Why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments (because of one rule)
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the architectural and regulatory differences between North American and European apartment buildings, focusing on the requirement for two separate staircases in North America for safety reasons. The script discusses the implications of this rule on housing density, variety, and affordability, while also highlighting the potential benefits of single-staircase buildings for family-sized units and urban infill development. It questions the necessity of the strict rule in the context of modern fire safety advancements and suggests that a nuanced approach might better serve evolving urban needs.
Takeaways
- 🏘️ Quaint walkup apartments are popular worldwide for their character but are rarely built in North America due to building code restrictions.
- 🛗 The 'point access block' is a type of apartment building with a single staircase and elevator, common in desirable neighborhoods but not in North America.
- 🇨🇦🇺🇸 In Canada and the US, apartments above two or three stories are required to have two separate staircases, unlike most other places where this requirement starts after six stories.
- 🏢 The need for two staircases in North American buildings reduces usable floor space, leading developers to construct larger buildings compared to their European counterparts.
- 🏗️ The strict building code regarding staircases makes it difficult to build more housing, as large buildings require assembling multiple properties.
- 🏡 Single staircase buildings can be built on smaller properties, which is beneficial for adding housing in single-family neighborhoods with limited space.
- 🚪 The requirement for two staircases limits housing variety, as most units can only fit one bedroom due to the hallway dividing the building.
- 👨👩👧👦 There is a shortage of family-sized apartments with three or more bedrooms, which the point access block could help address.
- 🔄 The double staircase rule originated from historical fire safety concerns, but modern fire safety has evolved to include many other preventive measures.
- 🌐 North American cities adopted strict building codes due to rapid growth and the prevalence of wooden construction, unlike the fireproof materials used in Asia and Europe.
- 🏙️ Some North American cities, like Seattle, have exemptions to the double staircase rule for smaller apartment buildings, allowing for more compact and diverse housing options.
Q & A
Why are quaint walkup apartments not commonly built in North America?
-In North America, particularly in Canada and the US, building codes require all apartments above two or three stories to have access to two separate staircases for safety reasons, which discourages the construction of smaller, quaint walkup apartments.
What is a 'point access block' and how does it differ from typical North American apartment buildings?
-A 'point access block' is a type of apartment building where all units share a single staircase and elevator to the ground floor. This allows for smaller, skinnier apartments compared to typical North American buildings which are often larger and have multiple staircases.
What are the implications of the requirement for two staircases in North American apartment buildings?
-The requirement for two staircases takes up a lot of space, reducing the usable floor space in smaller buildings. As a result, developers construct larger buildings where the proportion of space taken by staircases and hallways is smaller relative to the overall building size.
How does the two-staircase requirement affect the ease of building more housing?
-The two-staircase requirement makes it more difficult to build more housing because large buildings require larger properties, often necessitating land assembly, which is a risky and expensive process involving negotiations and legal reviews.
What challenges does the two-staircase requirement present for building family-sized apartments?
-The hallway connecting the two staircases typically cuts the building in two, limiting the number of bedrooms that can be accommodated on either side of it, as most units can only fit one bedroom due to the limited window space.
Why are single staircase buildings potentially beneficial for adding more housing in single-family neighborhoods?
-Single staircase buildings can be smaller and can often be built on just one property, making it easier to add more housing at scale in single-family neighborhoods where properties are already small.
What is the historical reason behind the strict fire safety regulations in North American building codes?
-The strict fire safety regulations, including the double staircase rule, originated from the historical threat of city-wide fires in North America. Cities adopted robust fire safety regulations to prevent such disasters.
How have modern building codes evolved to address fire safety beyond just the double staircase rule?
-Modern building codes have evolved to include regulations on the materials buildings are made from, fire doors, pressurized staircases, sprinklers, fire alarm systems, and fire extinguishers, as well as fire-resistant materials for everyday items like mattresses.
What is the current situation regarding fire deaths per capita in the US and Canada compared to the rest of the world?
-Contrary to what one might expect from the strict building codes, the US and Canada do not have the fewest fire deaths per capita. Many other factors contribute to fire safety, and the success of building codes has been more about preventing fires than helping people escape them.
What are some of the potential benefits of point access block buildings for housing supply and family-sized apartments?
-Point access block buildings, with their single staircase, allow for more flexible apartment layouts with multiple bedrooms and better natural ventilation due to windows on different sides of the unit.
Are there any North American cities that have exemptions to the two-staircase rule for smaller apartment buildings?
-Yes, some cities like Seattle have made exemptions to the rule, allowing apartments up to six stories to have just one staircase provided they comply with other safety regulations.
Outlines
🏘️ The Decline of Quaint Walkup Apartments in North America
This paragraph discusses the charm and character of quaint walkup apartments, which are popular worldwide but not commonly built in North America due to strict building codes. The defining feature of these buildings, known as point access blocks, is a shared staircase and elevator leading to the ground floor, allowing for smaller and skinnier apartments. The speaker highlights the contrast with North American apartments, which are often large and imposing, due to the requirement for two separate staircases in buildings above two or three stories. This rule significantly impacts the amount of usable space in smaller buildings, leading developers to construct larger structures. The paragraph also touches on the challenges this poses for housing supply and the types of housing that can be built, particularly the difficulty in creating multi-bedroom units suitable for families.
🔍 Historical Context and Critique of Double Staircase Rule
The second paragraph delves into the historical origins of the double staircase rule in North American building codes, which were established to enhance fire safety during a time when urban fires were a significant threat. The rule mandates that all apartments above two or three stories must have access to two separate staircases. The speaker contrasts this with practices in Asia and Europe, where buildings were constructed with more fireproof materials like brick and stone. The paragraph also points out that despite these strict regulations, the US and Canada do not have the lowest fire death rates per capita, suggesting that other factors, such as building materials, fire doors, sprinklers, and fire alarm systems, play a more significant role in fire safety. The speaker proposes that the rule may be too broadly applied and could be reevaluated to allow for more efficient use of space in smaller buildings.
🏗️ Exploring Modern Solutions and Design Competitions
The final paragraph introduces a design competition hosted by Urban Arium in Metro Vancouver, which challenges participants to reimagine six-story housing forms by reevaluating or eliminating certain building codes, including the double staircase requirement. The competition, titled 'Decoding Density,' aims to promote affordability and innovative building designs. The speaker also mentions recent changes in building codes, such as the increase in the maximum height for wood buildings due to advancements in wood construction technology, emphasizing the importance of adapting building regulations in response to evolving technology and safety understanding.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Walkup Apartments
💡Point Access Block
💡Staircases
💡Building Codes
💡Land Assembly
💡Housing Supply
💡Family-Sized Apartments
💡Scissor Stairs
💡Fire Safety
💡Urban Density
💡Decoding Density
Highlights
Quaint walkup apartments are a beloved feature in cities globally but are not allowed to be built in North America.
North American apartments are typically larger and more imposing due to building code restrictions.
Point access block buildings, common in desirable neighborhoods worldwide, are not constructed in North America due to stringent staircase regulations.
In Canada and the US, all apartments above two or three stories must have access to two separate staircases.
The requirement for two staircases significantly reduces usable floor space in smaller buildings.
Large buildings require larger properties, leading to land assembly challenges and increased housing costs.
Single staircase buildings can be built on smaller properties, potentially increasing housing supply in single-family neighborhoods.
The hallway connecting two staircases limits apartment layouts to mostly one-bedroom units.
There is a shortage of family-friendly apartments with three or more bedrooms in cities like Metro Vancouver.
Point access block buildings can offer more flexible layouts with multiple bedrooms due to the absence of a connecting hallway.
Single staircase buildings promote better airflow and natural ventilation within apartments.
Scissor stairs are not a perfect substitute for single staircases due to various limitations.
The double staircase rule originated from historical fire safety concerns in rapidly growing North American cities.
Modern fire safety has evolved to include a range of preventive measures beyond just the double staircase requirement.
The strict application of the double staircase rule may not be necessary for smaller buildings and could be reevaluated.
Some North American cities, like Seattle, have made exemptions to the double staircase rule for smaller apartment buildings.
Urban Arium is hosting a design competition to explore new housing possibilities by challenging existing building codes.
Building codes should be continuously updated to reflect technological advancements and evolving safety understanding.
Transcripts
Quaint walkup Apartments like this one
behind me are a beloved feature in
cities around the world they're inviting
and full of character but here in North
America they are not allowed to be built
today instead our apartments are big and
imposing often stretching across an
entire block and the reason why really
comes down to one reason
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staircases
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this type of apartment building is
called the point access block its
defining feature is that all its units
share one staircase and elevator to the
ground floor which allows for a smaller
skinnier apartment and these buildings
are a common element in some of the most
desirable neighborhoods in the world
so why don't we build these apartments
here in North America well in Canada and
the US all apartments above two or three
stories need to give their units access
to two separate staircases where some of
the only countries across the world that
are this strict about this requirement
in most other places it only kicks in
after six or more stories and this one
rule has huge implications staircases
take up a lot of space and fitting two
of them in a small building means that
there's much less usable floor space on
every floor as a result developers here
construct much larger buildings so that
the staircases and hallways take up a
much smaller proportion of the overall
building it's why apartments in North
America in general are much bigger and
wider than their European
counterparts now I'm not here to Fat
shame our bulky North American
apartments no the reason I care about
this issue is because this requirement
is causing some major problems for
starters it's is making it much more
difficult to build more
housing big buildings require big
properties and in many cases finding a
property large enough for a large
apartment requires a land assembly this
is where you convince multiple land
owners to sell their properties to you
at the same time so that you can combine
them into one big lot as you can imagine
this is a risky process that requires
negotiations legal reviews and a ton of
money single staircase buildings on the
other hand can be much smaller which
means you can often build them on just
one property I think that makes these
buildings an important solution right
now because cities today are
increasingly looking to add more housing
into their single family neighborhoods
properties in these areas are already
small to begin with and I think it'd be
very difficult to add more housing at
scale without single staircase buildings
but this requirement isn't just making
it more difficult to build new housing
it's also limiting the kinds of housing
we can build the reason why comes down
to the hallway connecting the two
staircases cuts the building in two
which means most of the units on either
side of it can really only fit one
bedroom let me explain so this hotel I'm
staying at kind of gives you an idea of
what that looks like on the ground I've
got access to a stair over there and a
stair over there but what that really
means is that the rooms essentially can
only have a window on one side of the
wall because there's a unit over there
and there's a unit over there which is
you know fine for a hotel room but for
an apartment this layout can be really
challenging to work with all bedrooms
are required by law to have a window and
when you only have Windows on one side
of your apartment it's challenging to
fit any more than one or maybe two
bedrooms into this layout to demonstrate
let's take a look at the floor plan of
an apartment in Quebec City most of its
units only have Windows on one wall in
fact this poor unit only has Windows on
one corner and because of that all these
units pretty much have to be one-bedroom
apartments this is a problem because our
cities are facing a major shortage of
apartments with three or more bedrooms
the kinds of spaces that are better
suited for families in Metro Vancouver
three-bedroom apartments make up 2% of
units in the Region's rental market
while Studios and one-bedroom apartments
make up almost
75% and this shortage of familyfriendly
Apartments is where I really see the
potential of Point access block
buildings when you have one staircase
you don't need a hallway which means
that units can wrap around the staircase
in all sorts of different ways that
makes it easier to have more walls with
Windows which allows for apartment
layouts with more than one bedroom check
out this apartment layout from France
you can see that the single staircase
allows for a three-bedroom unit two two
bedrooms and two one-bedrooms and you
know what else that's good for smelly
roommates having open windows on
different sides of an apartment makes it
easier for air to move through the unit
which provides natural Cooling and
ventilation another upside of the point
access
block I'm going to pause this video for
a sec because I'm sure some people will
point out that there's this thing called
scissor stairs that kind of addresses
this issue this is when two stairs
crisscross down one column together
effectively taking up less space than
two separate staircases uh I don't want
to digress too much so I'm just going to
list a few reasons why in my opinion
scissor stairs aren't a great
replacement for single stairs but feel
free to debate me in the
comments so why do we have this rule why
does every apartment require two
staircases well to understand why we
have to go back in history back to when
cities across North America where
adopting their first building codes back
in the day one of the biggest threats to
your life in the city was dying in a
fire that and maybe Contracting
tuberculosis in fact every now and then
an entire city would go up in Flames
like Toronto in 1849 Montreal in 1852
Quebec City in 1866 Vancouver in 1886
Johns in 1892 Westminster in 1898 Ottawa
in 1900 and Toronto again in
1904 that's why cities across North
America began to create robust fire
safety regulations like this double
staircase rule that's still in effect
today the idea behind it was quite
simple if you're in a building that's on
fire you don't want to be stuck with
only one option to get out what if the
staircase is uh full of smoke or blocked
or you know on fire so this was a very
understandable rule it was about our
safety but you might be wondering why is
it then that this rule is so strict in
just North America well cities in Asia
and Europe had already dealt with this
issue centuries before but their
approach was to require buildings to be
made of more fireproof materials like
brick and stone North American cities on
the other hand were growing quickly and
it was much quicker to build it out of
wood than to painstakingly lay bricks
and stones plus wood was more readily
available in North America and with the
invention of the automobile cities were
on the cusp of suburban sprawl which
would put much less pressure on building
compact apartment buildings downtown
sprinkle in a little bit of classism
around housing types and you have our
North American compromise for the
building code build with less fireproof
materials but compensate with stricter
regulations so sure we might have had
our suburban sprawl here but at least we
got safer buildings with this double
staircase requirement we've saved
countless of lives while in the rest of
the world people are still perishing in
fires in their single staircase
buildings take that Amsterdam well
that's not exactly true as you can see
on this chart the US and Canada don't
have the fewest fire deaths per capita
not by a long shot it turns out there
are so many other factors that
contribute towards fire safety in fact
it seems like the real success story of
our building codes hasn't been so much
about helping people escape fires but
preventing them in the first place for
example regulating the materials
buildings are made out of requiring fire
doors pressurized staircases sprinklers
fire alarm systems and fire
extinguishers today almost every aspect
of your home has been vetted for fire
safety even your mattress is required by
law to be made out of fire resistant
materials what are you doing uh uh
nothing those requirements have also
coincided with a very important cultural
change in most places smoking indoors is
now
prohibited as a result building fires
have decreased about 50% over the past
several decades and they've become much
less severe so this requirement to have
two staircases is hardly the most
significant Improvement we've made to
fire safety by a long shot and when it
gets in the way of new housing Supply
and family-sized departments it does
make you wonder do we need this rule at
all well personally I think that doing
away with this rule altogether would be
too drastic it exists for a reason and
in my opinion the problem isn't the rule
itself but just how broadly we've
applied it I'll remind you every
apartment in Canada above two stories
has to follow this rule we're the only
country in the world that is this strict
about it and I think we're missing some
important Nuance if you live in a
highrise where hundreds of people need
to be evacuated in a fire I get that
having two separate stairs would still
be really important but what about a
six-story apartment or even a
three-story apartment in fact there are
a few cities in North America that have
made exemptions to this rule for example
Seattle in 1977 the city began allowing
apartments up to six stories to have
just one staircase provided they comply
with other safety Reg ulations today
it's one of the few cities in North
America where you can see modern single
staircase buildings and for this video I
wanted to visit one for
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myself
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just a little damper buil oh what
and it just disappears like
that here in Metro Vancouver Urban Arium
is hosting a design competition to
explore what buildings could look like
if we changed updated or eliminated
codes like this one it's called decoding
density and it's intended to imagine new
possibilities for six-story housing
forms by challenging codes and building
requirements as well as encouraging
ideas that highlight affordability to
find out more and register for the
competition visit decoding density.com
there's $44,000 and cash prizes
available and your entry could be
featured in an upcoming about here video
now if all this makes you a bit nervous
I get it after all these codes are about
our safety but I do want to mention that
these codes do change over time as our
technology and our understanding of
safety evolves for example the BC
government recently amended its building
code to increase the maximum height of
wood buildings from 6 to 12 stories
because of Innovations in Wood
Construction like Mass Timber that can
make wood strong stronger and more fire
resistant it's important that we
continue to discuss and update these
rules as our world changes so the next
time you're at a party or visiting your
family or on a date bring up staircases
or fire protection ratings or dead end
conditions and elevators I mean oh my
gosh so much to talk about
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elevators
n
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