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Buildings

6a.2 Dwellings - internal circulation and layout

Horizontal circulation

Doors and corridors should be wide enough to allow wheelchair users to manoeuvre into and out of rooms. Consideration should be given to the effects of local obstruction by radiators and other fixtures. The entrance door should have at least 800mm clear opening width (775mm minimum). A space of 300mm against the leading edge of doors on the entrance level is recommended. The internal doorways and corridor widths should conform to the following:

Doorway clear opening width (mm)

Corridor/passageway width (mm)

750 or wider

900 (when approach is head-on)

750

1200 (when approach is not head-on)

775

1050 (when approach is not head-on)

900 (800 minimum)

900 (when approach is not head-on)

Plan of corridor and door layout

Diagram showing a corridor with corners forming a dogleg shape. Starting from the bottom right hand corner of the plan the corridor is a minimum of 900mm wide, except where there is a radiator, or similar obstruction, when it reduces to 750mm. A door is shown off the corridor and opens into a room, it is 900mm wide minimum, the approach is not head-on. The corridor turns through 90 degrees to the left and the corner is chamfered so the width on both corridors is 900mm minimum. The corridor then makes a 90 degree right turn and since the corner is not chamfered the width of the next section of the corridor is 1200mm minimum. A front door opens into corridor at the corner and is 800mm minimum clear opening width, the approach is head-on. Further along the 1200mm wide corridor a door opens into a room and is 750mm clear opening width, the approach is not head-on but corridor is 1200mm wide. This door also opens from the room at a corner so is positioned with the leading edge 300mm minimum from the corner to allow a wheelchair user to open it.

Steps and stairs

All internal stairs should have a sufficient clear width of at least 900mm to accommodate a future stair lift if needed. There should be suitable continuous handrails on both sides of stairs and intermediate landings.

Internal layout

Switches, sockets and controls

Communal stairs and lifts in blocks of flats

Communal stairs should provide easy access with closed risers and handrails on both sides. Stairs which are well-designed from the outset will facilitate the addition of a future stair-lift.

Where a lift is provided, it should be suitable for an unaccompanied wheelchair user. There should be a clear landing entrance to the lift of 1500mmx1500mm, with a preferred minimum internal dimension of 1100x1400mm (900x1250mm minimum). The lift controls should be between 900 and 1200mm from the floor and 400mm from the lift's internal front wall. There should be tactile control buttons and visual and audible storey indicators in blocks of more than three storeys.

Approach, Plan of car parking and path to dwelling, Plan and elevation showing ground sloping away from house towards the highway, Plan and elevation showing ground sloping up from house towards the highway, Entrance and thresholds, Section through entrance, Entrance level toilets - design criteria, Plan showing side entrance layout for toilet, Plan showing front entrance layout for toilet with shower

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