San Jose FD, for the CAL FIRE single-stair report, did a simulation of evacuation from a building, both in a stairway segregated from firefighters going up and then shared. It was an interesting Rohrschach test for the group – the FDs thought it looked really bad, the others thought it was fine.
blue is built
grey is proposed and in the entitlement process
Not the headline I would have gone with. Buildings can be safer with one stair than with two, especially if you reduce the length of the corridor and number of apartments per floor.
Today's NYT article highlights this map of dozens of Seattle single stair projects located on small lot across the city that can serve as a model for better livability across the U.S.
www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...
pretty incredible to wake up and find myself and @stephenjacobsmith.com in the @nytimes.com talking about better and more cost effective housing with point access blocks (single stair apartment buildings)
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/b...
The report from the State Fire Marshal stresses that IF state legislators want to raise the single stair maximum, they should go no higher than four stories.
Meanwhile, @votealexlee.bsky.social has a spot bill to allow single-stair apts "with 4 or more stories."
calmatters.org/housing/2026...
happening tomorrow: "Using Design Competitions to Improve the Quality of Housing: A Roundtable Discussion"
Hosted by Harvard's JCHS, the webinar will look at using competitions to improve housing and create opportunities for design professionals
www.jchs.harvard.edu/calendar/usi...
“Rooms to Grow,” KPMB's submission to the National Single Stair Design competition promotes:
☀️ Airy layouts with lightwells
👨👩👧👦 Generational living using flexible units
🤝 Community-oriented, small-lot development.
Read more in KPMB's article -
www.kpmb.com/insight/how-...
really enjoyed my conversation for this with christine on single stair, how seattle ended up leading on it, why it matters (and exists everywhere else) - and why fixing building codes is so important for housing. @stephenjacobsmith.com @seanjurs.bsky.social
nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
One estimate suggests that 18,000 homes a year are not being built because of the UK’s new requirement for a second stairway at 18 meters. Some are advocating to raise the limit to 50 meters, in line with global standards. archive.is/2026.02.09-1...
"A close analysis of the US building code development process reveals a system rife ... in which the costs and benefits of regulations are improperly measured (if measured at all)"
-UCLA Lewis Center: Cracking the Code (Jan 2026)
escholarship.org/content/qt0x...
Wisconsin's 6-story single-stair bill dropped last month with 9 bill sponsors.
Oddly, the bill creates a council consisting of industry gatekeepers to author the single-stair code including an IRC expert even though 6-story projects would be under the IBC
docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related...
Bringing similar scrutiny to the building code, last year, Utah doubled the allowable number of units permitted under the residential code by allowing 4 unit residential projects.
up.codes/viewer/utah/...
A California lawmaker has proposed allowing projects up to 10 units be constructed under the residential code.
That's 5x more than the current IBC limit of 2 units.
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTe...
Excited to see The Architect's Newspaper featuring the winners of the National Single Stair Design Competition and their amazing work.
www.archpaper.com/2026/01/nati...
Apartment floor plate comparison.
Standard double-loaded corridor with single-aspect units on the left.
Seattle single-stair project, with triple-aspect units on the right.
Correction: they did make a single-stair should
My mistake. Thanks for pointing that out!
This month, ULI's Urban Land magazine is featuring Seattle's BB House adaptive reuse project.
Not mentioned in the article is the fact that the compact, 5-story addition is made possible with single stair egress and Seattle's unique building code.
urbanland.uli.org/resilience-a...
Thanks to Seattle's unique stair code, point access blocks like the Alki Condominiums create density on small beachfront lots
Located on Alki Beach, the project adds 10 units to the waterfront
At 6-stories tall, the Alki Condominiums are illegal to build in most US cities
@stephenjacobsmith.com what type of one-person elevator is this and is it available in the U.S.?
www.instagram.com/reels/Col4u-...
Tucked on a 9' wide lot, PituRooms is a 6-story, 7-unit hotel dubbed the 'skinniest hotel ever'
Built on an overlooked lot in Indonesia, the project creates an efficient use of space and depends on a compact circulation core.
Happening tomorrow: webinar on single-stair housing led by life safety experts SGH.
I am looking forward to the conversation that will explore how we need to be open to new ideas to accommodate new strategies and new ways of providing housing.
Registration link: www.sgh.com/news-event/0...
Last month, I sat down with Single Stair North Carolina to discuss how Denver's single stair design competition united architects, policymakers, & community leaders.
The interview explored lessons learned for communities seeking solutions to the housing crisis.
singlestairnc.substack.com
Built in 1978 as the original "Seattle Special," all 15 units at the 6-story, single-stair Pike & Virginia Building overlook Puget Sound.
The first new construction in the Pike Place Market historic district in 50 years, it was designed with a small footprint to meet strict urban design guidelines.
no idea. i talked to the architects two years ago and they didn't mention and delays.
VE was tough on this project. It initially has balconies that helped out the facade and massing.
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & County is proving what’s possible with Olympic Ridge.
With a single-stair design, they’ve managed to fit 17 dual-aspect affordable condos on a incredibly narrow 35-foot wide lot in Capitol Hill.
This is a masterclass in urban infill and density done right.
Until then with 5 and 6 story single-stair provisions adopted in various cities over the last few years, I hope that cities like Austin and Denver see the level of small lot, single-stair infill that has already happened in Seattle -
www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...
Single-stair legislation in the last few years has included a patchwork of heights proposed around the US with proposals ranging from 5-stories (adopted Denver) up to 8-stories (proposed in NC last year) so I am eager for the first jurisdiction to adopt 8-10 story single-stair buildings.
