Why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments (because of one rule)

Summary

This 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

00:00

🏘️ 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.

05:02

🔍 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.

10:16

🏗️ 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.

Keywords

💡Walkup Apartments

Walkup apartments refer to buildings without elevators where residents walk up the stairs to reach their units. They are often found in older urban areas and are characterized by their charm and character. In the video, these are contrasted with modern, larger apartment buildings in North America, illustrating the difference in architectural styles and building codes.

💡Point Access Block

A point access block is a type of apartment building where all units share a single staircase and elevator leading to the ground floor. This design allows for more compact and skinnier buildings, which are common in some of the world's most desirable neighborhoods. The script discusses the prevalence of this type of building in other parts of the world compared to North America.

💡Staircases

Staircases are the focus of the video as they are a critical component of building design and safety regulations. The script explains how the requirement for multiple staircases in North American buildings affects the size and layout of apartments, leading to larger and wider structures compared to those in Europe.

💡Building Codes

Building codes are sets of regulations governing the design, construction, and materials used in building projects. In the context of the video, building codes in North America mandate that all apartments above two or three stories must have access to two separate staircases for safety reasons, which has implications for the types of buildings that can be constructed.

💡Land Assembly

Land assembly is the process of acquiring multiple properties to consolidate them into a larger plot for development. The script mentions that the requirement for larger buildings due to staircase regulations can make land assembly necessary, which is a risky and costly process.

💡Housing Supply

Housing supply refers to the availability of housing units in a given area. The video discusses how the current building codes can hinder the creation of new housing, particularly in single-family neighborhoods where properties are already small, making it difficult to add more housing at scale without single staircase buildings.

💡Family-Sized Apartments

Family-sized apartments are larger units designed to accommodate families, typically with three or more bedrooms. The script points out a shortage of such apartments in cities, which is a problem the point access block buildings could potentially help address by allowing for more flexible layouts with multiple windows and bedrooms.

💡Scissor Stairs

Scissor stairs are a design where two staircases are intertwined, effectively taking up less space than two separate staircases. The video briefly mentions this concept as a potential alternative to the single staircase design, but argues that it is not a sufficient replacement due to various reasons.

💡Fire Safety

Fire safety encompasses measures taken to prevent or mitigate the effects of fires. The video's historical context explains the origins of the double staircase rule in North American building codes as a response to the high risk of city fires, emphasizing the importance of having multiple escape routes in case of a fire.

💡Urban Density

Urban density refers to the concentration of people and buildings in an urban area. The script discusses how changing building codes, such as allowing single staircase buildings, could potentially increase urban density by enabling the construction of more compact and efficient apartment buildings.

💡Decoding Density

Decoding Density is a design competition mentioned in the video that aims to explore new possibilities for six-story housing forms by challenging existing building codes and requirements. It represents an effort to innovate and rethink the rules that govern urban development and housing design.

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