Access Guide
Overview
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About
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- The Phoenix Building is a medium-sized building with 4 floors.
- There is 1 main staircase within the building.
There is no lift. - The floors are signed as ground, one, two, and three.
- There is internal stepped access from the ground floor of this building via 4 unmarked steps with no handrails and a single manual door to the ground floor of the Whipple Museum.
There is internal step-free level access via a manual door from the first floor of this building to the first floor of the Whipple Museum.
These internal accesses are locked, accessible to key card holders only.
There is also step-free level access via manual doors on the third floor of this building to the third floor of the Balfour Building, via a link bridge. However, this route was out of bounds when surveyed.
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Parking and Public Transport
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- The venue does not have its own car park.
- The name of the nearest car park is New Museum Site Car Park.
- View information on University of Cambridge Car Park - Central Sites (opens new tab) .
- The nearest train station is Cambridge.
- For the latest travel options and information you can plan your travel using Google Maps (opens new tab).
- View information on getting here (opens new tab) .
Getting Inside
- The most accessible approach to the building (from Free School Lane via the Free School Lane Gate) is step-free via slight ramps. It has an uneven surface in places.
- There is stepped access on the approach to the building from Pembroke Street.
- The Phoenix Building has two entrances. The main entrance provides step-free level access to the ground floor. The Phoenix Teaching Room 1 and Phoenix Teaching Room 2 entrance provides step-free access (via steep ramps) to Phoenix Teaching Room 1 and Phoenix Teaching Room 2 only.
- The main entrance is unsigned.
The Phoenix Teaching Room 1 and Phoenix Teaching Room 2 entrance is signed as "Phoenix Teaching Room 1, Phoenix Teaching Room 2". - The main entrance provides step-free level access to the ground floor, except for Phoenix Teaching Rooms 1 and 2 and the standard male toilets, which are reached by two further steps inside the building on the ground floor.
- The Phoenix Teaching Room 1 and Phoenix Teaching Room 2 entrance is located to the rear of the Phoenix Building, on its eastern side, and has step-free access (via steep ramps).
Getting Around
- Access to other floors is via stairs only, and there are several internal level changes on the ground floor.
- On the ground floor, there are two unmarked steps, with a handrail on the left going down, leading to Phoenix Teaching Rooms 1 and 2 and the access to the standard male toilets.
There are then 6 unmarked steps, with a handrail on the right going up, to access the standard male toilets.
There is also then a steep ramp to access Phoenix Teaching Rooms 1 and 2 from the bottom of these steps. - Floor surfaces along circulation routes consist of concrete, mosaic tiles and carpet, with all the carpet being low pile, and all the hard flooring having a shiny finish.
- There is no seating in any circulation areas of the building.
- There is some wall-mounted wayfinding signage provided on the stairwell, with some room doors also being clearly signed.
- There is one single, manual door across the stairs between the second floor and third floor. Otherwise, there are not manual doors in any circulation areas of the building.
Toilet and Changing Facilities
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Toilet Facilities
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- There is 1 toilet with adaptations.
- The toilet with adaptations is located on the ground floor, immediately to the left as you enter through the main entrance.
- The toilet with adaptations has a left hand transfer space.
- The female toilet facilities are located on the ground floor, immediately to the left as you enter through the main entrance.
- The male toilet facilities are located on the ground floor, at the far end of the main building corridor as you enter through the main mntrance, down the level change and up the steps to the right.
Entrance (Main Entrance)
- This entrance is located to the rear of the building, opposite the Department of Social Anthropology.
- The approach to the entrance has uneven surfaces and bollards.
- The entrance area is not clearly signed.
- There is a canopy or recess which provides weather protection at the entrance.
- There is step-free level access at the entrance.
- There is a key fob/card reader at a height of 91cm.
- There is a single automatic door at this entrance.
- The door has a locked extension leaf.
- The door opens towards you.
- There is a push pad at a height of 91cm.
- The width of the opening is 86cm.
- The door has a high colour contrast.
- There is a push pad or push button to exit at a height of 99cm.
- The key fob/card reader automatically operates the automatic door.
- There is step-free level access as you enter.
Entrance (Phoenix Teaching Room 1 and Phoenix Teaching Room 2)
- This entrance is located to the rear of the Phoenix Building, on its eastern side.
- The approach to the entrance has uneven surfaces and bollards.
- The entrance area is clearly signed.
- There is not a canopy or recess which provides weather protection at the entrance.
- There is step-free access via ramp at the entrance.
- The ramp has a steep gradient.
- The ramp is between 75cm and 150cm wide with no handrails.
- There is a key fob/card reader at a height of 99cm.
- There is a single automatic door at this entrance.
- The door has a locked extension leaf.
- The door opens towards you.
- There is a push pad at a height of 99cm.
- The width of the opening is 91cm.
- There is a small lip on the threshold of the opening.
- The door has a high colour contrast.
- There is a push pad or push button to exit at a height of 91cm.
- The key fob/card reader automatically operates the automatic door.
- There is step-free access via ramp as you enter.
- The ramp has a steep gradient.
- The ramp is over 150cm wide with no handrails.
Stairs
- The stairs surveyed are located in the centre of the building, straight ahead as you enter through the main entrance.
- The ground, first, second and third floors can be accessed by these stairs.
- There are 20+ steps between floors.
- The steps have low colour contrast markings and have a handrail that switches sides.
- The handrail is easy to grip.
- The handrail covers the flight of stairs throughout its length.
- The handrail does not extend horizontally beyond the first and last step.
- The height of the steps is between 15cm and 18cm.
- The height of the highest step is 17cm.
- The depth of the steps is not between 30cm and 45cm.
- Lighting levels vary due to the size of the space.
- Between the ground floor and the first floor, the steps have a tread depth between 30cm and 45cm. Between the first, second and third floors, they do not.
Toilet with Adaptations (Ground Floor - By Main Entrance - Left Hand Transfer)
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Location and Access
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- The toilet surveyed is located on the ground floor, immediately to the left as you enter through the main entrance.
- The distance from the main entrance is 2m.
- The most accessible route to the toilet has step-free level access.
- There is step-free level access into the facility.
- There is pictorial and written text signage on or near the door.
- The door opens outwards and has a low visual contrast.
- The width of the door opening is 80cm.
- The door has a lever twist lock.
- Internally the door has a medium visual contrast.
- There is a grab rail on the internal door with a low visual contrast.
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Dimensions and Features
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- The dimensions of the cubicle are 147cm (width) x 221cm (depth) and there is not room for a wheelchair user to manoeuvre (150cm x 150cm).
- There is a lateral transfer space to the left as you face the toilet.
- The lateral transfer space is 77cm (from the side of the toilet pan).
- There is a spatula flush on the non-transfer side.
- There is a horizontal grab rail on the non-transfer side.
- The horizontal grab rail has a high visual contrast.
- There is a vertical grab rail on the transfer side.
- The vertical grab rail has a high visual contrast.
- There is a dropdown rail on the transfer side.
- The dropdown rail has a high visual contrast.
- The toilet seat is 48cm from the floor.
- The toilet seat has a low visual contrast.
- There is a wall mounted toilet roll holder which can be reached when seated on the toilet.
- The toilet roll holder has a high visual contrast.
- The toilet roll holder is 120cm from the floor.
- The wash basin and taps can be reached when seated on the toilet.
- The wash basin is 73cm from the floor.
- The wash basin has a lever mixer tap.
- The vertical grab rails are on both sides of the wash basin.
- The wash basin grab rails have a high visual contrast.
- There is a wall mounted soap dispenser which can be reached when seated on the toilet.
- The soap dispenser has a high visual contrast.
- The soap dispenser is 103cm from the floor.
- There is a wall mounted towel dispenser which cannot be reached when seated on the toilet.
- The towel dispenser has a high visual contrast.
- The towel dispenser is 107cm from the floor.
- There is not a hand dryer.
- There is a pull cord emergency alarm, however it is not within 10cm from the floor.
- There is a mirror.
- There is no shelf.
- The cubicle has a waste bin.
- There are no coat hooks.
- The walls and floor visual contrast varies between low and high.
- Lighting levels vary due to the use of large glazed walls.
- This facility has a large window; as such, lighting levels may vary depending on the time of day and weather conditions.