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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Disabled Platform Lift for Bristol University

We were approached by Portakabin who were looking to install a disabled platform lift for Bristol University. Portakabin create modular and temporary buildings with an emphasise on the education sector. Portakabin can set up their buildings in a matter of days and weeks which makes them ideal for schools and universities when they're renovating or moving sites. The University were looking to expand their teaching space whilst renovating their existing buildings. During the renovation works the University instructed Portakabin to build a number of new lecture halls and seminar rooms. The new block would help ease overcrowding in the existing buildings and make up for a lack of teaching space. We have worked with Portakabin on a number of sites across the country. The majority of these are made up of schools, colleges and universities. Similar to previous projects, Portakabin wanted a disabled platform lift for Bristol University that would provide access to the first floor.

Portakabin wanted the lift to fix to the outside of the building adjacent to the entrance. The lift was fitted in its own external aluminium shaft with both points of entry on the same side. The lift travels over 3.5 metres across the two floors, with the cabin platform measuring 1100mm x 1400mm. The lift shaft was painted in RAL colour 7015 to match the rest of the building. The disabled platform lift has a rated load of 300kg, which means it can take even the heaviest of electric buggies.

To see more of our projects similar to this disabled platform lift for Bristol University click on the following links: Bitterne Park School, Glass Lift for Offices at Meriden Hall, Dancing Man Brewery and Retail Lift at Optique 2000.

Bosham

We were approached by a private client in Bosham near Chichester in West Sussex because they were looking to fit a residential glass lift to the outside of their new home. The house had recently been built as part of a small development of half a dozen homes near to the Solent. They were looking to adapt their new home to make it wheelchair accessible and chose to install a residential glass lift to the outside of the house. The client wanted a lift that was in keeping with the surrounding village's style but also matched the house's modern aesthetics.

We designed and installed the lift in an external white structure in the the client's back garden - the lift was fitted to the outside wall with doors from the lounge on the ground floor and directly into one of the bedrooms on the first floor. The lift's interior measures 1000mm x 1200mm giving surplus room for the client to use the lift in their wheelchair. The lift's walls were finished in white with a half height mirror to the rear of the cabin to offer a spacious feel. We worked with the architect and builder to redesign the soffit and roof join between the lift and the house as the lift structure is slightly taller than the soffit. The lift has a total travel of 3300mm across the two floors with entry to the lift only on one side and a safe working load of up to 400kg. The lift was finished with opaque glass to add privacy from the neighbouring houses.

Outdoor Wheelchair Lift for Elm Yard, Elm Street

We were asked by Mace to supply and fit an outdoor wheelchair lift for an office refurbishment that they were contracted for. Elm Yard, 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), is situated on Elm Street between Gray’s Inn Road and Exmouth Market in central London. The new collaborative workspace boasts over 50,000 sq ft across 12 floors of premium offices in the heart of one of London’s most vibrant districts. Clerkenwell is a stylish area of London with an abundance of creative and technology companies. Office space in the district is usually made up of refurbished Victorian townhouses and industrial warehouses. We met with the Project Manager in order to discuss the different options available. We decided the best option would be an outdoor wheelchair lift on the left hand side of the steps that would provide access to the newly built reception.

Mace wanted the lift to be able to withstand consistent daily use as well as look stylish against the new refurbishment. We chose to install a lift that has three glass sides as well as a glass gate. The prominence of glass matches the reception and gives the lift a very modern look. The structural components of the outdoor wheelchair lift were made out of stainless steel which looks great as well as preventing any rust or damage to the lift over the time. The stainless steel even matches the adjacent hand rails to give a sleek consistent finish. The lift travels over 500mm with platform dimensions of 900mm x 1400mm. Its rated load is 280kg which means it can take even the heaviest of electric buggies.

Weymouth

We were approached by a private client in Weymouth who had converted a seaside house into large modern residential apartments spread across 3 floors. Seadown is in the Preston area of Weymouth and only a short walk to Overcombe beach. Many newly built or renovated properties by the sea such as this one have cutting edge designs and have to be built to very high specifications so that they can be easily sold. With this in mind many developers and building contractors are looking to future proof these types of homes as potential buyers expect these expensive properties to have a lift. Whether it is luxury apartments or a fully detached house, a small platform lift can add value to a home. It can be the difference between a property that gets snapped up straightaway and one that stays on the market for months. Our client had built his new property, Seadown, in this exact frame of mind and asked us to measure and design a lift for him as he had already built a lift shaft. For smaller properties that have half a dozen or so flats a conventional passenger lift can take up too much room which takes away valuable space in the flats. Our smaller platform lifts need less space both above and below the lift as well as having less moving parts so lower maintenance costs.

After measuring the lift shaft and submitting a drawing to the client we got the go ahead to order and then install the lift in the flats. The lift has a total travel distance of 6000mm across the 3 floors with an internal cabin of 1280mm x 1000mm. The lift was fitted with 5 automatic self closing doors across the 3 floors - the 800mm-wide doors were finished with smoked glass to match the modern decor of the property. The lift was fitted in under 2 weeks and now makes sure that the flats are accessible for all residents. It also makes it easier for residents to transport heavy goods to their flats and even shopping.

Projects

Marine Platform Lift for Ribs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Disabled Platform Lift for Bristol University

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

Bosham

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

Outdoor Wheelchair Lift for Elm Yard, Elm Street

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

Weymouth

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