Single-Stair Reform Gains Strength

According to Julian Frost, writing in Greater Greater Washington, “The movement for single-stair reform may be reaching a critical mass of momentum and support in the US.”

Frost assesses the bills proposed in the D.C. region and how they might advance in 2025. In Frost’s view, “Single-stair reform would make small-lot infill development more feasible, and allow for generous, flexible, and well-ventilated apartment layouts.”

However, many global cities safely use single-stair buildings, which save space and make different layouts possible. “The legalization of six-story single-stair buildings would bring into play small infill lots that are currently infeasible to develop due to the geometrical constraints of the double-egress rule.” Single-stair buildings make it possible to give apartments windows on both sides of a unit, improving the health and mental well-being of residents. 

The typology isn’t entirely absent in the United States, Frost notes, pointing out examples in Seattle and Brooklyn. But most U.S. building codes have called for multiple stairwells in taller multifamily buildings for decades, citing safety concerns. Now, bills to legalize single-stair buildings are being introduced at both local and state levels in dozens of jurisdictions including Maryland.