Network Rail Retail Design Guide

The Project

Human Space worked with BDP’s Manchester (UK) studio to deliver a Retail Design Manual for stations for Network Rail, the owner and manager of most of Great Britain’s railway infrastructure. It was important for the client that accessibility and inclusion be infused throughout the manual rather than confined to a single section.

The Human Space team led a workshop with community partners at Network Rail early in the process to present concepts and gauge perspectives with respect to the accessibility of station retail. Following a review of best practice and international precedent, Human Space drafted a section of the manual dedicated to inclusion and accessibility, created an Access and Inclusion Checklist for use by prospective retail tenants, reviewed case study stations for potential access challenges, supported the presentation of work-in-progress to Network Rail’s Built Environment Accessibility Panel, and performed general review of the manual for access and inclusion considerations.

The Retail Design Manual for Stations forms part of Network Rail’s Document Suite and will be used by station managers, tenants, and others responsible for developing retail opportunities across the rail network.