Support the National Single-Stair Design Competition

Eduardo Mendoza is organizing this fundraiser.

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Help Us Revolutionize Multifamily Housing: Support Our National Single-Stair Design Competition

We are excited to announce a national single-stair design competition aimed at addressing the housing crisis in the United States. Our goal is to invite architects from across the nation to design innovative multifamily building designs using single-stair configurations that fit typical parcels, reimagining how we build apartments in the U.S.

Why This Competition Matters

We believe that single-stair buildings can play a major role in the future of infill and missing middle housing in the U.S. This competition seeks to explore how this building type can be effectively integrated into the American context, environment, and urban form. By focusing on single-stair configurations, we aim to promote:

Family-Sized Units: Creating more housing options for families.
Cross Ventilation and Multiple Aspects of Light: Enhancing living conditions through better airflow and natural light.
Green Open Spaces and Courtyards: Incorporating green areas to improve quality of life.
Transit-Oriented Development: Supporting sustainable urban growth.
Resilient Building Practices: Ensuring durability and adaptability in housing.

Our Goal

We are aiming to raise $15,000 to make this competition both competitive and inclusive. This amount will help us attract top architecture firms, increase the prize pool for award categories, and keep the entry fee low in order to make the competition accessible to all entrants.

How the Funds Will Be Used

Winners' Prizes: A significant portion of the funds will be allocated to the prize pool, increasing the rewards for the best designs.

Competition Administration: Funds will also support the individuals and teams responsible for running the competition, ensuring its smooth execution.

Following the competition, we have three main goals:

Effective Single Stair Advocacy: Design entries will be made public, and will be shared with housing advocates nationwide. By showcasing numerous high-quality renderings, urban context site plans, and floor plans, we aim to illustrate the advantages of single stair buildings in neighborhoods. Our hope is that the plans will demonstrate that single stair buildings can offer diverse housing sizes, ample natural light and ventilation, green courtyards, and compatibility with neighborhood character. Advocates/ pro housing groups can then present these plans to local elected officials to promote single stair reform.

Awareness for Developers: We believe there is a latent demand among smaller developers eager to create better infill developments if given the opportunity. The competition can inspire these developers by providing ideas on competitive unit configurations. There are existing examples, such as in San Diego, California, where developers building shorter single stair buildings have already proven successful. Adding extra stories could make more developments feasible and expand the demand for building.

Normalize Single Stair Buildings Within U.S. Architects: This competition is innovative because it challenges U.S. architects to move beyond the typical single or double-loaded layouts. It encourages creativity, and work akin to their international counterparts. Given the unique urban context of parcel sizes and built environments in the U.S., this competition provides an opportunity for architects to explore how single stair buildings can integrate into our environment and potentially influence planning and building design standards.

Join Us in Making a Difference

This national competition is open to all. We invite you to join us in this endeavor to revolutionize multifamily housing and address the housing crisis. Your contribution, no matter the size, will help us create a more sustainable and inclusive future for housing in the United States.

Thank you for your support!