Providing facilities for employees to exercise at work or commute more effectively can be beneficial for staff and agencies.
Workplaces should provide facilities for people to securely park their bicycles and shower and change at work.
Cycling, walking or running to work, or working out during the day, are great ways to include exercise in a weekly routine. Alternative commuting activities can also help to lower CO2 emissions.
Agencies should consider to what extent they can adopt these guidelines. Both new builds and major refurbishments should be looked at on a project-by-project basis. Think about the scope, budget, time and building specific requirements for a project, as well as any relevant limitations. For example, what can be practically achieved in the building, and any budget and scope constraints.
A major refurbishment refers to situations where a building is vacated for the purposes of a significant project. This could include replacement of either plant, services, building envelope or seismic upgrade. Typically, the landlord is responsible for these works, which may also include major internal office elements, such as carpets or walls.
Agencies should work with their landlord and other tenants to determine the feasibility of adopting these guidelines.
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi also provides guidance on these types of facilities.
Complementary facilities – New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Cycle parking planning and design – New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Workplace Cycling Guide – New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Consider these guidelines in conjunction with the government standard building performance specifications. If you are a mandated agency, you can request a copy of the specifications by emailing the Government Property Group team.
Agencies need to follow the below standards. These include guidance on toilet privacy and access for people with disabilities.
G1 Personal hygiene – Building Performance
You should work to make sure facilities are safe and accessible for all.
Consider a balanced approach to shower and change facilities. This means accounting for accessibility and providing a mix of gender-specific and all-gender facilities.
Usually, gender-specific showers are blocks with height partitions between cubicles. They generally have shared changing areas. Self-contained showers with full-height, floor-to-ceiling walls and an area for changing are typically used by all, regardless of gender.
You can still label self-contained showers as gender-specific or all-gender as appropriate, to provide a balanced approach to facilities.
Depending on the number of users, you may want to provide small, change-only spaces without a shower. Larger, gender-specific changing areas can be provided, but self-contained showers should provide enough space for users to change.
Allowing for at least one accessible shower in each shower block is good practice. If possible, at least one self-contained shower should provide more space than a standard cubicle. This helps people with limited dexterity or mobility who would otherwise have difficulty.
Hoists in accessible showers may be needed.
Reasonable Accommodation – Ministry of Social Development
Refer to GPG definitions for consistent terminology use across property.
Signage should follow Government Property Group's branding, wayfinding and signage guidelines.
Consider providing a secure, dedicated and well-ventilated drying area. Allowing commuters to dry wet or sweaty activewear and towels keeps areas smelling nice.
This could be as simple as a drying cage and clothes lines located close to bike parking, showers and changing rooms. If it isn’t practical outside near the shower block, consider a dedicated, well-ventilated area within the facilities.
Some coat hooks and rails should be located a maximum of 1100mm from the floor for wheelchair users.
Sports lockers should be provided to store personal items when accessing end of trip facilities.
Management of locker allocation can be done in a few different ways, for example:
Agencies should provide secure, enclosed bicycle parking that is close to shower and changing rooms.
Provide one bicycle parking space per 100m² of net lettable area (NLA).
A mix of vertical (wall or ceiling mounted) and horizontal (floor mounted) racks can help with capacity. Consider whether you also need space for cargo style bikes and e-scooters. These may not be suitable for hooks or racks. You might also need parking for mobility scooters.
Hook and rack size, and mounting height, should work for a variety of tyre sizes and types of bicycles. Any design should ensure people are able to use their own lock to secure their bikes.
Consider providing accessories, such as: