How about a Seattle or NYC-style single stair code? New research shows no difference between fire death rates in single-stair and other residential buildings in these two U.S. cities that have long allowed single staircases in taller buildings.

April 10, 2026 - 18:52 UTC

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Last I checked, NYC didn't allow lightweight construction (or wood in general, with exceptions for massive timber) in midsize (and larger) multifamily housing, and limit structural wood even in small multifamily structures.

So sure, I'm good with NYC single stair + NYC building code.
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Seriously, I've stayed in single stair buildings in Europe and Asia, no worries at all about those. But those buildings were solid concrete + steel construction; if there's a fire, it's not going to get beyond the room it starts in, let alone through a floor/ceiling/party wall.
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I am very anti-light wood frame, but a second egress seems like a really poor mitigation if the structure is on fire. If one of those huge 5-over-1’s has been compromised so badly that the platform framing is burning, what good is a second stairway going to do? The whole thing is probably collapsing
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