Portland City Council
Mitch Green
Portland City Councilor representing District 4, economist, and champion of the city's Social Housing program. Brings policy expertise in housing, climate resilience, and equitable urban development.
— The Evening
Six floors.
One stairwell.
Infinite possibilities.
Join us for the awards ceremony of the inaugural PNW Single Stair Design Competition — an evening of drinks, drawings, and discussion at the J.K. Gill Building in downtown Portland.
For over 50 years, the Pacific Northwest has underbuilt housing for its growing population. Oregon and Washington recently reformed their building codes to allow single-stair egress in taller buildings — unlocking a mid-rise multifamily typology common in Europe for over a century. This competition asked architecture students to show what's possible.
Entries explore what becomes possible when a single, well-designed stair replaces two — more daylight, larger units, better neighborhoods.
— The Typology
What is single-stair housing?
A single-stair building — also known as a "point access block" — is a mid-rise multifamily housing typology served by one central stairwell instead of the double-loaded corridor typical of American apartment buildings. With fewer stairs and corridors, each floor gains space for larger units, cross-ventilation, and natural light on multiple sides.
Common throughout Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia for over a century, single-stair buildings up to six stories are now permitted in Oregon, Washington, and a growing number of U.S. states following recent building code reforms.
— The Design Prompt
Six stories.
One stair.
Four Portland sites.
Teams designed a single-stair multifamily residential building — up to 6 stories and 75 feet, with a maximum of 4 units per floor. Designs are sited on four 50' × 100' lots in Portland's Inner Eastside, spanning low-density single-family to medium-scale commercial mixed-use neighborhoods.
— Competition Jury
Meet the Jury.
Portland Planning Commission
Steph Routh
Former Chair of the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission, first Executive Director of Oregon Walks, and longtime advocate for pedestrian-friendly, equitable urban development.
Seattle Social Housing
Michael Eliason
Architect, researcher, and author of Building For People (Island Press, 2024). Founder of Larch Lab and a leading advocate for single-stair housing reform.
Allied8 Architects
Leah Martin
Founding partner of Allied8 Architects, focused on housing innovation, housing justice, and policy. Created Allied8's development arm to solve policy problems with small-scale, replicable projects. Lecturer at the University of Washington School of Architecture.
Architecture & Arts Critic
Brian Libby
Portland journalist and architecture critic with 25 years covering design, visual art, and film. Author of In Search of Portland (Oregon State University Press, 2026), with work in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Dwell, and Metropolis.
Writer/Curator/Organizer
Randy Gragg
Portland-based writer and curator focused on landscape, urban design, and architecture. Develops public programs, lectures, competitions, and exhibits with an eye toward impacts on the region's future.
BRIDGE Housing
Ryan Martyn
Portland native, architect, and urban researcher at BRIDGE Housing. His thesis on complete neighborhoods demonstrated that developing Portland's parking lots and vacant land could more than double the city's population capacity.
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Tom Jaleski
Principal and licensed architect at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, specializing in building, fire, and ADA code compliance. Expert in code research and alternate compliance strategies for new, existing, and historic buildings.
Holst Architecture & Portland Design Commission
Sarah Vaz
Senior Associate at Holst Architecture and Portland Design Commission member. Certified Passive House Consultant specializing in affordable housing, homeless shelters, and trauma-informed design for addiction treatment facilities.
— Sponsors & Organizers