A lift is one of the few pieces of equipment every person in a building uses every day, so the right choice is less about the cabin finish and more about how the building actually moves. A few early decisions make the rest of the project far easier.
Start with how people use the building
A residential block, an office tower and a hospital all generate very different traffic. Residential buildings see short bursts in the morning and evening, offices have a strong peak at arrival and at lunch, and hospitals need to move beds and stretchers as well as people.
- Number of floors served and the travel height
- Expected number of people at the busiest hour
- Whether beds, stretchers or goods must travel in the same lift
- Accessibility needs for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility
Capacity and speed
Capacity is the load the lift is rated to carry, usually shown in kilograms and in number of passengers. Speed is how fast the cabin travels. A taller building needs a faster lift to keep waiting times short, while a low-rise building gains little from extra speed and pays for it in cost and energy.
Size the lift for the busiest ten minutes of the day, not for the average hour.
Plan for service from day one
Ask who will service the lift, how quickly they respond and whether spare parts are held locally. A lift that is regularly maintained by a team that knows the equipment stays reliable for far longer than one that is only repaired when it fails.
