Cox Residence

The custom staircase is finished. We designed and built this staircase to be more functional than traditional spiral staircases, while taking up a very small amount of space.

The center post is steel with adjustable tabs that the treads attach to. The treads are made of 8/4 (2 inch thick) poplar which we milled from rough stock then laminated on center lines (radiating from the center pole) so that each tread connects to the wall.

This stair is very functional. The rise is 7 3/8 inch per tread (standard spiral cases have a 9 inch rise). The user has the freedom to walk along the wall, giving more tread per step, unlike traditional spirals which are circular. There is a solar light tube installed directly above the post in the ceiling to cast natural light down the stairwell. The railings were jointed and shaped to give a seamless experience. Finally, the top landing is perfectly flush with the floor (more on how we constructed the floors later) eliminating the need for a transition.We fabricated the stainless steel rod railing by threading each end to ensure tension (there are nuts hidden in a recess behind the poplar section).