Designing outside the Box: Stairs

Stair design is such a uniquely fun opportunity for an architect.  A great stair can become one of the most dynamic and fun elements of layered architecture - sculptural in its own right.

Here you can see the evolution of a non-traditional stair in a One Architects home currently under construction, which, even at this early phase already contains elements of sculptural opacity, translucency, material layers, and a wonderfully creative riser detail.

For more photos of some of our favorite finished stair designs, please visit our earlier Stairs as Art post!

Stairs as Art

I'm not going to lie: I'm mildly obsessed with stair design.  What an amazing opportunity to create a multi-dimensional piece of sculpture in a home, one which will be experienced not solely for travel, but often (as we noticed in architecture school) as a place of impromptu conversation, rest, and enjoyment.  A well designed stair is ergonomically comfortable, can create light and shadow which changes throughout the day, pull natural light between levels and even make music when in use.  Here are some of my favorite One Architects' stairs.

 

photos © Jennifer Koskinen | Merritt Design Photo