No Snakes, Just Ladders - Your second stairs can do more!
Barr Gazetas, Trigon Fire Safety, atelier ANF, #toylikeme
No Snakes, Just Ladders uses the familiar boardgame as an analogy.
Can second stairs do more than just enable safe evacuation? We ask whether they are in fact an underused commons and, if so, how they can be reframed to add value.
As the draft NPPF promotes higher-density housing in sustainable, well-connected locations, we know that invariably this will lead to taller buildings.
Since the Grenfell tragedy and introduction of the Building Safety Act, buildings over 18 metres require two staircases and associated lifts.
In a typical G+12 storey building, the second staircase and evacuation lift occupy approximately 325m² of floorspace or around 1,000m³.
This built volume is essential for safety, yet unused day-to-day. It is treated as a functional necessity: minimised to reduce impact on net areas, buried within floorplans, stripped of natural light. Underthought. That building will be home to over 240 people. Around a quarter will be children, approximately 3% over 65, with the remainder spanning diverse ages, abilities, and lifestyles.
Play / safety / accessibility / inclusivity and stairs appear as conflicting priorities: we reconcile them through our specialist lenses. We embed play in everyday life: social, physical, creative, cognitive, emotional, and sensory. We create playful journeys through transitions, textures and moments of mystery.
In the current viability doldrums, every bit of building must work hard. No Snakes, Just Ladders turns underused safety infrastructure into a shared asset, making the second stair a safe space for connection, curiosity and everyday play for all.
Félicie Krikler, Architect, Barr Gazetas
Adam Nathaniel Furman, Artist, Atelier ANF
Karl Wallasch, Fire Engineer, Trigon Fire
Karen Newell, Play Consultant, #toylikeme
Giuseppe Nastasi, Architect, Barr Gazetas