Creating a Stairwell

QUESTION

What is the best way to create a stairwell in the program? 

ANSWER

When stairs are created in Chief Architect, they begin on the current floor and draw in an upward direction. The program seeks the exact height of the floor above and will snap to that height if at all possible; and, it will produce stairs with consistent treads and risers in the process.

There are a couple of ways to create a stairwell, an opening in the ceiling that allows the staircase to reach the floor above. The easiest is to use the Auto Stairwell tool; however, it is also possible to create a stairwell manually.

To create an automatic stairwell

1. On any floor of the plan other than the top floor, select Build> Stairs> Draw Stairs  from the menu, then click and drag a length of stairs in floor plan view.  
   
   
   
2. Click on the staircase to select it, then click the Open Object  edit button.
   
   
   
3. On the General panel of the Staircase Specification dialog:  
   
   
   
   
   • Check to see if the staircase reaches the next floor.  
     
     
     • If the staircase does reach the next floor, then the message will say so.
       
       
     • If the staircase does not reach the next floor a message will display "Staircase does NOT reach next level." If this is the case, click the Make Best Fit button to extend the staircase or adjust the Length of the stairs.
       
       
     • If the staircase is too steep, the message will say "Steep staircase reaches next floor." and similarly, if it is too shallow. This problem can be fixed by increasing or decreasing the number of treads.  
     
     
   • Click OK to close the dialog and apply your changes. 
     
   
   
   
4. With the staircase still selected, click the Auto Stairwell  edit button to create an opening in the floor above.
   
   This tool automatically creates an Open Below room on the floor above the staircase, which is defined by railing walls. It will also automatically change the room label for the room to say "Stairwell".
   
   
   Note: The Auto Stairwell tool will only be available if a room exists on the floor directly above the staircase, and it does not already have its room type set to Open Below.
   
   

To create a stairwell manually

1. Once your stairs are in place, navigate to the floor above the staircase.
   
   
   
2. Select Tools> Floor/Reference Display> Reference Display  from the menu or press the F9 key on your keyboard to turn on the Reference Display. This allows you to see walls and other objects, including stairs, that are located on another floor.  
   
   
   
3. Next, select Build> Wall  or Build> Railing and Deck , choose your desired wall or railing tool, then draw a room around the red outline associated with the staircase. 
   
   
   
4. With room created, select Build> Door> Doorway  from the menu, then click on the railing at the top edge of the stairs to place a doorway opening on that edge if one does not already exist, then resize the doorway as needed.  
   
   
   
5. Click in the newly created room to select it, then click the Open Object  edit button.  
   
   
   
6. On the General panel of the Room Specification dialog, change the Room Type to Open Below, specify your desired Room Name, then click OK.