One Reason American Architecture Is Considered Boring: Stairs
Have you ever wondered why multifamily housing has the same, copied look in most places? Part of the reason is due to the way regulations require architects to build stairs. On this Upzoned podcast, host Abby Kinney talks with special guest and architect Kevin Klinkenberg about how building codes and zoning laws can be helpful, yet at the same time limit building possibilities.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
“Why Does American Multifamily Architecture Look so Banal? Here’s One Reason,” by Michael Eliason, The Architect’s Newspaper (March 2023).
Cover image source: Flickr/Matthew Rutledge.
For twenty-five years, Kevin Klinkenberg has worked as an urban designer, planner, and architect. He's worked in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, and now leads Midtown KC Now as Executive Director. You can find him at www.messycity.com, @kevinklink on Twitter, and @kevinurbandesign on Instagram.
Abby Newsham is the cohost of the Upzoned podcast. Abby is an urban design and planning consultant at Multistudio in Kansas City, Missouri. In her own community, she works to advance bottom-up strategies that enhance both private development and the public realm, and facilitates the ad-hoc Kansas City chapter of the Incremental Development Alliance. When she’s not geeking out over cities, Abby is an avid urban mountain biker (because: potholes), audiobook and podcast junkie, amateur rock climber, and guitarist. You can connect with Abby on Twitter at @abbykatkc.