Valna House by JSa Architecture
JSa Architecture have designed the Valna House in Mexico City.
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Architects: JSa Architecture
Photography: Rafael Gamo
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JSa Architecture have designed the Valna House in Mexico City.
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.
.
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Architects: JSa Architecture
Photography: Rafael Gamo
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Timo G on 15 Jan 2013 at 1:51 am #
It would be impossible to get these “half step” stairs approved in Finland, too dangerous. Not for dogs or kids either. Otherwise my kind of house.
Pyotor Sveldetsky on 15 Jan 2013 at 4:00 am #
Someone’s bound to get his/her legs/feet hurt in that staircase. Why reinvent the stairs? Every time you go up you would have to think which foot steps on which rise.
Danon on 15 Jan 2013 at 5:26 am #
I like the house, I like the way the stairs look but come on, they seem so dangerous. Fine as a sculpture-like utility but not for everyday use.
No No on 16 Jan 2013 at 12:24 am #
That’s called a “ship’s ladder” or “alternating tread” stair. Some jurisdictions allow such staircases if they meet certain standards (two handrails, not wider than an average human can grab both, vertical angle greater than 60deg?) because it is recognized to be safer than an actual ladder in the same position. Usually one would install them only in places where regular stairs were infeasible, i.e. insufficient run for the rise inside the building perimeter — which is obviously not the case in this house! (The nice thing about an alternating tread design versus single-narrow-tread high-rise ship’s ladders is that you can actually go down the stairs facing forward!) You can’t tell from these illegible plans for certain where it is installed, but give them the benefit of the doubt that there’s only the rooftop terrace and no actual living area above…
In the same vein (i.e. sculptural but practically inept) are the outside hallway glass-wall-door to the kitchen (left in photo) — imagine at its open position because of that track — bonk! Also the slim parapet wall cap pieces — not flashing, pretty much guaranteed to leak in wind-driven rain.
Martín Alejandro Carmona Selva on 16 Jan 2013 at 2:09 am #
After being in Mexico City and, after having fallen down from the stairs in my old Loft, I have two questions:
1. Where in Mexico DF it is? I mean, even Santa Fé would be dangerous for a house like this.
2. How does it come that nobody died yet with those stairways?
Nice house, though!
Joseph on 16 Jan 2013 at 9:55 pm #
Its a shame that the garage was not shown. It would have added perspective to how they built it under the house. (supporting the house while still retaining open space and maneuverability for an open concept garage)
I really enjoy spending an hour or so every month browsing new designs, architectural wonders, and 1 off concepts on Contemporist.com. It would seem that since the garage is apart of the house, it would be included. I understand if most of the homes that you showcase have bland, ordinary garages, but when a house has an artistically pleasing and seemingly new design that breaks away from the norm, it ought to be shown.
The Cat on 16 Jan 2013 at 11:00 pm #
Love these stairs, they really add an Oh WOW factor to this house. Once you put a foot on one of these treads it is just natural that the other foot would rise/descend to the next logical tread. My experiance with this type of tread had a stringer running up the middle and closed in treads. With a shorter rise between the treads it was easier for my very young child to use than regular stairs and for me felt more natural. For a maladroit? curbs are dangerous.