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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
I suggest a solution that would address both what @sjb007 said and your proposal regarding the Y-shaped staircase.
---------------------------------------- A computer program does what you tell it to do, not what you want it to do. Murphy's Law When all else fails, read the instructions. Murphy's Law If you don't like "AS IS", DIY. Dorin's law
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Yes, Dorin's version 2 is what would be legal. The square must be clear at the top and bottom of each flight. Obviously the gaps in the railings would need to be filled.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
It’s not always possible to apply the standards and regulations for staircases. I once had an experience where I admitted complete defeat as an architect. I needed to design a staircase for a house, and all my attempts to make the steps comfortable proved impossible. The angle of ascent was very steep, and the height between floor levels was significant. The steps turned out to be narrow—narrower than a person’s foot—and high, and there were also overhanging stringers above one’s head. In the end, I declared that it was impossible to make the staircase comfortable. But then the builders cast the staircase themselves out of concrete, using their own measurements. And when I walked up it myself—I was ready to quit the profession. The staircase was comfortable, and not at all what I had envisioned as a specialist. It was built in a fan-shaped pattern; there wasn’t a single parallel step. But it was comfortable to walk on! Incredibly, this non-standard solution was the only correct one. And I wasn’t the one who suggested it—that’s terrible. None of the standards were followed here. It was simply the only possible option to avoid falling and hitting your head on the crossbeams. And this staircase turned out to be comfortable… You can’t even imagine how upset I was by this fiasco… A lesson for life. Don’t say there are no options; don’t rush.
Designing a staircase is a very challenging task if standard solutions don't work.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
@Gaudi. I can't be 100% sure, but I'm going to predict that that type of fan is not going to get through out planning rules here.
We have 14 pages with 42 rules (with sub-paragraphs), 13 diagrams and 1 table that say what is allowed. For example... the going (tread depth) must be consistent (220-300mm) as measured from the middle of the tread. If the stair width is less than 1m then the going of the narrowest side of the tread must be at least 50mm.
It makes it all a bit dull and monotonous, but is supposed to prevent bad design from causing tragic accidents.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Yes, @sjb007, I understand. You’re absolutely right that a house must be designed in full compliance with all requirements and standards. Unfortunately, here such requirements are often only partially met. For example, for staircases, the design includes a schematic diagram of some kind of staircase, but the staircase itself isn’t actually designed. They just create a generic opening in the floor slab, and that’s it. Then the new owners decide for themselves what to do with that opening. This is common practice in construction, where certain components aren’t designed at all (for example, the exact locations for the toilet, sink, and bathtub aren’t specified; the working drawings include a schematic diagram and the water supply, ventilation, and sewer risers are laid out). I’m very curious—is this approach of using partial standards in design common in other countries, or is it only in the UK that things are so strict? I believe that strict standards are appropriate, although the absence of strict standards (to some extent) allows for more creativity and non-standard solutions at the owners’ own risk.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Our full "List of approved documents" from 2022 (not sure if they've been updated since I last got a hold of them) run to ~1500 pages, and cover:
Approved Document A Structure
Approved Document B Fire safety Volume 1: Dwellinghouses Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellinghouses
Approved Document C Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture
Approved Document D Toxic substances
Approved Document E Resistance to the passage of sound
Approved Document F Ventilation
Approved Document G Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency
Approved Document H Drainage and waste disposal
Approved Document J Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
Approved Document K Protection from falling, collision and impact
Approved Document L1A Conservation of fuel and power in new dwellings
Approved Document L1B Conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings
Approved Document L2A Conservation of fuel and power in new buildings other than dwellings
Approved Document L2B Conservation of fuel and power in existing buildings other than dwellings
Approved Document M Access to and use of buildings Volume 1: Dwellings Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings
Approved Document P Electrical safety – Dwellings
Approved Document Q Security – Dwellings
Approved Document R Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks
Approved Document 7 Materials and workmanship
And these are just the general guides. In more technical parts they refer to BS (British Standards) or ISO documents.
Any new build or renovations that are "notifiable" need sign off by the local authority building control. Fail to get that certificate, and you will have problems with insurance, mortgage, and renting or selling the property.
Certain things cannot be touched unless qualified. i.e. Electrical infrastructure and anything gas related.
To be fair, while it is restrictive, it does stop dumb people doing dumb things. Unfortunately, there are a lot more dumb people walking around now who have been protected from their own stupidity, so our average IQ is on a downward trajectory - see Idiocracy (2006).
Romania
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
0. I am neither an architect, nor a builder, nor a programmer. That’s why I need precise and clever tools. When I don’t have them, I invent them. 1. I don’t like the word “impossible.” Almost anything is possible, even if not today and not with current means. Look at Gaudí’s Sagrada Família. 2. It’s unacceptable to cut a hole for a staircase without making sure that the staircase will be comfortable and safe. First, you build the staircase, then you cut out the opening for it. After that, you build the rest. 3. I tried to solve your challenge myself. Here’s what I came up with using the Stair Builder plugin . A screenshot of the file What you have What you could have Or bether this Here is the file.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
---------------------------------------- A computer program does what you tell it to do, not what you want it to do. Murphy's Law When all else fails, read the instructions. Murphy's Law If you don't like "AS IS", DIY. Dorin's law
----------------------------------------
[Edit 1 times,
last edit by dorin at Jun 17, 2026, 6:26:49 PM]
Russia
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Thank you, Dorin; I appreciate your help. But there are some significant flaws in your design. The rise of the staircase in my case is 3270 mm; in your design, the staircase has 16 risers—that’s 204 mm per step (that’s too high!). Right at the bottom, there’s a major obstacle to this calculation. On the fifth step, the height will be 102 cm, and the clearance under the overhanging beams of the upper structures will be 189 cm. This is unacceptable for a person walking up the staircase—they’ll hit their head on the beam. I’d already sketched out various combinations, and I needed a design with at least 18 flights to clear the crossbeams, but with 18 steps, the step depth became very dangerous for a person’s foot (about 23 cm deep, which is too shallow for safe movement). Therefore, I stated that building a staircase under these conditions was impossible. The builders, however, proposed—and, most importantly, actually cast—a fan-shaped structure where the foot always rests on a wide surface, at an angle to the step, and is always fully supported on the step. This is a very interesting solution, and a straight layout is not possible due to other constraints (the crossbeams in the upper rooms). Therefore, I view this project as an artistic solution that cannot be approved under building codes. But the fact is—people actually live in this house and are happy with their lives and their unusual staircase. If building codes for staircases had been strictly followed under these conditions, they would most likely have had to tear down the house and start from scratch, beginning with the staircase. But the house had already been purchased with its unknown issues! What a nightmare. And what a triumph of the imagination of simple artists without professional training. I don't know—maybe the owners won't be able to sell their house for a long time, I don't know. But they themselves are happy and content right now. Yes, I fully understand that the ingenuity and efforts of ordinary people are often amusing and comical, and I understand that a professional’s work is always reliable and well-reasoned. But there are situations in life when unconventional solutions are far more important than norms and rules. In Antoni Gaudí’s time, such ideas were more important than tables and rules. I keep thinking about this now, when everything is under the control of smarter directors... Things used to be different, and now the whole world admires the Sagrada Família, where there are no rules. But I agree—it’s best not to mess around with stairs.
Romania
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
You're right! I made a mistake in the elevation for the next level. Here's the corrected file . What you have (or should have). What I'm proposing. The cut out shape need to be adjusted manually accordingly with your.
---------------------------------------- A computer program does what you tell it to do, not what you want it to do. Murphy's Law When all else fails, read the instructions. Murphy's Law If you don't like "AS IS", DIY. Dorin's law
Russia
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Thanks, Dorin! This plugin has some fantastic features—I'm truly impressed. Man, if Gaudí had had this plugin, we probably would have seen a lot of other unknown masterpieces. I'm kidding, of course, but... Thanks again!
