GALAXY Spiral Staircase - Commercial Case Study

 

Design Brief

 

ID Staircases were approached by our customer who was seeking to convert a two hundred year old barn in Surrey into a split level modern office facility.

 The brief was to come up with a staircase solution that would compliment the traditional design of the building whilst showing that the property was now to be used as modern office facilities. This combination of traditional and modern was to become the overriding design influence for this project. Furthermore a staircase solution needed to be found that would provide convenient access onto the bottom and top of the staircase in such a way as to maximise the use of both floors as usable office space.

  Early designs were for a traditional or 'in line' staircase such as the ID Staircases 'FYN' model. This was eventually disregarded due to the amount of floor area it would take up. Also due to the fact that it was not possible to use the walls to support the staircase then a spiral staircase has the advantage of being self supporting. This negated the need for unsightly support columns needed for an 'in line' solution.

  Once a spiral staircase solution was decided upon then the GALAXY Spiral Staircase was selected as it provided a good mixture of modern and traditional materials which suited the staircase design requirements.

 

Materials Selection

 

Steel - Although powder coated mild steel was contemplated due to the cost benefits both ID Staircases and the customer agreed that brushed stainless steel would not only compliment other fixtures in the property but would also provide the stylish contemporary feel that was important for demonstrating that the property was now used as a modern office.

 

The Treads of this GALAXY spiral staircase were made from engineered European Oak, the obvious choice for an Oak structured building.

 

Balustrade was constructed using solid 10 mm stainless steel bar (described as wires) for strength. 8 wires make up the space between treads and the handrail of 40mm stainless steel tube. Curved glass or plexiglass panels were considered but rejected due to budget considerations.

 

Handrail - Although a stainless steel handrail was considered for this project, it was decided that not only would a oak handrail help 'tie in' the staircase visually with its surrounding it would also be warmer to the touch. Lastly an oak handrail would create more of a feeling of high quality which was in keeping with the rest of the project.

 

Circular Formers - This was supplied by ID Staircases to ensure not only a perfectly circular ceiling opening but with sufficient strength to anchor the staircase securely at the landing level. Engineered in the UK it was supplied early in the project so that it could be built into the floor joists and then the flooring and ceiling could be completed without holding up the project whilst construction of the staircase was undertaken.

 

Building Regulations

 

There were a number of considerations regarding the choice and design of the staircases for the Tile Barns project and compliance with building regulations. Firstly we were asked to supply drawings of the proposed project and photographs of similar staircases to satisfy the criteria for suitability for conversion of a grade two listed property. Secondly expected usage of the staircase was considered for us to ensure dimensions were adequate to comply with British Standards for a Spiral or Helical Staircase. The Staircase was designated as a Category 'C' staircase which enabled us to plan accordingly and ensure compliance. The staircase was approved during the design stage and before we began the manufacture process.
 

Note; All staircases can be designed and constructed to comply with all UK building regulations and satisfy all british standards categories for both domestic and commercial staircases. The responsibility for adherence to building regulation lies with the customer and not ID Staircases therefore we strongly recommend that you submit all plans to building control in your area for approval.

 

Installation

 

Undertaken by ID staircases to ensure a swift and successful conclusion to the Tile Barns Staircase.