Structural engineering
Joel Marsh, director of Pocket, on bringing the latest architectural trend to reality.
Images Sam Hartnett
What’s hot in architectural builds?
Spiral staircases, both internally and externally, are a current architectural design trend, and being “Engineers for Architecture” we have been designing a few of these more recently.
What’s so good about them?
Spiral staircases allow you to create architectural presence and sculpture without sacrificing a ton of floor area. They create a strong focal point, they feel luxurious even in small-footprint homes, and provide vertical circulation that becomes a visual feature rather than dead space. Overall, you get both function and
a statement object that brings European old-world romantic energy into ultra- contemporary interiors, so they strike a balance between nostalgia and modern craft. Spiral staircases also photograph beautifully, which matters a lot now because design is social content.
Who is this going to work for?
The spiral staircase works extremely well in renovations, additions or lofts where a full, straight-run staircase just won’t fit. They are also a great option for adding external access to the upstairs parts of the home. This is particularly useful if you want to separate off part of your home for house guests. We completed this luxury home (pictured) with Johnstone Callaghan Architects on Banks Peninsula, featuring a beautiful white steel spiral staircase in the centre of the home. And looking forward, we are seeing the use of spiral stairs in other architectural renders coming through, particularly for outdoor use to roof terraces and first-floor decks.
