Rule of thumbAdvisory
Stack-stair plan for compact 2-stories
QS-STAIR-02Description
In small 2-story plans (under ~1500 sqft), tuck the stair along the rear wall so the front of the house is uninterrupted living space. The stair becomes a service element, not a feature.
Why this exists
Compact 2-story plans (Osborne 1450, Sears bungalow lineage) consistently use back-wall stairs to keep the public face of the home open and welcoming despite the small footprint.
Categories
Circulation
Applies to
- When:
- stories ≥ 2
- sqft ≤ 1700
Source
Almost an Architectno manifest entry
Floor-plan quality calibration study (v1 (45 plan observations))
Section: lib/quality/calibration/observations.ts
Published 2026-05-16 · last verified 2026-05-16
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Dining room sizing · DINING-ROOM-SIZE
- Mudroom sizing · MUDROOM-SIZE
- Half bath near public zones · HALF-BATH-NEAR-PUBLIC
- Stairs not from bedrooms · STAIRS-NOT-FROM-BEDROOM
- Hallway budget 6-12% of total · HALLWAY-BUDGET
Last reviewed 2026-05-16.