How do they get round Building Regs?

[RogerS]

Very stylish, certainly. But Building Regs?

 

[TrimTheKing]

Doesn't look finished yet to me. I bet there's a handrail somewhere...

Cheers
Mark

 

[Mike G]

There'll have to be a handrail, but there is a little get-out clause in the Guidance:

1:28 Flights and landings should be guarded at the sides (see Diagram 11):
a) in dwellings - where there is a drop of more than 600mm

1:29 Except on stairs in buildings which are not likely to be used by children under 5 years the guarding to a flight should prevent children being held fast by the guarding........(and so on .....goes on to say sphere of 100mm shouldn't fit through anywhere)

Single family dwellings:

3:1 Guarding should be provided where it is reasonably necessary for safety.....(snipped)

Now, importantly, everyone treats the above as though it is the Building Regulation, but it isn't. It is Guidance on how you might achieve compliance with the Regulation. The actual Regulation says:

K2 (a): Any stairs....(list snipped)........to which people have access shall be provided with barriers where it is necessary to prevent people in or about the building from falling.

So if you can persuade the inspector that no children 5 or under will ever use the house, and that what you have provided is reasonable for safety, then your stair can be deemed compliant, even if it doesn't have anything more than a handrail.

That stair is almost identical to the one I designed in the original design of the house I posted a few months ago ("Keep this to yourselves", or something like that). There must be a steel frame under all that white.

 

[RogerS]

Re the steel...spot on, Mike.

Original article here but you may need to sign up to view it. The FT allows a certain number of free views within a calendar period.

 

[Rod]

Is that for real or CGI - looks like an open cellar below?
Very dangerous me thinks.

Rod