Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge (2025)
Challenge: Envision a way to boost housing, lower costs, & allow more light-filled, family-friendly units on small Denver lots
Result: 230+ creative submissions from designers and architects around the world
architecturecompetitions.com/pointaccessb...
Challenge: Envision a way to boost housing, lower costs, & allow more light-filled, family-friendly units on small Denver lots
Result: 230+ creative submissions from designers and architects around the world
architecturecompetitions.com/pointaccessb...
September 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Strolling down the alley with 4 and 6 storey single-stair co-ops, with shared back yards, interspersed with single family homes (on 50' lots).
September 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Playing with more Pacific Northwest #sharedstair street ideas
November 15, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Playing with more Pacific Northwest #sharedstair street ideas
Despite passing #singlestair #sharedstair over a year ago, the BC government is doubling down on dark overheated airless and friendless double-loaded corridors.
They’ve just spent a packet of CMHC grant money and this is what they hope to accelerate:
They’ve just spent a packet of CMHC grant money and this is what they hope to accelerate:
November 21, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Despite passing #singlestair #sharedstair over a year ago, the BC government is doubling down on dark overheated airless and friendless double-loaded corridors.
They’ve just spent a packet of CMHC grant money and this is what they hope to accelerate:
They’ve just spent a packet of CMHC grant money and this is what they hope to accelerate:
I had a good conversation with Joe Kelly on his Mass Construction Show podcast about single-stair. It’s for construction/code/fire folks, so it was more technical than most.
The Case for Single Stair Buildings w/ Stephen Smith
Mass Construction Show · Episode
open.spotify.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Vancouver (Extra) Special
33' lots
4 and 6 storey single-stair buildings.
3Br accessible flats, adjacent to a park.
(sketchup / ai render)
33' lots
4 and 6 storey single-stair buildings.
3Br accessible flats, adjacent to a park.
(sketchup / ai render)
September 23, 2025 at 7:34 PM
#sharedstair floorplan
1Br / Studios (in the same floor plate)
Could be a mix of large and small units.
Could be a mix of large and small units.
October 3, 2025 at 8:11 PM
#sharedstair floorplan
Aw and yay! Let’s make more #sharedstair plans.
August 14, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Aw and yay! Let’s make more #sharedstair plans.
August 25, 2025 at 11:53 PM
#sharedstair
Madness that this was illegal here until last year, still illegal nationally, and that BC’s municipalities recently voted to waste energy lobbying to make it illegal again, instead of getting on and zoning for it everywhere within a reasonable stroll of a bike lane or bus stop.
Madness that this was illegal here until last year, still illegal nationally, and that BC’s municipalities recently voted to waste energy lobbying to make it illegal again, instead of getting on and zoning for it everywhere within a reasonable stroll of a bike lane or bus stop.
4 Storey Single Stair Flats could work well in most parts of the city, but - compared to a multiplex - the consultant and code requirements might add 100k and the elevator might add 200k.
With limited parking the sale price needs to be lower.
>> Simple zoning approval is needed to make it work.
With limited parking the sale price needs to be lower.
>> Simple zoning approval is needed to make it work.
October 9, 2025 at 9:22 PM
#sharedstair
Madness that this was illegal here until last year, still illegal nationally, and that BC’s municipalities recently voted to waste energy lobbying to make it illegal again, instead of getting on and zoning for it everywhere within a reasonable stroll of a bike lane or bus stop.
Madness that this was illegal here until last year, still illegal nationally, and that BC’s municipalities recently voted to waste energy lobbying to make it illegal again, instead of getting on and zoning for it everywhere within a reasonable stroll of a bike lane or bus stop.
Template designs for #sharedstair buildings please.
Where are UBC, SFU, Douglas students on this? Why isn’t the internet flooded with designs yet?
Where are UBC, SFU, Douglas students on this? Why isn’t the internet flooded with designs yet?
5. Support Single Egress Stair (SES) Buildings
The province allowed these in the code, but there is still a big knowledge gap and pushback.
The code changes also need to be backed by zoning and urban design updates so we can unlock the potential of SES buildings.
Also: lower cost elevators!
The province allowed these in the code, but there is still a big knowledge gap and pushback.
The code changes also need to be backed by zoning and urban design updates so we can unlock the potential of SES buildings.
Also: lower cost elevators!
September 5, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Template designs for #sharedstair buildings please.
Where are UBC, SFU, Douglas students on this? Why isn’t the internet flooded with designs yet?
Where are UBC, SFU, Douglas students on this? Why isn’t the internet flooded with designs yet?
The most famous double-loaded corridor. #sharedstair #socialstair
Land Assembly is unneighbourly. Instead choose bite-sized buildings, one per lot, with Light, Air and a Social Stair.
#yvrpoli #bcpoli #canpoli #yimby
Land Assembly is unneighbourly. Instead choose bite-sized buildings, one per lot, with Light, Air and a Social Stair.
#yvrpoli #bcpoli #canpoli #yimby
May 23, 2026 at 5:20 PM
The most famous double-loaded corridor. #sharedstair #socialstair
Land Assembly is unneighbourly. Instead choose bite-sized buildings, one per lot, with Light, Air and a Social Stair.
#yvrpoli #bcpoli #canpoli #yimby
Land Assembly is unneighbourly. Instead choose bite-sized buildings, one per lot, with Light, Air and a Social Stair.
#yvrpoli #bcpoli #canpoli #yimby
My ears perked up at “two six storey buildings”. I wonder whether these could be #sharedstair buildings with party walls…
www.urbanyvr.com/royal-towers...
www.urbanyvr.com/royal-towers...
August 28, 2025 at 9:48 PM
My ears perked up at “two six storey buildings”. I wonder whether these could be #sharedstair buildings with party walls…
www.urbanyvr.com/royal-towers...
www.urbanyvr.com/royal-towers...
Love the smell of coffee in the morning.
#newwest #sharedstair #socialstair #vanpoli #mixeduse #bcpoli #toa
#newwest #sharedstair #socialstair #vanpoli #mixeduse #bcpoli #toa
December 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Love the smell of coffee in the morning.
#newwest #sharedstair #socialstair #vanpoli #mixeduse #bcpoli #toa
#newwest #sharedstair #socialstair #vanpoli #mixeduse #bcpoli #toa
Hey look it’s #newwest FD’s mobile 6-storey second egress! #sharedstair
October 14, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Hey look it’s #newwest FD’s mobile 6-storey second egress! #sharedstair
#newwest isn't building enough 3+ bedroom units.
Bedrooms need windows, and you can get windows on more than one side with #sharedstair buildings (up to 6 storeys).
Therefore the city MUST zone for 6 storeys on at least all the Tier 3 lots.
pub-newwestcity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a...
Bedrooms need windows, and you can get windows on more than one side with #sharedstair buildings (up to 6 storeys).
Therefore the city MUST zone for 6 storeys on at least all the Tier 3 lots.
pub-newwestcity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a...
August 25, 2025 at 11:29 PM
#newwest isn't building enough 3+ bedroom units.
Bedrooms need windows, and you can get windows on more than one side with #sharedstair buildings (up to 6 storeys).
Therefore the city MUST zone for 6 storeys on at least all the Tier 3 lots.
pub-newwestcity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a...
Bedrooms need windows, and you can get windows on more than one side with #sharedstair buildings (up to 6 storeys).
Therefore the city MUST zone for 6 storeys on at least all the Tier 3 lots.
pub-newwestcity.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a...
The claim is you can achieve better living with comparable density in bedrooms because
1. You haven’t wasted space on a corridor; and
2. More open sides means (opportunity for) more bedrooms per unit (beds need a window) means lower ave kitchen/livings per bed. More 3beds basically.
#sharedstair
1. You haven’t wasted space on a corridor; and
2. More open sides means (opportunity for) more bedrooms per unit (beds need a window) means lower ave kitchen/livings per bed. More 3beds basically.
#sharedstair
August 28, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The claim is you can achieve better living with comparable density in bedrooms because
1. You haven’t wasted space on a corridor; and
2. More open sides means (opportunity for) more bedrooms per unit (beds need a window) means lower ave kitchen/livings per bed. More 3beds basically.
#sharedstair
1. You haven’t wasted space on a corridor; and
2. More open sides means (opportunity for) more bedrooms per unit (beds need a window) means lower ave kitchen/livings per bed. More 3beds basically.
#sharedstair
With Land Assembly there’s one front door for the whole building. And nobody takes the stairs.
With fine-grain single-lot development, every lot has a front door for trick or treating.
#singlestair #vanpoli #newwest #socialstair #sharedstair Light, Air and a Social Stair.
With fine-grain single-lot development, every lot has a front door for trick or treating.
#singlestair #vanpoli #newwest #socialstair #sharedstair Light, Air and a Social Stair.
December 21, 2025 at 4:19 PM
With Land Assembly there’s one front door for the whole building. And nobody takes the stairs.
With fine-grain single-lot development, every lot has a front door for trick or treating.
#singlestair #vanpoli #newwest #socialstair #sharedstair Light, Air and a Social Stair.
With fine-grain single-lot development, every lot has a front door for trick or treating.
#singlestair #vanpoli #newwest #socialstair #sharedstair Light, Air and a Social Stair.
6 storeys now allowed on 8000 (eg 50x160) sqft corner lots.
Still no #socialstair #sharedstair family #sunshinesuites #singlestair #singleegress but it’s teed up.
Still no #socialstair #sharedstair family #sunshinesuites #singlestair #singleegress but it’s teed up.
December 4, 2025 at 12:20 AM
6 storeys now allowed on 8000 (eg 50x160) sqft corner lots.
Still no #socialstair #sharedstair family #sunshinesuites #singlestair #singleegress but it’s teed up.
Still no #socialstair #sharedstair family #sunshinesuites #singlestair #singleegress but it’s teed up.
I am an ignorant amateur of course, so maybe @lanefab.com and other professionals can find a way to contort these kits of prefab parts into the #sharedstair floorplans they’ve been conceiving.
November 21, 2025 at 2:25 AM
I am an ignorant amateur of course, so maybe @lanefab.com and other professionals can find a way to contort these kits of prefab parts into the #sharedstair floorplans they’ve been conceiving.
Baltimore just eliminated parking minimums, reduced lot line setbacks, and allowed single-stair buildings for buildings up to six stories
All without years of studies or prevarication. This is not just the path to rest belt revival, it is a model for cities nationwide
All without years of studies or prevarication. This is not just the path to rest belt revival, it is a model for cities nationwide
November 5, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I’m going to start labelling the anti-neighbour pro-corridor fire-lobby crowd as “Veillerists”. #sharedstair
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrenc...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrenc...
October 10, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I’m going to start labelling the anti-neighbour pro-corridor fire-lobby crowd as “Veillerists”. #sharedstair
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrenc...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrenc...
Can someone ask whether their ladders reach 50 feet? #sharedstair
Hey #Newwest! There is an open house at Glenbrook Fire Hall today until 2:00. Drop by! Fun activities for all ages, Hot Dogs, fire safety info, and more!
October 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Can someone ask whether their ladders reach 50 feet? #sharedstair