Council appears to support single-stair development - Austin Monitor

A building code amendment that will allow single-stair development up to five stories will be at Council this week and, like the resolution that asked for it, appears to have strong City Council support. Council Member Chito Vela, who sponsored…

Austin Monitor
I missed this from architect Sean Jursnick on the "Seattle Special", a lovely and affordable smaller apartment building enabled by #BuildingCodeReform https://www.mercatus.org/research/policy-briefs/seattle-special-us-citys-unique-approach-small-infill-lots #Housing #Seattle #design #SingleStair
The Seattle Special: A US City’s Unique Approach to Small Infill Lots

Mercatus Center
@ggwash "Lesson learned: Single-stair multifamily designs enabled narrow buildings that fit on narrow city lots; adding more units means more narrow buildings, instead of making big buildings even wider or taller. Smaller buildings allow more builders to participate in neighborhood evolution." #ArchitecturalHistory #DMV #preservation #SingleStair #BuildingCodeReform #Housing #Architecture
It is very early days, but I have written two draft submissions to allow safer and more affordable #MissingMiddle homes in #Virginia which I intend to submit for public consideration next month as soon as that becomes possible. Thanks to https://bsky.app/profile/stephenjacobsmith.com for doing the work at the national level to make this much more possible here. #BuildingCodeReform
Stephen Jacob Smith (@stephenjacobsmith.com)

Executive director of the Center for Building in North America, [email protected]. Personal account. Brooklyn, NY.

Bluesky Social
“I want us to have a building code that’s motivated by science and informed by trade-offs,” Eriksen said. “I’m worried we’re building a world that’s too expensive to live in.” https://slate.com/business/2025/02/housing-crisis-apartments-development-single-stair-reform-codes.html #SingleStair #BuildingCodeReform #Housing #Elevator #FireSafety #Science #Architecture #EvidenceBasedPolicy
A New Way to Fix the Housing Crisis

One man’s quest to fix the way we build.

Slate
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2025/02/small-single-stairway-apartment-buildings-have-strong-safety-record Very excited to see this released. “In New York City, the overall rate of fire deaths in its 4,440 modern single-stair buildings since 2012 was the same as in other residential buildings.” #housing #BuildingCodeReform #FireSafety #SingleStair #architecture
Small Single-Stairway Apartment Buildings Have Strong Safety Record

Policymakers could increase the supply of multifamily housing in their states and localities by revising outdated building codes that require more than one stairway in small apartment buildings. If enough states and cities enacted this simple change, it could reduce the nationwide shortage of multifamily housing.

https://storeys.com/vancouver-single-egress-stairs-building-code/ More affordable and safer #SingleStair #Housing may be coming to #Vancouver , but staff are concerned, especially around cost issues. They are recommending against any change for now but do see a way forward if change is desired. #BuildingCodeReform
Vancouver City Staff Opposing Single Egress Building Code Change

​The change to the BC Building Code the Province made last year did not apply to the Vancouver, which is now set to decide whether to follow suit.

STOREYS
https://www.centerforbuilding.org/singlestair-tracker There is a great snapshot here of all of the work in the US and Canada to fix building codes. Mexico to my knowledge has always allowed this so they can work on something else. #buildingcodereform #housing #singlestair
Single-Stair Tracker — Center for Building in North America

Up-to-date list of legislative and other efforts across North America to reform egress code provisions to allow taller single-stair buildings.

Center for Building in North America
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16880-exit-strategy-the-case-for-single-stair-egress “Statistically, the evidence is clear: fire-death rates are consistently lower in Europe than in the U.S. and Canada” #buildingcodereform #housing #design #firesafety #inflation #shortage
Exit Strategy: The Case for Single-Stair Egress

Forum: Reforming U.S. building codes to permit single-stair apartment buildings would facilitate cost-effective and higher-density housing, writes Alex Armlovich.

Architectural Record