Rule of thumbRecommended
Stairs not from bedrooms
STAIRS-NOT-FROM-BEDROOMDescription
Stairs should connect through circulation space (hallway / entry / open area), not through bedrooms or bathrooms.
Why this exists
Egress + privacy. Bedrooms become non-egress paths if the stair is buried.
Categories
Circulation
Source
AIA Residential Knowledge Communityno manifest entry
Best practices for residential design (—)
Section: Compiled professional consensus
Published 2024-01-01 · last verified 2026-05-09
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
- Hallway budget 6-12% of total · HALLWAY-BUDGET
- Circulation as rooms · CIRCULATION-AS-ROOMS
Last reviewed 2026-05-09.