Point access blocks (or single-stair buildings) are now an important part of today's discussions around housing supply in Canada. They are seen as a way to encourage more and different types of housing -- something we have been talking about on this blog for years. Here and here are two recent posts.
This week, I discovered the work of Conrad Speckert, who works at LGA Architectural Partners and has become a leading voice for this movement. Conrad completed his M.Arch at McGill University and, as part of his thesis project, he developed this website called Second Egress.
Since then it has grown to become a major resource for point access blocks. But most importantly, it has evolved into a catalyst for change. On April 18, 2022, he and David Hine (of David Hine Engineering) submitted this code change request to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes.
The ask: Allow a single means of egress for multi-unit residential buildings up to 6 storeys. (The current maximum is 2 storeys.) Well done, Conrad and David. This is a massively important request with far-reaching benefits, and so I would encourage all of you to check out his website and spread the word.
P.S. My second favorite part of his site is a section called Manual of Illegal Floor Plans. It's a catalog of highly livable single-stair buildings from around the world; all of which would be currently illegal to build in Canada.
