Mass Construction Show

The Case for Single Stair Buildings w/ Stephen Smith

15 snips
Aug 6, 2025
Stephen Smith, Executive Director at The Center for Building in North America, champions single stair buildings as an innovative solution for affordable housing. He discusses their potential to increase urban density while maintaining safety. The conversation delves into design implications, comparing them to traditional models, and examining building codes across different cities. Stephen emphasizes the need for strategic architectural choices that enhance living spaces through natural light and effective ventilation, as well as the importance of fire safety regulations in shaping future building designs.
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ANECDOTE

Stephen's Single Stair Home

  • Stephen Smith lives in a New York City five-story single stair building built in 2015.
  • This building typology, common in NYC, has an interior single stair without fire escapes.
INSIGHT

Second Stair Purpose Debate

  • The purpose of the second stair is debated; codes suggest it’s for redundancy, fire services suggest flow segregation.
  • Neither fully aligns with code design requirements, revealing an inherent contradiction in stair safety logic.
INSIGHT

Wider Stairs Are Not Standard

  • Wider stairs are uncommon in single stair buildings abroad and not generally required in U.S. codes.
  • Increasing stair width raises costs disproportionately without clear evidence of improved safety.
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