Vuelift Inspiration Guide

Vuelift® lets you design in ways that are inconceivable with any other home elevator. The only limit is imagination.

Design outside the box

The Savaria® Vuelift® inspiration guide

Rethink what a home elevator can be

The Savaria® Vuelift® panoramic glass home elevator opens up new vistas in residential design.

Vuelift® Octagonal

Explore the many facets

Disruptive or delightful

Vuelift^® Octagonal lets you design in ways that are inconceivable with any other home elevator. The only limit is imagination.

On-trend yet timeless

From ski chalet to the latest industrial chic design movement, the Vuelift^® Octagonal adds an eclectic vibe to every space.

Got it? Flaunt it

Give Vuelift^® Octagonal pride of place in an open plan layout to add a distinct flair for drama and beauty to modern home design.

Why do your clients typically ask for a home elevator?

Aging in place
Mobility challenges
Convenience
Luxury feature

Octagonal models

Model	Cab gate clear opening	Capacity
Acrylic	26" +/- 0.5"	840 lb
Glass	26" +/- 0.5"	950 lb
Glass+*	33" +/- 0.5"	950 lb

Overhead requirement

Pit requirement

All models offer a short ramp option when a pit is not possible.

Vuelift^® Octagonal design tools

Drawings

BIM objects

Model comparison guide

Vuelift® Round

Maximize curve appeal

Make a grand entrance

Elegance meets utility. The Vuelift^® Round provides a first impression that makes a distinctive en vogue statement.

photo copyright Arash Moallemi

Illuminating design

Crystal clear glass or premium clear acrylic panels mean Vuelift^® Round lets light flood the room and open up the living space.

At home in the classics

Vuelift^® Round echoes the sweeping arcs of heritage, neo-classical and art deco architecture while adding the latest mod con.

What design challenges do traditional home elevators pose?

Finding space in the floorplan
Disruption to flow of living space
Pit depth/ overhead requirements
All of the above

Round models

Model	Cab gate clear opening	Capacity	Cab floor area
Acrylic	26" +/- 0.5"	840 lb	13 sq.ft.
Glass+	27" +/- 0.5"	950 lb	15 sq.ft.

Overhead requirement

Pit requirement

All models offer a short ramp option when a pit is not possible.

Vuelift^® Round design tools

Drawings

BIM objects

Model comparison guide

Vuelift® Mini

Discover big impact with a small footprint

Life in the fast lane

Custom colors on the powder-coated steel frame let the Vuelift^® Mini add a splash of the extraordinary.

Enjoy the Vue

Make every ride an experience, whether it’s a coastal home, mountain view or urban penthouse.

Retrofit luxury

A 50" footprint and reduced construction requirements make Vuelift^® Mini ideal for retrofits and remodels.

Which frame color do you like best?

Black
White
Silver
Give me that red!
I have another color in mind

Vuelift^® Mini models

Model	Cab gate clear opening	Capacity
Acrylic or Glass	30"	500 lb

Overhead requirement

Pit requirement

All models offer a short ramp option when a pit is not possible.

Vuelift^® Mini design tools

Drawings

BIM objects

Model comparison guide

Case Study

MU Architecture makes a mid-century modern statement

The home elevator takes center stage

MU Architecture’s interpretation of a modern mid-century house in Montreal includes a Vuelift^® Octagonal centered in the main stair and running vertically through the middle of the home, letting out into the foyer of the main entrance.

I’ve designed many homes that incorporate an elevator. This is the first one where the elevator will be the centerpiece of the home’s design.

Jean-Sébastien Herr | MU Architecture

With a mix of North American projects and experience from working in Vienna, Barcelona and Dubai, the firm puts an emphasis on improving everyday life and bringing a new intensity to the built environment.

To provide a backdrop and add visual interest, project lead Jean-Sebastien Herr, Architect and Partner/Co-Founder, designed a mural for the wall behind the staircase.

Herr originally intended to use the Vuelift^® Round on the project, but once he got deeper into designing with BIM objects, the Octagonal model’s unique faceted shape and its prismatic reflection of natural light into living spaces became intriguing.

Once you’ve seen it, you know you have to make it a focal point of the design,” he says. “It’s beautiful both inside and outside. Even the small part of the elevator mechanics that are visible with this unit just adds a touch of industrial chic.”

Jean-Sébastien Herr | MU Architecture

Case Study

NoCo Townhomes elevates Library Park in Fort Collins

Accessibility without sacrifice

How do you reconcile open-plan and daylighting design with Colorado’s strict accessibility laws? Thanks to a suggestion from a presale buyer, the Townhomes at Library Park found a cost-effective answer with Vuelift^®.

With a traditional home elevator, the shaftway created a visual obstruction. A custom glass elevator was cost prohibitive. The architect found wrapping the stairs around the ADA-compliant Vuelift Octagonal+ Glass elevator allowed daylight in and opened up the space.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for residential elevators include interior cab dimensions of 36" x 48". See Private Residence Elevators [§409] of the ADA Standards for more information.

Developer NoCo Townhomes Inc. and architectural firm Kephart wanted to capitalize on natural light and create a feeling of spaciousness.

The four-level floorplans at Library Park offer a mix of classic and contemporary amenities, all while meeting state law on accessibility for multi-unit developments.

Demand drives a new standard

The Vuelift^® became a stand-out feature in the model showhome at Library Park.

Prospective buyers enjoyed a panoramic ride from the ground floor to the top level, giving them a sweeping view of the entire home. And once they experienced it, there was no turning back, all thanks to the spectacular aesthetic statement, the convenience-factor of skipping the stairs, and the idea of futureproofing for mobility in the years to come.

Every buyer wanted one. And a feature that was originally offered as an option became standard in all 10 townhouse units.

Case Study

Designed-in flexibility in Quebec ski country

Bring the home elevator out of the closet

For the Lac Tremblant house, nestled in Quebec’s prime ski country, MU Architecture’s project lead Charles Côté chose the new Savaria^® Vuelift^® Mini. With its 50" footprint, it offers increased floorplan flexibility but can still accommodate two adult passengers riding in comfort.

We fell in love. When we saw the Vuelift, we were enraptured. We had to have it. We had to design with it.

Charles Côté | MU Architecture

“When we showed it to our clients, they said, ‘Wow! Where do we get one?’” he reports. “Traditional home elevators often don’t have much attention paid to the aesthetic.”

MU Architecture first discovered the Vuelift in 2020, and now has multiple projects on the go that feature the glass elevator as a signature piece in the home’s design.

Make the most of panoramic vistas

“We placed the Vuelift^® Mini to give a clear view of the lake, with the mountain on the far side of the water, as well as a wider view of the home’s interior design features as you ride up and down,” says Côté.

Homeowners can stand at the lower garden level and see all the way to the top floor, giving an added feeling of height and airiness to the home. The staircase features a single structural beam and floating steps with glass rails embedded in the floors to provide a clear line of sight through the living space.

We wanted everything around the Vuelift^® to be very light and spacious. Nothing heavy. We wanted the design to focus on the elevator, and on the stair itself.

Charles Côté, Architect | MU Architecture

Design Resources

Vuelift^® specifications

Key features

Integrated hoistway for extreme floorplan placement flexibility
Energy-efficient winding drum drive train system
Automatic operation
Illuminated push-button hall call stations
Bifold glass cab gate
Balcony attachment or through-the-floor setup
Integrated touch-pad phone
Automatic on/off LED cab lights and ventilation fan
Textured black powder-coated frame

Safety features

Emergency battery back-up for cab lighting and lowering
Manual lowering
Emergency alarm and stop switch
Electrical circuit overspeed
Safety brakes
Elevator door interlocks
In-use indicator lights on hall call stations

Optional features

White, silver, or custom powder-coated frame color
Straight-through, 90-degree and three-sided entry/exit configurations

Common to all Vuelift^® models

Maximum travel 50ft (15.2m), 55 ft (16.7m) with variance, and up to 6 stops
Pit Depth: 4"–12" (102–305mm)
All models offer a short ramp option when a pit is not possible
Power Supply: 230V/1PH/50–60Hz (30 amps) and one 120V/1PH/50–60Hz (15 amps)

	Round Acrylic	Round+ Glass	Octagonal Acrylic	Octagonal Glass	Octagonal+ Glass	Mini
CAPACITY	840lb (381kg)	950lb (431kg)	840lb (381kg)	950lb (431kg)	950lb (431kg)	500lb (227kg)
NOMINAL SPEED	0.16m/s (32fpm)	0.2m/s (40fpm)	0.16m/s (32fpm)	0.2m/s (40fpm)	0.2m/s (40fpm)	0.15m/s (30fpm)
CAB FLOOR AREA	13sq.ft. (1.3sqm)	15sq.ft. (1.4sqm)	12sq.ft. (1.2sqm)	12sq.ft. (1.2sqm)	15sq.ft. (1.4sqm)	8.25sq.ft. (0.75sqm)

Are you inspired yet?

Click the links below to access resources to get you started designing with the Savaria^® Vuelift^®.

Drawings

BIM Objects

Master Specification

Model Comparison Guide

Planning Guide – Octagonal and Round

Planning Guide – Mini

Continuing Education Course:

AIASAV101 – Guide to Home Elevators and AIASAV301 – Introduction to Vuelift Elevators