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New Vancouver Building Code Mandates Door Lever Handles Over Knobs
In the near future there will only be one place to see a doorknob in Vancouver – inside a museum. That’s because in December of last year the city council amended the city’s building code to ban doorknobs in all commercial and residential buildings. Existing buildings will be permitted to keep their quaint knobs, but all new construction must forgo them for handles.
The reason was not an aesthetic one. Door lever handles have been proven to be much easier to open, providing enhanced accessibility for the elderly and physically challenged. Former building inspector Will Johnson, who helped write the new code, explained “when I look at what we [proposed], it is simply good design. It allows for homes to be built that can be used more easily for everybody.”
Vancouver is considered a trendsetter with many of its initiatives and this one seems to be no different as governing bodies in other provinces including Nova Scotia and Manitoba are considering following suit.