high quality the gardens are Grade I listed along with the main Sissinghurst Castle building.

The site of the lift is in the modern day shop which used to be the Old Piggery attached to the granary. The particular challenges of creating disabled access in the shop were that a ramp would have to be over 4.5 metres long plus a 1.5 metre clear space at the bottom of the ramp in order to accommodate the difference between floor levels. This wasn't feasible as the total width of the lower floor was under 4 metres. A traditional platform lift would take up at least 1400mm x 1100mm of retail space and then a 900mm door on both levels would impact the retail space even further. This would have disrupted both the till area and lower level of the shop. Even though it was feasible the disruption and the space that the lift would take up would damage the retail space for the shop.

The best solution was to have a hidden platform lift by the steps in the middle of the shop that wouldn't need any gates. The lift would provide the necessary disabled access but when not in use it would be completely flat matching the surrounding quarry tile floor. The way the lift recedes into the ground allows users to get onto the lift from both sides of the shop and allows the shop staff to have a seasonal table close to the lift as seen in the photos below. When not in use the lift can be walked on and becomes part of the floor.

To see more examples hidden lifts like the one at Sissinghurst Castle Garden click on the following links:

200 Grays Inn Road | Devonshire Club | Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art | 24 Chiswell Street | Venture House 

To see more examples of our work in listed buildings click on the following links:

British Library | York Theatre Royal | Dancing Man Brewery | National Theatre | Hotel du Vin Poole

Location: Kent

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2019

Hidden lift in the National Trust shop at Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65, email us or click here to be taken to our hidden lifts page

Marine Platform Lift for Ribs

Making boats accessible has proven difficult in the past, in particular smaller and private vessels. The main challenges that these projects face are: 1. function 2. materials 3. aesthetics. Our marine platform lifts look to tackle these challenges and create products that stand up to the hostile marine environment and look great.

Nowadays most platform lifts work perfectly fine (on land) however couple that with the motion of the tide or swell and being fixed into a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) boat hull they can quickly become ineffective. The greatest challenge that marine lifts face is seawater. If a product is not designed with this in mind corrosion and pitting corrosion can cause complete product failure. That's why every part and material we use is researched in order to see how it copes in a saltwater environment as well as how they interact with each other over time. All steelwork for our marine platform lifts is made out of 316L marine-grade stainless steel, this prevents rusting over time and allows our products to withstand the harsh saltwater environment. Depending on the likelihood of coming into contact with saltwater, the metalwork can undergo a range of metal treatments on top of being made out of marine-grade stainless steel. For example if a boat is a leisure cruiser on a freshwater body such as a lake then the likelihood of rusting is greatly reduced compared to a high speed rib that's going to be used at sea. For this particular project, the lift underwent a number of metal treatments due to the location of the lift at the front of the boat and the type of boat. The high speed nature of the rib would lead to more saltwater breaking over the hull and coming into contact with the lift. 

We tailor make all of our marine platform lifts to the client's specifications, this includes the look and finishes used on the lift. For ribs and speedboats original teak decking can be used so that the lift blends into the rest of the deck. A number of metal finishes are available for any exposed metalwork including mirrored finishes as seen on the detachable handrails for this project. We also use rubber and neoprene for safety edges and protective borders to prevent scratching of both the lift and boat.

This project was similar in design to our previous project for a speedboat (you can view that project by clicking here) however it posed a number of unique challenges. As the boat was a rib, any lift would have to be considerably lighter so not to weigh it down and affect overall performance. The position of the lift at the front of the boat could affect the drive of the boat, particularly at high speed and with very little room to work in the lift would have to be fixed to the GRP hull rather than structural steelwork. 

We also created a bespoke ramp that changes into steps when needed. This allows any wheelchair users as well as other guests to easily board and disembark the rib. Both parts, the marine platform lift and ramp were finished with teak (as seen in the video and photos below) to match the rest of the deck and create a beautifully finished product.

Location: Hampshire & Côte d'Azur

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2018

Marine Platform Lift Extended
Marine Platform Lift in Decking
Marine Platform Lift for Ribs
Ramps to Steps Extended
Marine Platform Lift

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Platform Lift in Wagamama Wigmore Street

Quadrant Design, an architectural practice based in Reading, were in charge of designing the layout of a new Wagamama restaurant on Wigmore Street in central London. Wagamama is a popular Japanese restaurant with over 130 locations in the UK and a total of over 190 worldwide. Wigmore Street runs parallel to Oxford Street with Regent's Park to the north and Hyde Park to the south-west. Its central location means there is a large collection of restaurants supplying both offices and tourists alike. Quadrant are specialists in restaurant design having created restaurants for the likes of Pizza Express, Tortilla and Coppa Club. Quadrant needed a way for wheelchair using customers to get from the entrance at street level down to the main restaurant area, 660mm lower. We met with the architect and site manager at Wagamama, Wigmore Street to discuss the aesthetic they were looking for and how this could be achieved. 

The platform lift at Wagamama Wigmore Street would be replacing a pre-existing ramp. As we've found with several restaurants there is a conflict between whether to go for a lift or a ramp. Ramps are usually more affordable however they take up table space and so limit the amount of covers the restaurant can have at any one time. This then impacts the long term profitability of the restaurant. The architect decided that the lift would be the better option. The overall footprint of the lift is 1350mm x 1700mm, which equals 2.23m². On the other hand a DDA compliant ramp with a rise of 635mm would have a footprint of nearly 15.5m². Comparing the restaurant before and after refurbishment, the surplus space equates to at least 20 covers. This shows how a lift can maximise a restaurant's potential and boost its overall profits. The lift's platform measure 1100mm x 1400m with glass doors and panels on all 4 sides to match the modern aesthetic of the restaurant. The metalwork was finished in the same dark grey used in the rest of the restaurant. The lift was installed in time for Wagamama Wigmore Street's grand opening.

To see some of our projects that are similar to Wagamama Wigmore Street click on the following links:
Devonshire Club | Cheltenham Racecourse | Hotel du Vin Poole | Audi Northampton | Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Location: London

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2018

Platform Lift in Wagamama
Glass Platform Lift in Wagamama, Wigmore Street
Wheelchair Platform Lift in Wagamama
Disabled Platform Lift in Wagamama, Wigmore Street
Platform Lifts for Restaurants

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Hotel du Vin Poole

Hotel du Vin is a boutique hotel chain with 19 locations covering England and Scotland. As the title suggests the chain was founded with wine at the heart of its business. Hotel du Vin Poole is situated in Poole Old Town tucked away from the quay opposite St James' Church. The original building dates back to 1776 as the Mansion House, Hotel du Vin have then refurbished the site retaining many of the original features. The front entrance of the property is raised from street level and then once inside the property the property is split. The reception is on the upper ground level whilst the restaurant, bar and wine tasting area is on the lower ground floor. Both of these levels are separated via stone staircases therefore having a complete access route at the front of the building would prove difficult and costly. In addition any modifications to the front of the building would also have to meet the requirements of Historic England as the building is Grade II* listed. 

The solution to creating the best possible access route into the building for disabled guests was to use the street level to the side of the building. This then leads into the side of restaurant. From the restaurant, disabled guests can access both the bar and outdoor seating area. The platform of the lift measures 1100mm x 1400mm with a rated load of 300kg. This means that it can take even the heaviest of electric buggies. The lift in the restaurant allows guests to access all of what Hotel du Vin Poole has to offer. In addition the hotel has accessible rooms behind the restaurant at street level.

Location: Dorset

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2013

To see similar projects to Hotel du Vin Poole click on the following links:

Wagamama Wigmore Street | Sissinghurst Castle GardenCheltenham Racecourse | Devonshire Club | Audi NorthamptonBaltic Centre.

Lift at the Hotel du Vin Poole
Disabled Access Lift at the Hotel du Vin Poole
Hotel du Vin Poole - Lift in Restaurant
Lift in the restaurant at Hotel du Vin Poole
Platform Lift at the Hotel du Vin Poole

For more information about lifts like the ones featured above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Platform Lift at Brunel House, Cardiff

Brunel House is situated in Cardiff city centre, 5 minutes away from the main shopping thoroughfares and opposite Cardiff Queen Street Station. The building is one of the largest office blocks in central Cardiff and lends itself to large floor plates across 15 floors with views of the city. Brunel House has tenants such as Legal & General, Admiral, HMRC and Regus. Gpad London headed up the design of the new refurbishment of the entrance and lobby. The largest addition to the building is the fully glazed extension of the entrance allowing light to flood the main entrance. This offers an inviting space to visitors and workers alike. The new lobby features a vibrant café with open plan work and meeting areas. The interior of the building was designed to reflect its industrial nature with bronze and patinated finishes present throughout. 

The new design of the entrance and main reception led to a split level lobby. The entrance was made level with the street allowing access for wheelchair users. However this floor level difference created an access problem for wheelchair users between the street entrance and the main reception area. We designed a platform lift with the architect to travel the 1210mm between floors with a platform measuring 1100mm x 1400mm. The platform size offers ample space and the rated load of 400kg allows for even the largest electric mobility buggies. The light and spacious feel of the lobby was reflected in the lift with glass panels and gates giving a modern finish. The lift was installed in time for the main entrance's reopening in December 2017.

Location: Cardiff

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2017

To see similar projects to Brunel House click on the following links:

National Army Museum | 200 Gray's Inn RoadSeven Dials Warehouse | Venture House | Southwark Council | 24 Chiswell Street | Elm Yard

DDA Lift at Brunel House, Cardiff
Wheelchair Platform LIft at Brunel House
Platform Lift at Brunel House
Platform Lift at central Cardiff office building
Brunel House is one of the largest office blocks in Cardiff
Platform Lift in Cardiff

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Hidden Platform Lift at 200 Gray’s Inn Road

Owned by The Great Ropemaker Partnership, a 50:50 venture between Great Portland Estates plc and Ropemaker Properties Ltd (part of the BP Pension Fund Ltd), 200 Gray’s Inn Road is situated in the heart of the Capital between the City of London and the West End. The area, close to Clerkenwell and St Pancras, is home to a wide range of media and tech companies. Mace were contracted to carry out the refurbishment of the reception and main entrance. We worked with Mace and  the architect to discuss the different disabled access options available in the reception area. We decided the best option was to design and install a hidden platform lift. The hidden platform lift would provide disabled access but would disappear into the ground with only the stainless steel trim visible. This type of platform lift is extremely popular in commercial buildings where architects are looking for a continuation of materials and design across a whole project.

The majority of the offices at 200 Gray’s Inn Road is made up of open plan common workspace and several large newsrooms for the occupiers. The lift itself is situated in the centre of the lobby and provides access across the split level lobby design. The lift rises a total of 360mm across the 3 steps in the reception with a traverse of 900mm. The platform measures 1180mm x 1500mm which allows large wheelchair and even electric buggies to use it. The rated load of the hidden platform lift is 385kg. The architect decided to finish the lift with the same stone as the rest of the reception. The reception was opened in October 2018 with additional work on the ground floor being carried out into 2019.

Location: London

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2018

To see projects similar to 200 Gray's Inn Road click on the following links:

National Army MuseumBrunel House | Seven Dials Warehouse | Venture House | Southwark Council | 24 Chiswell Street | Elm Yard | Sissinghurst Castle Garden

200 Grays Inn Road - Hidden Platform Lift
200 Gray's Inn Road - Hidden Platform Lift
200 Gray's Inn Road Hidden Lift
200 Grays Inn Road - Hidden Platform Lift
200 Grays Inn Road Access Lifts
200 Grays Inn Road - Hidden Platform Lift for ITN and ITV
200 Gray's Inn Road Disabled Platform Lift

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65, email us or click here to be taken to our hidden lifts page

Goods Lift for Manchester Metropolitan University

We were approached by Kier who were refurbishing an existing textile mill for Manchester Metropolitan University. Kier is one of the UK's largest construction companies and employs over 20,000 staff.  They won the £8 million contract to renovate the site at Great Marlborough Street for the University. The building at Great Marlborough Street is an old Victorian textile mill that is situated close to Manchester Oxford Road station and the Bridgewater Canal in central Manchester.  The mill is one of many across Manchester that used to produce many textile goods from cotton in 19th century. The refurbishment would provide 5 floors of new office space for the University staff. The client wanted a goods lift for Manchester Metropolitan University to make deliveries into the building easy. They wanted a lift that would be practical but would stay true to the building's industrial history.

We installed a goods lift with a platform measuring 1500mm x 1120mm. The lift travels 1900mm across the two floor levels and has a rated load of 300kg. The lift was finished in black to compliment the modern facade of the building. The client chose mesh sides and doors to match the industrial aesthetics of the building. The lift is made from hot-dipped galvanised steel which means it can stand up to any weather and will not rust.

To see more of our projects similar to this goods lift for Manchester Metropolitan University click on the following links: Platform Lifts at the National Army Museum, Platform Lift at Venture House in Reading, Platform Lift at Seven Dials Outdoor Wheelchair Lift for Elm Yard and Goods Lift at Commercial Office in the City of London.

Location: Manchester

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2018

Goods Lift for Manchester Metropolitan University
Goods Lift for Manchester Met University
Goods Lift for Manchester Metropolitan University
Goods Lift for Manchester Metropolitan University - Great Marlborough Street
Goods Lift for Man Met University

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us