A set of stairs is a seemingly simple concept; A set of ledges about 10 inches deep and 8 inches tall that brings the user from one floor to another. At its core, stairs are all about function, there's no formal discourse, no creativity, just reality. Architecture is the practice of making something seemingly simple, into something that can look like far more, become far more, and serve the public in a capacity that is far more than just function. The term 'programmatic stair’ seeks to convey the very concept, that a stair can contain more than one program, or use. Common examples of programmatic stairs generally include places to sit and places to congregate, and within themselves become a statement; the stair becomes the attraction, the reason for a visit. Let's take the famous metropolitan museum of art (the MET as more commonly known) as an example. The stairs in front of the museum are regularly used by passersby as a palace to sit and eat, or a place to read, people watch, or even gather as a group. Those stairs become more than just a way to enter the museum, they become the attraction, the spacial intervention, the purpose for making the trip. Of course, the stairs remain usable, but they elevate themselves beyond regular function to something more, something architectural. So how does one design a set of stairs that elevates itself from mere function? There are many many approaches to this problem, and each designer will approach it differently. I can only tell you how I perceive the issue and how I would proceed to solve it. A good start to solving any architectural issue (not the only way to begin but…) is looking backward, taking precedents, and studying them in order to apply them for your own gain. We’ve already looked at the stairs at the MET, but those are relatively plain in comparison to what a programmatic stair could look like. Another tame example of an interesting stair is the set of stairs designed by Diller and Scofidio at the Julliard center; this set of stairs begins to play with variations in the traditional step form. The steps are divided into parts, a regular stair where one can make their way to the second floor, a section where the steps become wider and taller, and a section where the steps disappear entirely into a desk. Let's call the second section the programmatic intervention. This is the space where the stairs grow in height, allowing for comfortable sitting. This space also includes fluctuations in the stair itself, at moments bringing the stair up in an arc, creating separations in the space, and allowing for groups to congregate without feeling surrounded. These aberrations also allow users to lean on them, creating an air of relaxation and a space to lounge while studying. Although this entire space is incredibly interesting, the intervention only takes up about a third of the entire width of the stair, leaving the rest to remain as normal steps. This space is also linear, it cuts straight up into the stairs, so regular passersby can just walk straight up the stairs to the second floor. What if we took our interventions, and instead of sectioning them off to the side, placed them throughout and across the stair? Making it harder to make your way to the top of the stair, but a far more interesting journey all around. See, that right there was the beginning of an idea. Now that we’ve looked at a couple of precedents, and our own thoughts begin to form, we move on to schematic design. This part of the design process is where ideas and concepts are explored, thrown out, cried over, and eventually, a winner is chosen. Normally multiple ideas and thoughts are explored, anywhere from 3 to 300 but for the sake of your attention span, let's stick to the thought we had before; what if our interventions within the form of a stair were spread out, allowing for users to interact and experience that stair in multiple different ways at multiple different points throughout the ascension of that stair. The way that designers and architects understand their ideas varies from person to person, but personally, I enjoy sketching my ideas out until I am satisfied they are complete enough to move on. Ok now that we have a rough idea of what we want and how we could maybe achieve that goal we move on to design development; this is where ideas become reality. In this phase, we take those rough ideas and sketches and begin to realize them through architectural drawing. The act of drawing and creating drawings can many times inform and improve a design. You begin to realize what works and what doesn't, what's realistic and what really isn't. There is a saying in the community, that Design never really ends. What that means is that even though your project might finally be ‘done’, there's always something that can be improved. Although something may be built and you're no longer designing for that project, it's always in the back of your mind. The design process never finishes. So, as we begin to create drawings we remember that nothing is final, I can always make changes, and improvements and I can always remake the drawings.