In our series of key projects that have informed our work over our twenty years of practice we will also look at design features common to our projects . Here we look at stair design.
Stair Design
Our projects feature a wide range of stairs. Creative and well detailed, often a feature of the space. Both internal and external. There are a series of decisions that are worked through when designing stairs. A well-developed process.
Firstly the location of the stair is key. Many of our private residential stairs are in our basement extension projects where the integration between ground floor and basement is defined by the location of the stair. Equally stairs to roof terraces are key design opportunities.
In basement stair design the location of the stair is either a continuation of the existing stair flights or else it is located in another location as a distinct feature. If the new stair follows the flow of the existing flights this is not a design opportunity lost. We have designed many such stairs where careful choice of materials and elegant detailing contribute to a very successful design. At our basement project in Broomhouse Road in Fulham the basement space below the new stair is used as storage with timber veneer doors which are set back from the stair edge by some 300mm and this is a simple and elegant design feature. Our basement stair in Beauclerc Road in Hammersmith works well as the basement corridor the stair arrives in is wide. The balustrading is metal black painted railings. Several simple design decisions contributing to a very successful stair design.
Feature Stair Designs
The advantage a feature design stair has is a new location immediately adds to the drama of the new stair. A new location lends itself to new forms and stair geometry. Often the new location will be set in a side extension and as such can have a large roof light or fixed glazing over the stair and so flooding the basement via the new stairwell. We have designed many such stairs. The location can even be more dramatic. We have designed several stairs set within glass cube extensions. A constant feeling of the play between inside and outside when using the stair.
Roof Terrace Stairs
We have designed a number of roof terraces and as a practice have a reputation for our portfolio of roof terrace projects. Key to a number of these roof terraces is the stair giving access to the new roof terrace. Our roof terrace at Adam and Eve Mews in Kensington is very successful. The stair in this mews house was replaced in its entirety and exits onto the roof terrace via a glazed box where one side slides over the other giving access to the roof terrace in a dramatic way. Our large roof terrace in Norfolk Road in a prominent conservation area in Brighton features a similar glazed box with stair set within. The stair follows the flow of the existing stair. Our roof terrace stair in Holland Park is set below a large side hinged rooflight the length of the stair flight.
External Stairs
Our variety of exterior stairs connect basements with ground floors and are set within lightwells. Our stair in Ellerby street in Fulham works well and this is as much due to the material as the geometry. The balustrading is in elegantly detailed glass and connects to a glass bridge linking the ground floor with the garden.
Community project stairs
The community projects that we design offer a good opportunity for a creative stair design. A good example is our community centre in Peacehaven near Brighton.
Stair design
If you have a project where a new stair would be a feature of the design please feel free to contact us at Shape Architecture.
