Sean Jursnick

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!

Project Profile: Why an Ordinary Old Building in Seattle Was Worth Saving It’s not as if the old two-story building at the corner of 12th and Remington Court, in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, was ever particularly remarkable. Even in its original incarnation, it was a ...

This month, ULI's Urban Land magazine is featuring Seattle's BB House adaptive reuse project.

Not mentioned in the article is the fact that the compact, 5-story addition is made possible with single stair egress and Seattle's unique building code.

urbanland.uli.org/resilience-a...

Thanks to Seattle's unique stair code, point access blocks like the Alki Condominiums create density on small beachfront lots

Located on Alki Beach, the project adds 10 units to the waterfront

At 6-stories tall, the Alki Condominiums are illegal to build in most US cities

Pitu Rooms on Instagram: "Stay cozy and caffeinated at PituRasa! Join us every day from 12 PM to 8 PM for some delicious coffee and bites. No reservations needed, just come and relax 💕" 518 likes, 4 comments - piturooms on February 12, 2023: "Stay cozy and caffeinated at PituRasa! Join us every day from 12 PM to 8 PM for some delicious coffee and bites. No reservations needed, just c...

@stephenjacobsmith.com what type of one-person elevator is this and is it available in the U.S.?

www.instagram.com/reels/Col4u-...

Tucked on a 9' wide lot, PituRooms is a 6-story, 7-unit hotel dubbed the 'skinniest hotel ever'

Built on an overlooked lot in Indonesia, the project creates an efficient use of space and depends on a compact circulation core.

Happening tomorrow: webinar on single-stair housing led by life safety experts SGH.

I am looking forward to the conversation that will explore how we need to be open to new ideas to accommodate new strategies and new ways of providing housing.

Registration link: www.sgh.com/news-event/0...

Last month, I sat down with Single Stair North Carolina to discuss how Denver's single stair design competition united architects, policymakers, & community leaders.

The interview explored lessons learned for communities seeking solutions to the housing crisis.

singlestairnc.substack.com

Built in 1978 as the original "Seattle Special," all 15 units at the 6-story, single-stair Pike & Virginia Building overlook Puget Sound.

The first new construction in the Pike Place Market historic district in 50 years, it was designed with a small footprint to meet strict urban design guidelines.

no idea. i talked to the architects two years ago and they didn't mention and delays.

VE was tough on this project. It initially has balconies that helped out the facade and massing.

Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & County is proving what’s possible with Olympic Ridge.

With a single-stair design, they’ve managed to fit 17 dual-aspect affordable condos on a incredibly narrow 35-foot wide lot in Capitol Hill.

This is a masterclass in urban infill and density done right.

Single-Stair Housing - Seattle - Google My Maps Seattle's single-stair housing taller than 3-stories in height

Until then with 5 and 6 story single-stair provisions adopted in various cities over the last few years, I hope that cities like Austin and Denver see the level of small lot, single-stair infill that has already happened in Seattle -

www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Single-stair legislation in the last few years has included a patchwork of heights proposed around the US with proposals ranging from 5-stories (adopted Denver) up to 8-stories (proposed in NC last year) so I am eager for the first jurisdiction to adopt 8-10 story single-stair buildings.

This building height diagram, shared by @stephenjacobsmith.com is from Germany’s regulations limits single-stair as follows:

•7m max height with an open staircase and ground ladder access
•22m max height w/ an open stair and aerial ladder access
•60m max height w/ an enclosed fire stair

Soon, I hope single-stair regulations evolve similar to a German or Swedish model where single-stair is allowed to greater heights with layered safety features used dependent on the building height.

Last week, a reporter asked what’s next for the single-stair movement.

My hope? That it does for building codes what @wesmars.bsky.social and "Killed by a Traffic Engineer" did for transit: establish that US building codes are fundamentally outdated and ready for a complete overhaul.

NEW VIDEO: North America’s Elevator’s Problem

Elevators are absolutely essential to modern cities..... and it turns out North America kind of sucks at them. We partnered with @sightline.org to look into the many issues plaguing our elevator industry, and what it might take to fix it.

In the most Austin way, Austin changed the rules independently and enacted its own ordinance through the Planning Commission and city council.

The state bill is a set of different rules any city can choose to use if they didn't want to go through the more involved process Austin did.

texas passed bill that allows jurisdictions to opt-in

Built in 1978 as the original "Seattle Special," all 15 units at the 6-story, single-stair Pike & Virginia Building overlook Puget Sound.

The first new construction in the Pike Place Market historic district in 50 years, it was designed with a small footprint to meet strict urban design guidelines.

love it