Stair House: Redefining Residential Design with Sustainability and Innovation

A Unique Blend of Tradition and Modernity

The Stair House, designed by William Price, challenges the conventional norms of residential design by incorporating environmental and cultural sustainability into its core principles. Inspired by the traditional Dog Trot Houses of the southern United States and Spanish Colonial houses, this project reinterprets existing typologies to create a unique and thought-provoking living space.

The traditional Dog Trot Houses utilized breezeways to promote the circulation of air, which has been adapted into the Stair House design, both horizontally and vertically. Taking cues from Spanish Colonial houses, the design incorporates porches to provide deep shade, protection from rain, and stairs to mitigate the challenges of second-floor living. By combining these elements, the Stair House creates a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity.

What sets the Stair House apart is its focus on cultural and environmental sustainability. The project challenges the limited ways of thinking about residential design today and aims to provoke thought regarding our relationship with nature and living with one another in urban environments. By reinterpreting existing typologies, the Stair House offers a fresh perspective on how we can create sustainable and culturally rich living spaces.

The realization of the Stair House is a testament to innovative design and construction techniques. The house is conceived as two volumes stacked atop one another, with three types of stairs providing vertical circulation. A tapered straight-run stair takes you from the street to the second level, a spiral stair takes you from the ground floor courtyard to the roof, and a kickback stair takes you from the ground floor to the third floor.

The lower volume of the house is enclosed, released, and partitioned by a series of transparent and opaque walls. These walls move from the interior to the exterior, holding and gathering nature, making it available to the interior spaces. The design also incorporates sustainable materials, such as recycled corrugated galvalume walls and insulated operable windows, to minimize the environmental impact.

The Stair House boasts impressive technical specifications. With a 3-story, 3000 sq ft layout, it sits on a 30ft by 100ft lot. The structure features wood framing and steel moment frames, providing both stability and flexibility. The walls are made of 30% recycled corrugated galvalume, ensuring durability and sustainability. The roof is waterproofed with TPO and has rigid and batt insulation, contributing to energy efficiency. Outdoor patios with deep planter guard rails create a lush and green environment, promoting a connection with nature.

Situated in the Lower Heights neighborhood of Downtown Houston, Texas, the Stair House is surrounded by a unique context. It is bound by an industrial zone to the south and the historic Olivewood Cemetery to the east. The cemetery, the first African American cemetery in Houston, marks the meeting point of the First and Sixth Wards. This location adds cultural significance to the project, further enhancing its connection to the community.

The Stair House is a testament to the creative, technical, and research challenges overcome by William Price and his team. The narrow urban infill lot posed constraints, but the design incorporated open floor plans, large elevations of glass, and covered outdoor patios to maximize natural light and promote cross-ventilation. The use of deep planters on the patios added a lush, green element to the outdoor spaces, creating a sense of privacy and intimacy.

This project challenges the residential design status quo and emphasizes the incorporation of environmental and cultural sustainability into its core principles. By reinterpreting traditional typologies, the Stair House expands the boundaries of what is possible within an urban infill lot. It is a reflection of how our relationship with nature and one another is evolving in the context of urban living.

The Stair House has been recognized for its excellence and innovation, receiving the prestigious Iron A' Design Award in 2023. This award acknowledges the well-designed, practical, and innovative nature of the project, which meets professional and industrial requirements. The Stair House is a testament to the power of design to create a better world.