In Australia, one in five people live with a disability — yet far too many new builds still fail at a basic, everyday function: safe, seamless entry.
It’s not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s a pram that catches on a lip. Sometimes it’s water pooling inside after rain. Sometimes it’s a wheelchair user facing an unnecessary barrier.
When It Goes Wrong: Lessons from the Field
We’ve all seen projects derailed by a simple oversight — threshold detailing left to on-site improvisation. Without early structural set-downs, drainage integration, and tested sill systems, the result is too often:
- Trip hazards
- Water ingress
- Thermal and acoustic inefficiencies
- Accessibility non-compliance
- Costly remedial works
Public example: Macdonaldtown Station in Sydney has long been criticised for its poor accessibility — most notably, a wheelchair-accessible payphone located on a platform only reachable via steep stairs. Now, a $23 million upgrade is underway to retrofit ramps, lifts, and improved access.
While transport infrastructure differs from building thresholds, the lesson is the same: exclude accessibility at the design stage, and you’ll pay for it later — in cost, time, and user confidence.
Image: Macdonaldtown Station Upgrade - Leamington Lane, artist impression
Designing for Performance from Day One
A compliant flush threshold is a technical balancing act. It must deliver:
Access and inclusion — seamless movement for mobility aids, prams, and pedestrians.
Water management — drainage and waterproofing without introducing barriers.
Safety and durability — slip resistance, robust materials.
Environmental performance — maintaining thermal and acoustic standards.
This requires integrated design thinking from concept stage: structural set-downs, membrane detailing, sill selection, and performance-tested systems all working together.
Image: The risk of overlooking threshold detailing.
Real Projects, Real Solutions
Barangaroo South, Sydney – Plaza-to-lobby transitions manage enormous foot traffic while integrating drainage invisibly into paving patterns.
Monash University Learning & Teaching Building, Melbourne – Flush glazed entries allow for high pedestrian volumes with no accessibility compromise.
Sirius Building adaptive reuse, Sydney – Accessibility upgrades were incorporated into a heritage context without losing the building’s identity.
These projects prove that compliance, performance, and aesthetics are not mutually exclusive — they are complementary when planned early.
Photo: Monash University, Learning & Teaching Building, Melbourne - John Wardle Architects (JWA)
