Project overview: Currently, most US housing over three stories requires two means of egress. This generates hotel-style housing, where units are entered from long, dark hallways. This model has many problems. Allowing windows only on one wall leads to inefficient unit layouts that are ill-suited for families, difficult to ventilate naturally, and more. The excess circulation—an extra set of stairs and a long hall—requires large rectangular plots of land, which are increasingly rare and costly in urban settings. Because these codes predate the invention of modern technologies like fire sprinklers, many municipalities are revisiting them to encourage the development of infill sites and lower housing costs.
Since firefighters have been the biggest barrier to single-stair housing reform, we put their concerns first by reducing travel distances, creating fire-rescue balconies, and designing a smoke-free stair with generous sightlines. Then, we gave ourselves a few additional challenges:
Could construction be carbon-neutral?
Yes! By using carbon-sequestering straw insulation, a concrete-free slab, and natural materials like linoleum, reusing brick from Denver’s material legacy… Could the building use less?
Yes! By designing with material sizes in mind to limit waste, capturing & treating rainwater at the roof & landscaping, tightening hot water loops, utilizing exterior solar shades, detailing an airtight, highly insulated envelope… Could the building help foster community?
Yes! By integrating a mix of unit types, making the stair more social, creating a communal hub for mail pickup & bike storage, designing a rooftop space for rituals like shared laundry, communal meals, and gardening…
Project location: Denver, Colorado
Firm name: Primary Projects, PLLC; RUKA Design
Jury comments: Timely exploration of single-stair housing reform with an innovative focus on firefighter safety. Thoughtful, well-represented design addresses social and environmental responsibilities, creates appealing units without hallways, and uses a split switchback to enhance sectional qualities with rigorous research supports a compelling, if not fully verified, approach.
