Comments on: Flat #1 by Ecole

By: colleen

colleen — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:55:26 +0000

amazing stairs. kind of scary but amazing.

By: Luqman

Luqman — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:10:41 +0000

If it was the designers intent to make the stairs the focal point of the room then mission accomplished. On the other hand if they intended them to dissolve into the room then they failed. Whether intended or not it is obvious by the comments that the stairs are a functional issue. They draw away from the other design elements and create uneasiness in the viewer. Maybe it was intended as such.
@ Graham I’m curious as to where you live that there are no building code requirements. Also I’m surprised you didn’t notice/wouldn’t have commented on the stairs.

By: Blogo

Blogo — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:19:29 +0000

Also (sorry) but either the top most tread is out of plumb or the top landing is. In fact that doesn’t appear to be enough rise at all.

By: Blogo

Blogo — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:14:43 +0000

stairs exceeding 3 treads require a handrail. That is the code. Building codes are one of the trademarks of a good civilization.

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:34:35 +0000

i’ve never needed my car’s seatbelt either, but i’m damn sure i’ll appreciate it when i do.

that said, the apartment is absolutely magnificent. scary staircase and all.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:04:43 +0000

Just an FYI for everyone who’s shocked by the staircase: you can’t build that in the US. According to the ADA building code, staircases that high mush have a handrail.

I wish I lived in Europe so I can have one like that in my house.

By: Tee

Tee — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:24:57 +0000

F&@k it!! I’m taking the elevator!!
Well, the problem with the stairs is simply it makes you dizzy.. makes you fall, and those steps seem to be floating in the air. The main reason they are not very safe is not that you don’t have a handrail to ‘lean on’ but that you will have the impression you Are Going to Fall.

As for the rest of the house, it is simply beautiful. His website and work follow the same direction and approach to layout and color. no surprise.
But yes, not sure how Practical the house is. No doors for bathroom is a Big problem. Say you have your girlfriend, or someone you just hooked up with, upstairs in bed, and you want to use the loo… well… (sounds/smell)!!
I have similar color scheme at home (black,white, dark brown) and it’s very elegant with a masculine touch.

By: shrey

shrey — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:04:09 +0000

i totally agree with the Graham the designers idea behind putting those stair are damm innovative and actually he has gone totally with his concept…. if you people observe the place it is really minimal even the color also…and he has tried to take that idea of minimal contemporary art and shown it into the stair …which is really amazing…..really great….

By: Bahayhaus

Bahayhaus — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:23:57 +0000

@ Andrew, its bleached wood flooring

By: Curtis

Curtis — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:42:53 +0000

that stair case is a piece of art. must have been fun detailing the drywall on those treads.

By: andrew

andrew — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:55:37 +0000

hello, i’m wondering what color is this floor, i love it and i would like to have the same one in my flat. pls help!

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:19:35 +0000

GORGEOUS. Hey, a home is alll about function and aesthetics following that. If we take beauty over function, it just wouldn’t be comfortable living there. IF I was to do a railing for those incredibley beautiful stairs, I’d see if I could cut out from the wall and do an inset railing, still painted white. To the person who said he or she never falls off stairs sideways, well, that’s because there is usually a wall or railing there. Keep in mind, they are also STEEL! You make one slip on that and you first get bashed by steel, then a sharp steel edge/corner, then hopefully, the floor underneath or worse, several more steel stairs. Yeah, the bathroom with no door might be a bummer if there is not a good ventilation system right above the toilet and/or if you have a guest. They would feel uncomfortable and would not want to hear the sounds of your S#@! as they lay in your bed. I thought the upstairs was called a “personal space”?

By: Bahayhaus

Bahayhaus — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:43:46 +0000

I aint American nor an Aussie but yes a 3 year old can literally do it safely.. yea i got your point BUT psychologically looking at it bothers u that makes it look really scary, and on hectic conditions like being drunk or sick or just being in a hurry can leave you visiting the orthopedic.

By: sdfsdd

sdfsdd — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:45:24 +0000

didn’t no one else notice the bathroom has no door?!?

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:34:16 +0000

As one American that shares the disdain for our over regulated fear generated safety conscious litigious society, I love the free form stairs. I think that just the visual of no rail would instill a cautionary stroll up or down the stairs. I like the comment about having a hand rail installed for the inspection and then removing it.
In this case I suppose one could add some decorative but structural ring along the wall through which a cabling could be strung when a hand hold becomes necessary.

By: Helena

Helena — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:09:28 +0000

black, white, simple, minimalist….just perfect:)

By: Bau Outdoors

Bau Outdoors — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:55:31 +0000

Stairs are fantastic – must be a steel frame behind the wall to give them the strength. I’ve never fallen off a staircase sideways…

By: Samantha

Samantha — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:36:22 +0000

The stairs is so covetable ! I want one in my house too, but is it for real ? It doesn’t look secure to me haha.

By: Mickey Ichiro

Mickey Ichiro — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:08:40 +0000

I love the starkness of the design. Allows different occupants to show their personality through the things they use everyday. The steps on those stairs look too narrow (someone wearing heels would have to look for sure footing every step of the way). Maybe use those thin vertical stair wires that go from plank to ceiling–in white.
@John: Agreed.
@Graham: “Don’t it always seem to go,
That you don’t know what you got til
it’s gone.”
– Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi

By: graham

graham — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:34:53 +0000

I think it is sad that people from obviously over regulated places like the US and Australia only seem to comment on the apparent unsafe stairs. I love the fact they don’t have a hand rail and that the design aspect is allowed to shine through. How often do you actual use a stair rail on a normal staircase any way? It obviously hasn’t been built for an elderly person or small children. Even then my 3 year old can climb stairs quite safely without using a hand rail.