Author: Chuck Busch
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The top five common mistakes made by architects on construction documents might sound simple, but they can affect the use of fixtures or elements within the building and potentially create a change order or correction in the field if not caught. These are easy to fix by following a few rules or creating blocks or elements within the families to make sure these don’t happen. The importance of understanding the accessibility codes are crucial for all Architects as the ADA is a Federal Law and simply satisfying the local building department for a building permit may not elevate you or your owner from a potential law suit.
#5.
Maneuvering space in restrooms. This is a common mistake made by not allowing enough maneuvering space on the inside of a single-use restroom for the water closet, lavatory and the door. The maneuvering clearance to exit the restroom if not shown properly introduces a conflict with the lavatory and the pulls side of the door. Most single-use restrooms have a door that swings into the restroom, which is very common, but not allowing enough clearance from the sink to the strike side of the door is a common mistake. Make sure you allow the required 18” on the pull side of the door clear of the lavatory. Since most of these doors will have a latch and a closer you will need to provide 12” on the push side of the door and 18” always on the pull side.
#4.
Illustrating that the handle for the water closet is on the open side is a common mistake made. Indicating the correct side the handle to be located is easy to do but could be missed on the drawings or could cause the GC to order the wrong type of tank. This is very easy to fix but often overlooked. Whether this is in a stall or in a single-use restroom the handle needs to be located on the open side. So, either in a stall or not it is required to be on the open side where someone would transfer over to the toilet. It is a simple to miss but could be an added expense to the owner for a change order to correct the error.
#3.
Not indicating the proper reach ranges or avoiding protruding objects within the circulation path. By indicating the required accessible reach ranges on the documents for devices or anything with operable parts including but not limited to…outlets, light switches, thermostats and dispensers. Let’s not forget about any protruding objects like drinking fountains, bottle water filling stations, fire extinguisher cabinets, etc. These all need to be indicated and noted. A simple fix by indicating or having a sheet dedicated to accessibility within the construction documents, might be sufficient for a number of these items. By adding this information it also tells the GC what elements within the building need to be accessible.
#2.
The drinking fountain not being recessed or provided with some sort of bollards for cane protection is often missed. The easiest solution is to make an alcove for the drinking fountain/s. Most drinking fountains will not fit between two single-use restrooms anymore due to required maneuvering clearances of doors and the fact that the drinking fountains should be recessed in an alcove. There are some exceptions or modifications that can be made to a drinking fountain to offer some cane protection. Some options may be to provide one side wall recessed and have a bollard on the other side or provide bollards on both sides. However, the most compliant is to provide an alcove where the drinking fountain will only project into the circulation space more than 4 inches. As I have stated before, other options may provide compliance with approval from the plans examiner or chief building official, but this may not elevate a potential law suit.
#1.
All door maneuvering spaces. This is probably the most common mistake made on construction documents. Every manual swing/sliding door should provide maneuvering clearances on both sides of the door. There are plenty of illustrations in the accessibility code for the different approaches to every door. Whether you’re approaching from the latch side of the door or from the hinge side of the door from the push side or the pull side. All of these things need to be understood so that every door is accessible. We suggest making this as part of a block or part of a family so as you’re drawing or designing the spaces you always allow enough room for every door to be accessible. There are of course the exceptions and options where you wouldn’t need to have all of the maneuvering space for every door or every side of the door but as you’re designing the space it would be best practice to design for the worst-case scenario and then later go back and refine if necessary. See the attached images that are typically provided so that the GC understands requirements as well as to allow the GC some flexibility during construction.
