projects / case studies

COTEHELE HOUSE
Location: CORNWALL
Description: ACCESS AUDIT

The National Trust had been tasked with carrying out Access Audits of the buildings in their ownership, and particularly those parts to which members of the public are admitted. As well as a genuine wish by the National Trust to improve access for disabled people, the need for the Access Audits has been recognised because of their need to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

McCaren Access were commissioned to carry out Access Audits on a number of buildings at Cotehele House in Cornwall, including the Reception / Shop, the Public toilets, the Barn Restaurant and the Film Room.

The format of the Access Audit was agreed in advance, and consisted of a visit to the building to carry out an on-site inspection, and the preparation of the Report, to identify the barriers present in the existing building and to make recommendations to improve access where appropriate. In addition to providing general guidance on principles to be adopted when considering the alteration or refurbishment of any area, the report covered management issues, including disability awareness raising and the fire escape and evacuation procedures.

The commission also included the preparation of an Access Plan to provide an order of priority for the suggested improvements and to give broad guidance on their estimated cost.

DARTINGTON GREAT HALL
Location: DARTINGTON, DEVON
Description: ACCESS AUDIT

The Dartington Hall Trust commissioned a design team to implement a project to improve and update the facilities in the Great Hall and its associated accommodation. Funding for the project had already been secured from the National Lottery.

The need for an Access Audit of the existing building was recognised because of the Trusts need to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the National Lottery rules, and other relevant legislation. The Trust also had a genuine wish to improve access for a wider range of people without damaging the fundamental interest and character of the buildings.

The commission was undertaken in two stages, the first being the carrying out of an Access Audit and the preparation of a Report, to identify the barriers that are present in the existing building, and make recommendations to improve access where appropriate. The report was presented in a narrative format meaning that data was collected and analysed in order to make specific suggestions as to how access for disabled people could be improved.

The second phase involved participation as a member of the design team in the development of proposals to ensure that the new facilities were designed and constructed to be as accessible as possible to all members of the community.

ST AUSTELL MARKET HOUSE
Location: ST AUSTELL, CORNWALL
Description: ACCESS AUDIT

Following discussions with the Manager of the Market House, and a representative of the Market Commissioners, McCaren were commissioned to prepare an Access Audit of St Austell Market House as part of a joint bid with LHC Urban Design and Cornish Project Delivery. The Access Audit Report formed part of a submission to the Heritage Lottery Fund, to whom McCaren Access had previously submitted Reports for a number of successful bids relating to other historic properties.

The preparation of the Access Audit Report was carried out in three identifiable phases as follows: i) the visits to the Market House and surrounding area to collect information on the present accessibility of the building; ii) the Assessment of the information collected; iii) the Preparation of the Access Audit Report including a series of Brief Recommendations that suggested ways in which any barriers could be avoided, altered or removed.

The Report document included the Access Audit itself as well as an Access Appraisal and Access Plan. The Appraisal provided an evaluation of the Conservation Management Plan prepared by LHC Urban Design, whilst the Access Plan set out a strategy for the implementation of access improvements for the building and the organisation of the Market House, based on the findings of the Access Audit and Appraisal.

TORRE ABBEY
Location: TORQUAY, DEVON
Description: ACCESS AUDIT

The Access Plan prepared for Torre Abbey was a combination of the Access Policy and the Access Audit. It set out the existing access arrangements and identified ways in which these could be improved. The Audit itself assessed the journey sequence that a person would take in finding, approaching and entering the building. The resulting report was presented in a narrative format a descriptive format which provides some explanation of how and why a particular element should be altered or adjusted.

The Access Plan was submitted as part of a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding which also included surveys and reports prepared by other consultants that covered the following areas: a Business Plan and Visitor Survey; Archaeological Surveys; a Six Features Survey; a Landscape Conservation Plan; and a Preliminary Strategy Document.

These documents, in combination with the Access Audit and Architectons drawings for the restoration and improvement of the Abbey, informed the preparation of the Access Plan. Having assimilated all this information, McCaren identified the following main areas of concern:

     The identification of barriers to access
     The identification of priorities for improving access
     The strategy for implementing the Access Plan
     The arrangements for monitoring and reviewing the Access Plan

DEVON PRIMARY SCHOOLS (various)
Location: DEVON
Description: ACCESS AUDIT

McCaren Access were appointed by Devon County Council to carry out Access Audits for four primary schools within the county. The purpose of the Audits was to establish the features of the School buildings and their environs that act either as a barrier to prevent, or significantly inhibit the provision of both statutory and discretionary educational services. The intention was to build on and supplement the work already started by the School by producing an Access Plan to aid planning for the future.

The Access Audit Reports were presented in a checklist format which followed the pattern of issues as set out in the Access Checklists published by the Centre for Accessible Environments. The Reports were specially adapted to meet the specific needs of the Schools curriculum, and included a prioritisation matrix to assist the School Management in deciding a strategy for the improvement of their buildings.

For each building, significant items of concern were allocated a priority according to the impact they were considered to have on people with different types and levels of disability including the ambulant disabled; wheelchair users; people with visual impairments; and people with hearing impairments. The resulting cumulative score was used to create a suggested order of priority for the implementation of all of the required access improvements.

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH MARINE BUILDING
Location: PLYMOUTH, DEVON
Description: ACCESS AUDIT & REPORT

McCaren Access were appointed directly to the University of Plymouth executive project board to act as access consultants for the new Marine Building development. The commission involved carrying out an audit of the project based on Nicholas Burwell Architects stage D planning drawings and documents; producing an access audit to report on issues identified; and preparing an access strategy to address any areas where the design deviated from legislation / best practice.

Although commissioned directly by the University of Plymouth, McCaren Access liaised closely with the design team including attending design team meetings, advising on specific design issues and preparing reports which were incorporated into the architects Building Regulations application. Our findings were presented in a tabular report which listed the current situation as shown on the design drawings; recommendations to meet best practice standards; and actions required by the design team.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Location: PLYMOUTH, DEVON
Description: ACCESS AUDIT & REPORTS

The Ministry of Defence in Plymouth own a number of facilities for servicemen and their families including several Community and Family Centres, Pre Schools and Crches. McCaren Access were commissioned to carry out Access Audits of eight of these buildings to identify any potential barriers to access so that these could be addressed within the MODs ongoing programme of maintenance.

Our access audits and related recommendations were presented in narrative format reports which described a notional journey through each building, indentifying the particular features in layout and design that could cause access difficulties for users. The reports suggested ways in which these features could be avoided, adapted or removed to improve accessibility, and gave an overview of management issues, including disability awareness raising and fire escape and evacuation procedures.

HODGSON'S SOLICITORS
Location: LAUNCESTON, CORNWALL
Description: ACCESS AUDIT

Hodgsons Solicitors approached McCaren Access to carry out an Access Audit of their Grade II Listed premises in Southgate Street in Launceston, Cornwall, which had formerly been two separate dwellings and now operated as an office building.

The Access Audit identified a number of barriers to access within the building and its immediate surroundings, and made comments and recommendations about how to address these. Whilst the buildings listed status curtailed some of the options for making access improvements, McCaren Access recommended that Hodgsons draw up a formal disability policy and ensure that their decision making process was well documented to demonstrate that accessibility had been fully considered even where there potential to implement changes was restricted by issues of architectural conservation.

TAMAR HOUSE
Location: ESTOVER, PLYMOUTH
Description: SUMMARY ACCESS AUDIT

Tamar House is a light industrial unit accommodating offices above ground floor warehousing. McCaren Access were asked to make a summary assessment of the accessibility of the building to assist one of the tenants to meet their obligations towards staff and customers. The report provided a brief commentary on the provision of accessible signage, car parking, WCs, entrances and exits, and means of escape, which the tenant could then use to inform their management plan.

DEVONPORT ROYAL DOCKYARD
Location: BABCOCK MARINE, PLYMOUTH, DEVON
Description: ACCESS AUDITS AND SUMMARY BUDGET COSTINGS

This commission involved making an access audit of a number of buildings in the Devonport Royal Dockyard. The properties housed a range of functions from administrative offices to storage and industrial production. McCaren Access produced narrative format reports for each building describing a notional journey through each building, and indentifying the particular features in layout and design that could cause access difficulties for users. We also produced summary budget costings for recommended improvements to all of the buildings in this commission.

TORQUAY UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB
Location: TORQUAY, DEVON
Description: SITE VISIT, ACCESS AUDIT REPORT AND LIASON WITH DESIGN TEAM

Access and Design were jointly commissioned by the Management of Torquay United Football Club and Torbay Council to carry out an access assessment of the proposed grandstand and related accommodation at their Plainmoor ground.

Access and Design worked alongside a representative from the National Association of Disabled Supporters to ensure that the new grandstand designed by Exeter based Kensington Taylor Architects was accessible to all potential supporters. The final design included the provision of accessible ramps and dedicated areas for wheelchair users and their companions to ensure that the disabled supporters of both the home and the away teams enjoyed the same level of entertainment as their non-disabled colleagues. Facilities were also provided for supporters with sensory impairments.

The project also included the provision of changing and fitness accommodation and a media suite that was located beneath the seating area and that was to be shared with the adjacent Westlands School. This accommodation was also designed to be fully accessible to disabled people.

RECTORY RUGBY GROUND
Location: PLYMOUTH
Description: SITE VISIT, ACCESS AUDIT REPORT

The Ministry of Defence have recognised their responsibilities to enable, as far as reasonably possible, disabled and non-disabled servicemen, their families and visitors to gain access to the various buildings under its ownership and / or control. This includes the Rectory Rugby Ground which is used by the Devonport Services Rugby Football Club in Plymouth. Although membership of the Club was originally only for servicemen, in recent years this has been extended to include members of the public.

Access and Design were commissioned by Babcock Marine to carry out an access audit of the existing facilities at the Rectory Rugby Ground. This included an assessment of the accessibility of the main Clubhouse building whose accommodation includes a Bar, a Dining Area, an Office and the Toilet and Changing Facilities. The Access Audit also included the stands, the external toilets and the associated pitch side areas.

BLACKPOOL TOWER
Location: BLACKPOOL
Description: ACCESS REPORT AND LIASON WITH DESIGN TEAM

Blackpool Tower is a world famous and iconic building that is located in a seaside location on the Promenade in Blackpool. Apart from the fact that the design of the building is inherently challenging in terms of its design and layout, it is also Grade 1 Listed which meant that any alterations and improvements to access had to be carefully and sensitively considered.

Access and Design were jointly commissioned by Merlin Entertainments and Blackpool City Council to work alongside Kay Elliot Architects of Torquay in the development of a range of exciting new facilities within the Blackpool Tower complex. These new facilities included the provision of a Blackpool Tower Dungeon, a Retail Outlet, a 4D Cinema and a Restaurant and general improvements to the interior of the building.

Access and Design produced a number of Access Audit Reports for each main activity area and suggested ways in which access for disabled people could be improved. While improvements were relatively straightforward for the main circulation areas, the Restaurant and the 4D Cinema, the inherent nature of the Blackpool Tower Dungeon meant that this could never be wholly accessible to all potential visitors without comprising the integrity of the attraction. This principle was accepted by the local Building Control Officer.

LEGO DISCOVERY CENTRE
Location: MANCHESTER
Description: SITE VISIT, ACCESS AUDIT REPORT AND LIASON WITH DESIGN TEAM

Following the success of similar projects in the United States and Europe, the Lego Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre in Manchester is the first of a new type of interactive entertainment centre to be built in the UK. The Lego Discovery Centre has a range of exciting interactive activity areas including the Lego Factory, the Star Wars Ride and the 4D Cinema. There are also facilities such as a Caf and a Retail Outlet.

Access and Design were commissioned by Merlin Entertainments to work alongside Kay Elliot Architects of Torquay in the development of design for the Lego Discovery Centre. Following a site visit to view the vacant retail units at the Trafford Centre, Access and Design produced a detailed Access Audit Report which identified access issues with the existing building and the associated external areas.

Access and Design also prepared a Access assessment of each of the main activity areas and suggested ways in which access for disabled people could be improved. The process included further liaison with various members of the Design Team during the development of the design, to ensure that the recommendations in the Access Audit report were correctly interpreted on the completed building.