British Council for Offices (BCO) Guide to Specification 2014 Vertical Transportation

The British Council for Offices (BCO) has established over the years a well respected, referenced and utilised guide to best practice in the specification of commercial offices. Whilst the guide’s usage is particularly prevalent in the London market, its relevance and value spans the United Kingdom and further afield. September sees the publication of the sixth edition of the guide. Calling on the expertise of more than 100 leading industry professionals, all experts in their field, the guide establishes recommended benchmarks for all aspects of commercial property design. A growing section of the guide deals specifically with vertical transportation and this addition sees the advice move another step towards closer alignment with other established guidance, particularly the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Guide D [1]. There are revised demand templates proposed that are based upon real world survey data. Car loadings have been reviewed and revised, again towards more realistic, observed levels. Guidance on goods lifts has been expanded along with additional comments on issues relating to fire-fighting lifts. This paper provides an overview of the key technical elements of the guide, the thinking behind the advice, and trends for the future.