Thetford Academy Lift
Thetford Academy is an independent school serving tuition, public and private students for 7th through 12th grades. The campus is comprised of multiple buildings of various vintages. As part of their strategic goal to provide disabled access throughout the school, Thetford Academy asked Banwell Architects to design a way for disabled students to access eight classrooms in their Annex wing.
The most effective and affordable solution was to rebuild an existing stair while incorporating an adjacent vertical platform lift. Project challenges include very restrictive exiting dimensions and stair enclosure fire separation legacy issues that required correction. Working in close coordination with the School, Contractor and Vermont Department of Fire Safety, Banwell succeeded in designing a solution that avoided prohibitive costs and satisfied access needs and fire codes.
