In more commercial projects than not, required exit stairs recycle the same concept that building occupants are accustomed in seeing – a fully enclosed rated shaft with swing fire doors.
The struggle for the architectural design team at One Loudoun – a mixed-use office building within a larger community of restaurants, hotels and shops in Ashburn, VA, – was the archetypical approach versus the modern office floorplan. The age-old, algorithmic design of closed-in versus one of open continuity between floors and elongated sight lines.
Which route do you think the design team took?
Building code requirements can oftentimes appear insurmountable when met with design preferences. It is beneficial to exhaust the plentiful options on the market today when these challenges arise.