Gold Award

Team Entry: Alward Construction Co., Inc., Berkeley, Calif. and Endresware, Berkeley, Calif.
Project location: Berkeley, Calif.
Project cost: $150,000

The spiral staircase and its entrance tower from Alward Construction and Endresware were part of a larger remodel which included transforming the basement of the house into a fully developed basement level containing a media area, guest suite, commodious laundry rooms and full two-car garage. The homeowners wanted a dramatic entrance to the house that also provided a connection between the two levels.

A stair tower was excavated, into existing grade to provide for the stairs, as well as an outdoor exit at the basement level. The entrance tower brought people into the house where they could choose to take the spiral stair-case to the downstairs where there was an outside passage from the entrance tower to the side yard. The problem with this project was making it all work aesthetically and structurally.

One challenge arose when the stairs first arrived and were installed; there was inadequate height where the stairs crossed under the upper floor. The solution was to remove the tread that was designed to extend the floor plane and thereby lower the stairs one riser and shorten the stairs by one tread. The stairs themselves are constructed out of a series of rigid boxes connected to each other by large dovetail joints. The system floats with minimal attachment to the walls. Glass plates extend the stairwell surface providing safe passage even at the outside edges of the stairs. A stainless steel and wood railing provides protection at the inside radius of the stairs.

The stair tower is set off from the stucco house with the use of custom milled redwood siding penetrated with modem glazing. A custom skylight lights the stairwell during the day, and strip lighting set into the ceiling accents the ceiling at night. A dovetailed set of treads and risers made of topical hardwood were joined as a set of connecting boxes to make up a unique and beautiful floating circular staircase. The new stair tower redefines the front of the house and gives visitors the choice of entering the main house or easy and graceful access to the media room and guest suite as well as the side yard.

Silver
Team Entry: Architectural Resource, Ann Arbor, Mich. and Meadowlark Builders, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Bronze
CG&S Design-Build, Austin, Texas

Honorable mention
Team Entry: Architectural Resource, Ann Arbor, Mich. and Meadowlark Builders, Ann Arbor, Mich.