DMG 04. Junior Ranks' Single Living Accommodation JRSLA

DEO(W) Design Guide JRSLA 2 General Functional & Design Requirements
Figure 2.5 System build JRSLA.
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The requirements of the central and communal facilities of JRSLA differ from
motel design, and these areas of system JRSLA blocks are often poorly considered.
Utility rooms tend to be equipped as kitchens, with small domestic sinks
unsuitable for washing outdoor clothing, and bathrooms and sitting rooms are not
provided. The link blocks or junctions between the standard accommodation
blocks, are also rarely 'designed', resulting in oversized circulation cores.
The danger of accepting a ready-made design is that it may not be appropriate to
the requirements of JRSLA in general, or to the building site or project in
particular. Where adherence to the JSP315 scales is relaxed in part, i.e. relating to
the ensuite facilities, it is important that the full accommodation provision is
reconsidered, to ensure that the system build project is designed to bear strict
relevance to its use as a JRSLA. For example:
• A bathroom should be provided in addition to the ensuite shower rooms,
one per wing or floor.
A separate WC should be provided for use by visitors to the building,
including cleaning staff.
A staff rest room for cleaners, and a store for cleaning materials, may be
required, depending on the size of the JRSLA and its proximity to other
accommodation.
A communal sitting room may be required on some units.
The particular storage needs of the resident unit should be assessed, as the
standard provision is often inadequate.
Specification and Durability
It is difficult to judge whether the specification of the system blocks, currently
occupied by the RAF, is robust enough to withstand JRSLA use, as none are more
than a few years old.
Between bedrooms, the double skin timber construction provides good acoustic
insulation. However, the deflection of timber floors, particularly within first floor
corridors, gives the feeling of low quality to the building. Poor impact sound
insulation between floors compounds this feeling of impermanence and has given
rise to complaints of systems buildings being noisy.
The space allowance for service ducts adjacent to the ensuite WC facilities varies
with the system used. Good access is provided from the corridor but the space
within the ducts is often inadequate for the service runs to be accommodated.