I completely agree with you that the code should be adopted statewide. The opt-in model is cumbersome and creates a confusing patchwork of requirements.

Chicago has introduced building code reform to allow scissor stairs in multifamily by right up to 15 floors/150 feet: chicityclerkelms.chicago.gov/Matter/?matt...

Hawarden Apartment Building

Gladstone Apartment Building

The Council just passed legislation to allow single-stair and single-entrance apartment buildings up to six stories in DC.

Allowing single-stair buildings:
✅ Reduces housing construction costs
✅ Enables housing on narrow city lots
✅ Facilitates more family-sized units

The bill passed unanimously.

The Bluefield Housing Book 'Bluefield Housing as Alternative Infill for the Suburbs' is a book written and illustrated by Damian Madigan and published by Routledge New York and London.

The Bluefield Housing Book defines ‘bluefields’ as an extension to green-, brown-, and greyfield housing, and outlines the design principles behind the bluefield co-located housing model.

bluefieldhousing.com.au/damian-madig...

Unlocking Housing Choices Learn more about the city's work to create more opportunities for middle housing forms in Denver's residential neighborhoods.

Madigan's proposal is now influencing the City of Denver's Unlocking Housing Choices Program to amend the city's zoning code to encourage "missing middle" housing—such as duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units.

denvergov.org/Government/A...

'X-MU-X' by Dr. Damian Madigan
First Prize - Denver Affordable Housing Challenge

The author of 'The Bluefield Housing Book', Madigan lays out a design-led framework for Denver that boosts housing density without losing historic charm.

architecturecompetitions.com/denverhousing/

What's nice about working for Nithya is that she's as big of a housing nerd as I am

This month, Colorado's Building Dialogue Magazine is highlighting the housing opportunities created by Denver's new single-stair code.

cdn.etype.services/Production_P...

379 affordable apartments and 146 parking spaces in 7- and 9-story buildings on a brownfield site in Zurich for just 150 million CHF – under $300 per gross sq. ft., $400k/unit for a mix of 1-4BR apartments. Completed in July. www.swiss-arc.ch/de/projekt/w...

The building code rule that lets Seattle turn forgotten lots into housing Rethinking the building code to allow single-stairwell buildings brought more small-lot, mid-rise apartments to the city—and sparked a wider reform movement.

Great single stair article on Fast Company today highlighting Seattle and the broader movement around the country to change building codes

www.fastcompany.com/91513043/the...

Does the elevator only access 4 units?

Despite a massive shortage of units, "Affordable" housing is now more expensive than market-rate housing in several major U.S. cities.

I'm not an expert but it feels like U.S. housing industry is broken.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Ingress of Firefighters conducting fire operations during the egress of building occupants YouTube video by San José Fire Department

San Jose FD, for the CAL FIRE single-stair report, did a simulation of evacuation from a building, both in a stairway segregated from firefighters going up and then shared. It was an interesting Rohrschach test for the group – the FDs thought it looked really bad, the others thought it was fine.

blue is built
grey is proposed and in the entitlement process

Not the headline I would have gone with. Buildings can be safer with one stair than with two, especially if you reduce the length of the corridor and number of apartments per floor.

Today's NYT article highlights this map of dozens of Seattle single stair projects located on small lot across the city that can serve as a model for better livability across the U.S.

www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...

To Cut Housing Costs, Some States Are Easing Fire Safety Rules

pretty incredible to wake up and find myself and @stephenjacobsmith.com in the @nytimes.com talking about better and more cost effective housing with point access blocks (single stair apartment buildings)

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/b...

California’s fire safety regulators are finally out with a 'single stair' report. They don’t love the idea California’s fire safety regulators were asked to study whether mid-rise apartments can go with a single staircase like other countries.

The report from the State Fire Marshal stresses that IF state legislators want to raise the single stair maximum, they should go no higher than four stories.

Meanwhile, @votealexlee.bsky.social has a spot bill to allow single-stair apts "with 4 or more stories."

calmatters.org/housing/2026...

Using Design Competitions to Improve the Quality of Housing: A Roundtable Discussion Susanne Schindler will discuss her recent working paper about how design competitions can address the shortcomings of housing development and design services procurement processes. A roundtable with B...

happening tomorrow: "Using Design Competitions to Improve the Quality of Housing: A Roundtable Discussion"

Hosted by Harvard's JCHS, the webinar will look at using competitions to improve housing and create opportunities for design professionals

www.jchs.harvard.edu/calendar/usi...

“Rooms to Grow,” KPMB's submission to the National Single Stair Design competition promotes:

☀️ Airy layouts with lightwells

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Generational living using flexible units

🤝 Community-oriented, small-lot development.

Read more in KPMB's article -

www.kpmb.com/insight/how-...

The Seattle Example for Unlocking More Housing, One Stairway at a Time By rethinking the building code and allowing single-stair apartment buildings, the city made small-lot, mid-rise apartments feasible — and sparked a wider reform movement.

really enjoyed my conversation for this with christine on single stair, how seattle ended up leading on it, why it matters (and exists everywhere else) - and why fixing building codes is so important for housing. @stephenjacobsmith.com @seanjurs.bsky.social

nextcity.org/urbanist-new...

One estimate suggests that 18,000 homes a year are not being built because of the UK’s new requirement for a second stairway at 18 meters. Some are advocating to raise the limit to 50 meters, in line with global standards. archive.is/2026.02.09-1...

"A close analysis of the US building code development process reveals a system rife ... in which the costs and benefits of regulations are improperly measured (if measured at all)"

-UCLA Lewis Center: Cracking the Code (Jan 2026)
escholarship.org/content/qt0x...

Wisconsin's 6-story single-stair bill dropped last month with 9 bill sponsors.

Oddly, the bill creates a council consisting of industry gatekeepers to author the single-stair code including an IRC expert even though 6-story projects would be under the IBC

docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related...

Bringing similar scrutiny to the building code, last year, Utah doubled the allowable number of units permitted under the residential code by allowing 4 unit residential projects.

up.codes/viewer/utah/...

A California lawmaker has proposed allowing projects up to 10 units be constructed under the residential code.

That's 5x more than the current IBC limit of 2 units.

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTe...

Excited to see The Architect's Newspaper featuring the winners of the National Single Stair Design Competition and their amazing work.

www.archpaper.com/2026/01/nati...

Apartment floor plate comparison.

Standard double-loaded corridor with single-aspect units on the left.

Seattle single-stair project, with triple-aspect units on the right.

Correction: they did make a single-stair should

My mistake. Thanks for pointing that out!