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Requiring two egresses usually means that the building will not have an apartment that spans the width of the building, instead there will be a central hallway

Requiring two egresses usually means that the building will not have an apartment that spans the width of the building, instead there will be a central hallway to connect every apartment to two stairwells. That central hallway seems small, but it eats a fairly substantial percentage of the footprint space of the building. (elevators and trashrooms are also examples of things that eat a lot of footprint; limiting them for smaller buildings is beneficial for floorplan efficiency) And since people do not like bedrooms without windows, having apartments that don't span the width of a building limits possible floorplans, and drives the apartment design towards studios and 1 bedrooms. The buildings tend to become very wide in order to accommodate enough apartments to make them worthwhile to build, so they tend to use up a high percentage of the lot they are sited on, which reduces greenspace and other resident amennities.

nradov 4y ago
In most areas, the building code explicitly requires a window in every bedroom. This serves as an additional emergency exit, either directly on the ground floor or with assistance from firefighters on higher storeys.
- bbojan 4y ago
  Ironically, in Toronto, not every bedroom is required to have a window [1]. [1] BCC Ruling No. 14-03-1366: https://web.archive.org/web/20210422142050/http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page11347.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20210422142050/http://www.mah.go...
  - jaclaz 4y ago
    And this shows how internationally building codes can be very different. In Italy a room, any room for residential use, not only needs a window, but the window(s) surface must be at least 1/8 or in some cases 1/12 of the floor surface of that room, a windowless room can only be a bathroom (with a compulsory exhaust fan) or a closet/corridor/storage/utility room. But this comes not from fire related laws, but rather from minimal health requirements (natural light, ventilation).
- zbrozek 4y ago
  Which is annoying me right now as I remodel my home, because I would prefer my bedroom be a windowless cave. I would have two egresses without the window. Why must I have a third?
  - stuaxo 4y ago
    Stayed in a few places in Vietnam without windows and wouldn't recommend it. As someone that will easily lie in bed to whatever hour, it's very easy to sit around in complete blackness and come outside to realise it's 4pm.
    - zbrozek 4y ago
      Yeah, but that isn't how my body works. The tiniest bit of light wakes me up, including headlights of cars outside sneaking past a crevice in the blackout curtains. I'm building my house for me, not for anyone else.

nradov 4y ago

In most areas, the building code explicitly requires a window in every bedroom. This serves as an additional emergency exit, either directly on the ground floor or with assistance from firefighters on higher storeys.

bbojan 4y ago
Ironically, in Toronto, not every bedroom is required to have a window [1]. [1] BCC Ruling No. 14-03-1366: https://web.archive.org/web/20210422142050/http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page11347.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20210422142050/http://www.mah.go...
- jaclaz 4y ago
  And this shows how internationally building codes can be very different. In Italy a room, any room for residential use, not only needs a window, but the window(s) surface must be at least 1/8 or in some cases 1/12 of the floor surface of that room, a windowless room can only be a bathroom (with a compulsory exhaust fan) or a closet/corridor/storage/utility room. But this comes not from fire related laws, but rather from minimal health requirements (natural light, ventilation).
zbrozek 4y ago
Which is annoying me right now as I remodel my home, because I would prefer my bedroom be a windowless cave. I would have two egresses without the window. Why must I have a third?
- stuaxo 4y ago
  Stayed in a few places in Vietnam without windows and wouldn't recommend it. As someone that will easily lie in bed to whatever hour, it's very easy to sit around in complete blackness and come outside to realise it's 4pm.
  - zbrozek 4y ago
    Yeah, but that isn't how my body works. The tiniest bit of light wakes me up, including headlights of cars outside sneaking past a crevice in the blackout curtains. I'm building my house for me, not for anyone else.