Homeowners want more from their homes — and stairs are no exception

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1662695178\/evpqig9psj0svtknm9ql.jpg","id":"6542791"}]}],["images-card",{"images":[{"url":"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dpcbzfiye\/image\/upload\/v1662695216\/nfjel37ipeab5c2qihro.jpg","id":"6542792"}]}]],"markups":[["i"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.andersenwindows.com\/windows-and-doors\/series\/400-series\/#low-e","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.andersenwindows.com\/for-professionals\/architect\/","target","_blank"]],["em"]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"An emerging trend in residential design is homes built with staircases surrounded by one or more walls of windows. AIA partner Andersen Windows \u0026 Doors explores the stair tower."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In one elegant move, the stair tower grants a whole host of homeowner wishes. By framing viewsheds and bringing in natural light, it appeals to people embracing healthy home practices. By optimizing a flow space, it appeals to people trying to make every inch count. So really, it should come as no surprise that staircase design is on the rise. One architect who\u2019s embraced this practice is Dan D\u2019Agostino, AIA."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"D\u2019Agostino, founder of Plan Architecture in Washington, New Jersey, is watching a Hamptons-inspired home he designed with a prominent stair tower come to completion. He was inspired to add the feature after his clients, Alicia and Fritz L\u2019Esperance, came to him with one nonnegotiable wish: a grand entryway with a circular staircase. D\u2019Agostino found a way to bring their wish to life by designing a stair tower that not only fits the lot, floor plan, and overall program \u2014 it actually "],[0,[0],1,"makes "],[0,[],0,"the home. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"To pull this off, he placed the tower at the front of the house, which is sited at the back of the lot on the top of a gentle slope. From the top of the stairs \u201cyou mostly see trees and rooftops and, of course, all of the natural light that pours in throughout the day,\u201d said homeowner Alicia. And the effect is just as powerful from the street, where the tower makes an immediate impact on both visitors and passersby. It\u2019s a \u201cwelcoming sight and also a suggestion that you are about to enter a really special home,\u201d D\u0027Agostino said."]]],[1,"p",[]],[10,0],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The tower sits next to the entryway, housing the sinuous staircase the homeowners had imagined and creating one of the only two-story spaces in the house. \u201cIt was critical to the success of the home that this space be impactful,\u201d D\u2019Agostino said. The stairs appear to curve up through space on their own accord, an illusion created by a clever design that hides a structural system with oversized stringers (vertical structural components supporting the staircase) and a large \u201cshoe\u201d that helps transfer the weight load to the floor. These supports make the stairs entirely self-supporting. \u201cThe biggest secret,\u201d as D\u2019Agostino put it, is that the stairs don\u2019t touch the walls at all. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Meanwhile, five huge structural steel columns support the tower\u2019s two walls, making them strong enough to house a spectacular array of 24 picture windows from the "],[0,[1],1,"Andersen 400 Series product line"],[0,[],0,". With all that glass, D\u2019Agostino didn\u2019t discount either cost effectiveness or structural integrity. Instead, he furthered both goals by choosing standard-size windows with intermediate supports. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"To balance the \u201cmodern gesture\u201d of the stair tower, D\u2019Agostino and the homeowners made purposeful window selections. They chose white window frames to complement the cedar shake siding, and they went with Colonial grilles as a nod to the home\u2019s \u201ctraditional architectural details and trim work.\u201d Just as important, the grilles were sized to bring human scale to the grand space."]]],[1,"p",[]],[10,1],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"When the stairs are complete, they\u2019ll walk a similarly transitional line with black iron balusters and a wooden railing perfectly suiting the \u201cclassic, fresh, and elevated\u201d style that homeowner Alicia is so thrilled to see coming to life. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Her excitement about the space and plans for d\u00e9cor and lighting \u2014 a large chandelier with a motorized lift system for easy cleaning \u2014 are a sign that this long-overlooked part of the home is finally getting its due. As D\u2019Agostino said: Stairs are an \u201copportunity for self-expression.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],0,"Learn more about Andersen Windows \u0026 Doors and access design tools "],[0,[2],1,"here"],[0,[],1,"."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[3],1,"AIA does not sponsor or endorse any enterprise, whether \npublic or private, operated for profit. Further, no AIA officer, \ndirector, committee member, or employee, or any of its component \norganizations in his or her official capacity, is permitted to approve, \nsponsor, endorse, or do anything that may be deemed or construed to be \nan approval, sponsorship, or endorsement of any material of construction\n or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in\n any material or product."]]]]}