Factory No. 6 Stair Detail

Factory No. 6 is a historic, late 20C. structure originally built as a shoe factory and most recently renovated as a creative office building. The renovations consisted mostly of restorations to the building’s interiors in order to reveal its authentic structure, materials and details. Original wood floors were uncovered and lightly refinished, ceilings were exposed and years and layers of drywall, vinyl tile and wood paneling removed. Some of the original Industrial Revolution Era iron line shaft and leather belt machinery remains.

Just as the original structure was modified over many decades (a rear “L” shaped addition, a 4th floor extension) the current owner/architect has made certain modifications to the building where necessary and in ways true to its raw, industrial aesthetic. An example is this simple hot rolled steel stair railing detail fabricated to integrate into the existing single-run central stair. The unfinished steel plate was cut, bent, and welded into 3 components and then bolted to the existing stair structure. It supports an extension of the original pinewood handrail as it terminates at the ground floor. A steel plate brace is connected and bolted to the existing stair riser to stabilize the 550 lb. plate.