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Collection by Allie Weiss

Architects Share the Story Behind Their Modern Staircase Design

The cover of our May 2015 issue featured a stunning staircase on a single stringer. Architecture firm Gray Organschi has integrated similar custom staircases into several residences, and here, principal Lisa Gray gives us an inside look at the design process.

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"The whole act of going up and down a stair is a very spatial experience," Gray says. "When you’re bridging between two levels, you try to do it in as structurally light way as possible, which is really appealing to us."
"The whole act of going up and down a stair is a very spatial experience," Gray says. "When you’re bridging between two levels, you try to do it in as structurally light way as possible, which is really appealing to us."
The Connecticut house also features another staircase by the front door. "The front stair has closed risers; it’s a continuous surface of ash," Gray says. "That’s because it’s the front stair and the main entry—we didn’t want to see through that stair. We wanted to have people go around it to get in the house."
The Connecticut house also features another staircase by the front door. "The front stair has closed risers; it’s a continuous surface of ash," Gray says. "That’s because it’s the front stair and the main entry—we didn’t want to see through that stair. We wanted to have people go around it to get in the house."
A house the firm designed for a family in the Adirondacks features a similar stair. "We love the idea of a continuous handrail, a line that the eye can see that makes its way up. We try to use posts about every four treads." The firm experiments with different kinds of enclosure systems, including stainless steel and cotton netting. "It’s all in an attempt to draw the eye away from the railing," Gray says.
A house the firm designed for a family in the Adirondacks features a similar stair. "We love the idea of a continuous handrail, a line that the eye can see that makes its way up. We try to use posts about every four treads." The firm experiments with different kinds of enclosure systems, including stainless steel and cotton netting. "It’s all in an attempt to draw the eye away from the railing," Gray says.
The back of the stair shows its solid wood structure.
The back of the stair shows its solid wood structure.