The Knoll Staircase
About the project
As part of the design concept for this house, a vertical glazed element contains the stairs and delineates the living and sleeping zones. The open plan living spaces give glimpses of views throughout the interior. The design concept for the stairs was to enhance the living space and these views.
The stairs fit lightly within its location by taking its support from concealed cantilevered steel struts fixed into an in-situ cast concrete wall on one side only. Each strut is cloaked in oak to form the individual steps to the stairs. The stairs will be completed with a triangular screen of glass to act as a transparent balustrade. The effect will be to give the illusion that the stairs is supported by the glass which is hung from the landing above.
The oak handrail was crafted to be recessed into the wall and to allow the hand to comfortably slide along its contours. At night, a concealed strip of LED lights illuminates the length of the inner zone to the handrail, creating both practical lighting and a stunning visual effect.
Key Features
– Support from concealed cantilevered steel structure
– Wall recessed Oak handrail with concealed LED lighting
– Floating Oak steps and glass appearance
– Building Regulations compliant
A message from the client
“John Morris Architects was one of three architects we found on the internet. After a couple of meetings with each of them and John’s initial concept design, we found it very easy to make our choice.
From the design process through to the planning application and through to the start of the build, John has worked closely with my wife, daughter and myself to ensure that the design meets all of our needs as well as ‘blowing us away’. None of us can actually believe we are going to live in a house like this.
The quality of the drawing package and specification provided for the builder is totally professional as well as being contemporary and innovative.
I would recommend John Morris architects to anybody and would love to work with John on another job in the future.”