PatternAdvisory

Treat the main stair as a feature element

QS-STAIR-01

Description

Place the main stair where it's a deliberate visual moment from the entry — with a landing window or built-in feature — not tucked into a back corner.

Why this exists

Across colonial, victorian, and exemplary contemporary plans, the stair was consistently a feature. Plans that hid the stair in a back wall scored neutral on circulation + lost a chance for an entry-sequence highlight.

Applies to

When:
- stories ≥ 2

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

Common Areas at the Heart · Pattern 129
Long Thin House · Pattern 109
Main Entrance · Pattern 110
Entrance Room · Pattern 130
The Flow Through Rooms · Pattern 131

Last reviewed 2026-05-16.