Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.
Months after Austin legalized single-staircase buildings up to five stories tall, the city’s first three-story, single-stair building acquired its permits.
According to an announcement by McKinney York Architects, who designed the project, in Building Design + Construction, “The simple concept of this six-unit apartment complex celebrates an open central stair that forms an inviting entry and divides the building into two discrete volumes. Limited to a 4,400-sf lot, the project prioritizes sustainability and efficiency by taking advantage of existing infrastructure already serving the central city.”
Single-staircase construction for residential buildings has been outlawed in some U.S. cities due to safety concerns, many of which are rendered obsolete by modern building materials and fire prevention mechanisms. Now, some cities and states are rolling back restrictions on single-stair buildings to make room for more flexible and dense housing developments.
FULL STORY: First three-story, single-stair project permitted in Austin, Texas
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
Single-Stair Reform Gains Strength
The movement to legalize single-stair multi-story buildings is gathering momentum, with the typology offering a more efficient, flexible, and healthy way to build housing.
Single-Stair Design Contest Envisions Human-Scale Buildings
Single-stair building construction is having a resurgence in the United States, where, for the last several decades, zoning codes have required more than one staircase in multi-story housing developments.
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San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.
Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.
Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)