Washington State Passes Nation's First Scissor Staircase Building Code Legislation

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Washington State has passed House Bill 2228, officially allowing apartment buildings to adopt scissor staircase designs, making it the first state in the nation to implement such a building code reform. The legislation aims to introduce this stairway structure—common abroad but extremely rare in U.S. cities—into local building design.

A scissor staircase consists of two independent, interlocking stairways, each with its own separate exit, enclosed and separated by fire-rated walls. The Sightline Institute points out that this design provides two fire-safe egress routes while significantly saving floor space that can be used for residential purposes within the building. Furthermore, scissor staircases make it easier for each apartment to receive ample natural light and cross-ventilation, while also helping buildings adapt to narrow or irregularly shaped lots, thereby increasing opportunities for infill development.

The Sightline Institute detailed in its report, through visualizations, how scissor staircases balance floor space savings with fire safety measures.

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