Steps? We don’t exactly love ‘em, but the site kind-of demands them. Our options:
- excavate/retain into the 45° slope so as to remove many of the level changes (not a feasible option due to the stability of the slope / Resource Consent / cost issues).
- allow the structure to break out of the shadow plane envelope (resulting in fewer steps) and go the Resource Consent route: ouch.
- accept that we have to deal with all the levels, and keep everything between the ground plane and the shadow plane envelope
We’ve opted for the last option – stairs are a fact of life in Wellington. All we can do is:
- make ‘em ergonomic (they all use identical riser heights)
- make ‘em a feature (stairs combine to form benches / seating wherever possible)
- make ‘em repetitive (the good ‘ol hind-brain takes over automatically after a while)
- design ‘em so that they can be swapped for wheelchair etc ramps should the need arise