If you know me you have probably heard me ranting over and over about the restricted regulations for stairs.
Any staircase offers an amazing opportunity to create a beautiful element but… the Building Regulations are so tight that we struggle to design something interesting.
I have recently summarised the main changes in the new Part K of the Building Regulations for an article I wrote for BRegs Blog. This is the part of the regulations that deals with Stairways, Ladders, Ramps and Guards.
The 3 most restrictive aspects when designing stairs are related with the guarding:
1- Guarding should be so constructed that a 100 mm diameter sphere cannot pass through any openings in the guarding;
2- Guarding should not be readily climbable;
3- Where a cut string is used, the triangular space formed by the tread and riser is not allowable to stairs in dwellings and common stairs in blocks of flats.
So, these are some of the stairs we CANNOT design in Ireland:
I understand that safety is always in first place and, obviously, some of the designs above hit the extreme, but studies reveal that 88 percent of the injuries are caused by simple falls (mostly slips and trips). Are the restrictions above really necessary?
Isabel Barros
Isabel Barros Architects - Wexford is driven by a passion for creating high quality contemporary Architecture. Our goal is to make good design available to the general public while maintaining a strong focus on the energy efficiency and sustainability of our designs.
A graduate of Lusíada University in Lisbon, Portugal, Isabel is a Senior Architect with over 20 years experience. She is a registered member of both the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Portuguese Association of Architects. Isabel is also Accredited in Conservation at Grade 3.
