You might want to check out one made by Sunrise Specialty that's almost 36 in. by 36 in. This is from their catalog "... #891 shower pan which measures 35 1/2" length, 35 1/2" width, 6" height. Cast iron construction and anti-slip bottom for safety." Sunrise has a reputation for making good quality cast iron clawfoot tubs and I imagine that extends to their shower pans as well. Vintage Tub and Bath sells the #891 along with accoutrements. Search on www.vintagetub.com. If you have room for a 48 in. by 36 in. one, Kohler makes the Kathryn. Search for "Kathryn shower base" on www.us.kohler.com. hth! Here is a link that might be useful: #891 construction specs from Sunrise site

I did this and I waterproofed the bench with kerdi the same as the rest of the shower. Basically just the back wall of the shower is "bent" into a bench - I treated the front of the bench coming down to the pan the same as the other walls. I don't have any pictures though, sorry. IMO it's not really all that different than properly waterproofing a niche. I don't believe the tile guys would have a problem with how I waterproofed the bench, just with the fact that I used dimensional lumber to build it. I have not had a problem with noticeable cracking, flexing or movement in the bench though.

I plan to build a curbless (ADA roll-in) shower. I don't need to build up a curb or tile the entrance. Just as an FYI, I will never have a curbed shower again. It is a trip hazard and my friends that need canes/walkers/wheelchairs (some of them injured as children and young adults) cannot get past them. Limits resale to have a curbed shower. The curb itself is the problem, not necessarily the size of the shower. I think that is why most alcove/corner shower pans are being designed to be curbless on one side--makes it 'universally' accessible. Also, it is very easy to waterproof the entire bathroom floor these days. No curb or curtain or glass is actually needed, which saves lots of money and helps it dry out much faster!

Sometimes the size/weight of the door dictates the hinge used, but that should have been figured out in the design stage. Top/bottom (curb mounted) hinges do need mechanical fastening to prevent shifting. So it's really a matter of design. Was the shower designed so the door literally can't be hinged to the wall? Or to an adjacent glass panel if there is one? If it's simply a matter of a non-imaginative installer, then that's another issue. If the doors were already ordered and they are detailed for a curb-mounted hinge, then the glass itself might need to be reordered to use wall hinges.