Single-Stair Buildings Could Create More Housing Choice

BC now permits certain residential buildings to use one protected staircase. With the right local zoning and permitting, this change could support smaller apartment buildings and more family-sized homes.

Building codes rarely become dinner-table conversation. They can sound technical and remote, but a single line in a code can determine what kind of homes get built, how large they are, and whether a project works financially.

The rules around staircases are a good example.

For decades, most apartment buildings above a certain height in British Columbia required two separate staircases. The goal was fire safety, and that goal remains essential. But building materials, sprinklers, alarms, smoke control, and firefighting practices have changed.

BC has now updated its Building Code to permit single-stair residential buildings in defined circumstances. These buildings still need to meet strict safety requirements, including a protected stairwell, fire separation, and sprinkler systems.

Why two staircases shape the whole building

In a large apartment tower, two staircases are expected and can be incorporated into the floor plate. In a smaller building, they consume a much larger share of the available space.

That affects more than construction cost. It shapes the layout of every floor.

When apartments are arranged between two enclosed stair cores and a central hallway, many units can have windows on only one side. Larger family units become difficult to design. On a small lot, the loss of usable space can make the entire project unviable.

A well-designed single-stair building can use space more efficiently. Apartments may have windows on two or three sides, bringing in more daylight and allowing cross-ventilation. The floor plan can support more two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes rather than a collection of narrow studios and one-bedroom units.

A better fit for ordinary sites

Single-stair buildings are common in parts of Europe, Japan, and Australia. They are often modest in scale, with a small number of homes on each floor.

That form has real potential in North Vancouver.

It could allow four to six-storey apartment buildings on smaller infill sites that do not require several properties to be assembled. It could also create buildings that feel more at home in an existing neighbourhood, with fewer units sharing a landing and more attention to the street.

This is not a replacement for every other housing type. Larger buildings, co-ops, rental projects, townhomes, duplexes, and supportive housing all remain important. Single-stair design simply adds another useful option.

From code change to actual homes

Changing the provincial code does not automatically produce a project.

Local zoning still needs to allow the height, density, and building form. The permit process needs to provide clear guidance. Designers, builders, fire officials, and City staff need experience working with the new rules.

CNV should support a small number of pilot projects, publish a straightforward approval path, and identify sites where this form makes sense. The City should also track what the first projects teach us about cost, design, safety, and family-sized housing.

There is a tendency to discuss housing only in terms of the number of units or the height of a building. Building form matters too. The rules can push the market toward large, expensive projects, or they can leave room for smaller buildings that fit more naturally into the city.

BC has opened the door. North Vancouver should make practical use of the opportunity.