Students spend a lot of time moving between classes. The stairs and hallways they move through are important spaces. At the Griffin School there are two stairs connecting floors, one interior and the other exterior, placed at opposite ends of the building.
Central Exterior Stair photo: Leonid Furmansky
The exterior stair ascends between the new building and the central courtyard space. From this conspicuous location the stair connects the central courtyard with the second-floor lounge. Students moving up and down the stair can interact with the people in the courtyard.
photo: Leonid Furmansky
Stair Landing as meeting space photo: Leonid Furmansky
The stair becomes a platform and extension of the outdoor space and a part of the courtyard experience. As you pass next to an old Mesquite tree from the landing you can also catch a glimpse of birds nesting in the tree branches.
Dove nesting in the Mesquite tree visible from the exterior stair landing
The stair is carefully detailed so that it is elegant and transparent in appearance while being very durable
The concrete and steel stair is infilled with a durable stainless steel mesh photo: Leonid Furmansky
Stair landing photo: Leonid Furmansky
The interior stair, located at the opposite corner of the building, takes its shape from the steeply pitched school building roof. This dramatic roof shape is revealed above you when you walk up the stair from the first floor.
Cross section through interior stair
photo: Leonid Furmansky
The second-floor ceiling follows the roof slope creating, momentarily, a theatrical experience for students and staff moving between floors. A small west facing window allows for a punch of western sun light to illuminate the space.
West facing window photo: Leonid Furmansky