Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

Stairsmith

2026-07-28T20:50:05Z

JakePWhite:

--[[User:JakePWhite|JakePWhite]] 21:50, 28 Jul 2026 (BST)

StairSmith

StairSmith is a free staircase design tool. It is open-source and browser-based, offering architects, architectural technologists and designers parametric 3D modelling of residential timber staircases, with export to IFC 4.3 (IFC4X3) models and dimensioned DXF drawings. As an online tool it runs in any modern web browser and requires no installation, no login and no server-side processing.

Background

Staircase design in residential projects typically involves iterative adjustment of rise, going, pitch and width to suit a specific floor-to-floor height and available plan area. Traditionally this is done manually in CAD or by calculation, with the 3D model and 2D documentation produced separately. StairSmith combines the parametric input, 3D visualisation and file export into a single browser-based workflow. It is intended for designing and documenting a domestic staircase quickly during design and technical work, for example in a new dwelling, an extension or a loft conversion, including quarter-turn, half-turn and half-landing arrangements that simpler stair calculators do not typically produce.

The tool was developed by Jake White Architecture, a residential focused architectural practice based in West Sussex. The concept grew out of a discussion within the Architectural Technologist Power Team (ATPT), a peer group of Chartered Architectural Technologists.

Staircase types

StairSmith supports four staircase layouts:

* Straight flights
* 90-degree single winder turns (quarter-turn staircases)
* 180-degree double winder turns (half-turn staircases)
* Half landing (U shaped)

Winder staircases use traditional kite winder setting-out geometry. The modelled components include treads, risers, newel posts, stringers, handrails, baserails and spindles.

[[File:Stairsmith-staircase-design-tool.jpg]]

How it works

The user enters parameters such as floor-to-floor height, stair width, number of treads and component dimensions. The tool calculates the geometry and displays a live 3D preview that updates as values change. Reference values for rise, going and pitch are displayed to assist the designer, but no compliance checking is performed by the tool itself.

All computation runs in the browser. The geometry engine is written in Python, executed client-side via Pyodide (CPython compiled to WebAssembly). The 3D preview uses Three.js. 2D geometry for DXF sections, elevations and winder setting-out uses Shapely, a computational geometry library built on GEOS.

Exports

StairSmith produces two export formats:

* IFC 4.3 (IFC4X3): a structured spatial model containing project, site, building, storey and stair entities (IfcStair and IfcStairFlight), with materials, property sets, stable GUIDs and Uniclass 2015 classification. The file can be opened in any IFC-compatible BIM viewer or authoring tool for coordination with the wider building model.
* DXF: a dimensioned drawing set containing a plan view, four elevations and stepped section cuts, suitable for import into CAD software.

Limitations

StairSmith is a design aid. It does not check or assure compliance with Building Regulations Approved Document K or any other standard. It will model a staircase regardless of whether the dimensions are compliant, and all outputs must be independently verified by a competent person before use.

The tool is designed for domestic-scale timber staircases. It does not currently support concrete, steel or helical staircase types.

Technology

StairSmith is a fully static site with no backend server. The same Python modules that produce the live 3D preview also generate the DXF and IFC exports, ensuring consistency between what is shown on screen and what is exported.

The source code is published under the Apache License 2.0 on GitHub.

Related articles on Designing Buildings

* Staircase
* Types of stairs
* Balustrade
* Handrail
* Newel post
* Loft conversion
* Approved Document K
* Building regulations
* Building information modelling BIM
* Industry Foundation Classes IFC
* Uniclass 2015
* DXF
* CAD
* Parametric

External links

* StairSmith tool: https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/stairsmith/
* Source code: https://github.com/JakeWhiteArchitecture/stairsmith
* Jake White Architecture: https://jakewhitearchitecture.com

[[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]] [[Category:BIM]]

File:Stairsmith-staircase-design-tool.jpg

2026-07-28T20:49:13Z

JakePWhite: Stairsmith is a free staircase calculator.

Stairsmith is a free staircase calculator.

Sunform

2026-07-28T11:30:49Z

JakePWhite:

--[[User:JakePWhite|JakePWhite]] 12:30, 28 Jul 2026 (BST)

SunForm

SunForm is a free, browser-based tool for analysing solar exposure on building models. It imports a building's geometry from an Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) file, calculates how many hours of direct sunlight each surface receives across a chosen day or period, and displays the result as a colour gradient on the three-dimensional model. The tool runs in the web browser and requires no installation and no account.

Background

Understanding how sunlight falls on a building and its surroundings informs decisions on window placement, shading, overheating, the overshadowing of neighbouring property, and the siting of outdoor space. Solar studies are often produced in specialist environmental analysis software, or as part of a full daylight and sunlight assessment, which can require dedicated tools and expertise. SunForm provides a lightweight alternative that works directly from an IFC model, allowing a designer to test solar exposure at an early design stage within a web browser.

The tool was developed by [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com Jake White Architecture], a residential focused architectural practice based in West Sussex.

How it works

The user loads an IFC model and selects a location and a day or period for analysis. SunForm evaluates each surface of the model against the position of the sun through the daylight hours of that period.

Solar position is calculated using the Spencer algorithm, a Fourier-series approximation that returns the sun's declination and the equation of time for a given day of the year. For each point being tested, the tool casts a ray towards the sun and checks whether any other part of the model intersects that ray, using the Möller-Trumbore ray-triangle intersection method. Where the ray reaches the sun unobstructed the point is in sunlight; where it is blocked the point is in shade. Accumulating these results across the period produces a sun-hours value for every surface.

The analysis is applied to all surfaces regardless of orientation, so walls, roofs, soffits and ground planes are treated in the same pass.

Outputs

Results are shown as a continuous colour gradient mapped across the three-dimensional model, so patterns of solar exposure and overshadowing can be read directly on screen.

Limitations

SunForm is a design aid in public Beta. It is not a substitute for a formal daylight and sunlight assessment prepared to a recognised methodology such as the Building Research Establishment (BRE) guidelines, and it does not constitute a right of light analysis. All outputs must be independently verified before they are relied upon.

The tool currently expects the model to be positioned close to the coordinate origin. Georeferenced IFC files placed a long distance from the origin are not yet fully supported.

Technology

SunForm runs in the web browser. The three-dimensional model is displayed using Three.js, with solar exposure mapped across each surface as a per-vertex value.

External links

* SunForm tool: [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/sunform/ https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/sunform/]
* Jake White Architecture: [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com https://jakewhitearchitecture.com]

[[Category:Sustainability]] [[Category:Design]]

Sunform

2026-07-28T11:30:12Z

JakePWhite: Created page with "--JakePWhite 12:30, 28 Jul 2026 (BST) SunForm SunForm is a free, browser-based tool for analysing solar exposure on building models. It imports a building's..."

--[[User:JakePWhite|JakePWhite]] 12:30, 28 Jul 2026 (BST)

SunForm

SunForm is a free, browser-based tool for analysing solar exposure on building models. It imports a building's geometry from an Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) file, calculates how many hours of direct sunlight each surface receives across a chosen day or period, and displays the result as a colour gradient on the three-dimensional model. The tool runs in the web browser and requires no installation and no account.

Background

Understanding how sunlight falls on a building and its surroundings informs decisions on window placement, shading, overheating, the overshadowing of neighbouring property, and the siting of outdoor space. Solar studies are often produced in specialist environmental analysis software, or as part of a full daylight and sunlight assessment, which can require dedicated tools and expertise. SunForm provides a lightweight alternative that works directly from an IFC model, allowing a designer to test solar exposure at an early design stage within a web browser.

The tool was developed by [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com Jake White Architecture], a residential focused architectural practice based in West Sussex.

How it works

The user loads an IFC model and selects a location and a day or period for analysis. SunForm evaluates each surface of the model against the position of the sun through the daylight hours of that period.

Solar position is calculated using the Spencer algorithm, a Fourier-series approximation that returns the sun's declination and the equation of time for a given day of the year. For each point being tested, the tool casts a ray towards the sun and checks whether any other part of the model intersects that ray, using the Möller-Trumbore ray-triangle intersection method. Where the ray reaches the sun unobstructed the point is in sunlight; where it is blocked the point is in shade. Accumulating these results across the period produces a sun-hours value for every surface.

The analysis is applied to all surfaces regardless of orientation, so walls, roofs, soffits and ground planes are treated in the same pass.

Outputs

Results are shown as a continuous colour gradient mapped across the three-dimensional model, so patterns of solar exposure and overshadowing can be read directly on screen.

Limitations

SunForm is a design aid in public Beta. It is not a substitute for a formal daylight and sunlight assessment prepared to a recognised methodology such as the Building Research Establishment (BRE) guidelines, and it does not constitute a right of light analysis. All outputs must be independently verified before they are relied upon.

The tool currently expects the model to be positioned close to the coordinate origin. Georeferenced IFC files placed a long distance from the origin are not yet fully supported.

Technology

SunForm runs in the web browser. The three-dimensional model is displayed using Three.js, with solar exposure mapped across each surface as a per-vertex value.

External links

* SunForm tool: https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/sunform/
* Jake White Architecture: https://jakewhitearchitecture.com

Stairsmith

2026-07-22T01:37:01Z

JakePWhite:

--[[User:JakePWhite|JakePWhite]] 02:37, 22 Jul 2026 (BST)

StairSmith

StairSmith is a free, open-source, browser-based parametric staircase design tool. It allows architects, architectural technologists and designers to model residential timber staircases in 3D and export the results as IFC 4.3 (IFC4X3) models and dimensioned DXF drawings. The tool requires no installation, no login and no server-side processing.

Background

Staircase design in residential projects typically involves iterative adjustment of rise, going, pitch and width to suit a specific floor-to-floor height and available plan area. Traditionally this is done manually in CAD or by calculation, with the 3D model and 2D documentation produced separately. StairSmith combines the parametric input, 3D visualisation and file export into a single browser-based workflow.

The tool was developed by [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com Jake White Architecture], a residential focused Architectural practice based in West Sussex. The concept grew out of a discussion within the Architectural Technologist Power Team (ATPT), a peer group of Chartered Architectural Technologists.

Staircase types

StairSmith supports four staircase layouts:

* Straight flights
* 90-degree single winder turns
* 180-degree double winder turns
* Half landing (U shaped)

Winder staircases use traditional kite winder setting-out geometry. The modelled components include treads, risers, newel posts, stringers, handrails, baserails and spindles.

How it works

The user enters parameters such as floor-to-floor height, stair width, number of treads and component dimensions. The tool calculates the geometry and displays a live 3D preview that updates as values change. Reference values for rise, going, pitch are displayed to assist the designer, but no compliance checking is performed by the tool itself.

All computation runs in the browser. The geometry engine is written in Python, executed client-side via Pyodide (CPython compiled to WebAssembly). The 3D preview uses Three.js. 2D geometry for DXF sections, elevations and winder setting-out uses Shapely, a computational geometry library built on GEOS.

Exports

StairSmith produces two export formats:

* IFC 4.3 (IFC4X3): a structured spatial model containing project, site, building, storey and stair entities, with materials, property sets, stable GUIDs and Uniclass 2015 classification. The file can be opened in any IFC-compatible BIM viewer or authoring tool for coordination with the wider building model.
* DXF: a dimensioned drawing set containing a plan view, four elevations and stepped section cuts, suitable for import into CAD software.

Limitations

StairSmith is a design aid. It does not check or assure compliance with Building Regulations Approved Document K or any other standard. It will model a staircase regardless of whether the dimensions are compliant, and all outputs must be independently verified by a competent person before use.

The tool is designed for domestic-scale timber staircases. It currently does not currently support concrete, steel or helical staircase types.

Technology

StairSmith is a fully static site with no backend server. The same Python modules that produce the live 3D preview also generate the DXF and IFC exports, ensuring consistency between what is shown on screen and what is exported.

The source code is published under the Apache License 2.0 on GitHub.

External links

* StairSmith tool: [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/stairsmith/ https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/stairsmith/]
* Source code: [https://github.com/JakeWhiteArchitecture/stairsmith https://github.com/JakeWhiteArchitecture/stairsmith]
* Jake White Architecture: [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com https://jakewhitearchitecture.com]

[[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]]

Stairsmith

2026-07-22T01:35:33Z

JakePWhite:

StairSmith

StairSmith is a free, open-source, browser-based parametric staircase design tool. It allows architects, architectural technologists and designers to model residential timber staircases in 3D and export the results as IFC 4.3 (IFC4X3) models and dimensioned DXF drawings. The tool requires no installation, no login and no server-side processing.

Background

Staircase design in residential projects typically involves iterative adjustment of rise, going, pitch and width to suit a specific floor-to-floor height and available plan area. Traditionally this is done manually in CAD or by calculation, with the 3D model and 2D documentation produced separately. StairSmith combines the parametric input, 3D visualisation and file export into a single browser-based workflow.

The tool was developed by [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com Jake White Architecture], a residential focused Architectural practice based in West Sussex. The concept grew out of a discussion within the Architectural Technologist Power Team (ATPT), a peer group of Chartered Architectural Technologists.

Staircase types

StairSmith supports four staircase layouts:

* Straight flights
* 90-degree single winder turns
* 180-degree double winder turns
* Half landing (U shaped)

Winder staircases use traditional kite winder setting-out geometry. The modelled components include treads, risers, newel posts, stringers, handrails, baserails and spindles.

How it works

The user enters parameters such as floor-to-floor height, stair width, number of treads and component dimensions. The tool calculates the geometry and displays a live 3D preview that updates as values change. Reference values for rise, going, pitch are displayed to assist the designer, but no compliance checking is performed by the tool itself.

All computation runs in the browser. The geometry engine is written in Python, executed client-side via Pyodide (CPython compiled to WebAssembly). The 3D preview uses Three.js. 2D geometry for DXF sections, elevations and winder setting-out uses Shapely, a computational geometry library built on GEOS.

Exports

StairSmith produces two export formats:

* IFC 4.3 (IFC4X3): a structured spatial model containing project, site, building, storey and stair entities, with materials, property sets, stable GUIDs and Uniclass 2015 classification. The file can be opened in any IFC-compatible BIM viewer or authoring tool for coordination with the wider building model.
* DXF: a dimensioned drawing set containing a plan view, four elevations and stepped section cuts, suitable for import into CAD software.

Limitations

StairSmith is a design aid. It does not check or assure compliance with Building Regulations Approved Document K or any other standard. It will model a staircase regardless of whether the dimensions are compliant, and all outputs must be independently verified by a competent person before use.

The tool is designed for domestic-scale timber staircases. It currently does not currently support concrete, steel or helical staircase types.

Technology

StairSmith is a fully static site with no backend server. The same Python modules that produce the live 3D preview also generate the DXF and IFC exports, ensuring consistency between what is shown on screen and what is exported.

The source code is published under the Apache License 2.0 on GitHub.

External links

* StairSmith tool: [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/stairsmith/ https://jakewhitearchitecture.com/stairsmith/]
* Source code: [https://github.com/JakeWhiteArchitecture/stairsmith https://github.com/JakeWhiteArchitecture/stairsmith]
* Jake White Architecture: [https://jakewhitearchitecture.com https://jakewhitearchitecture.com]

[[Category:Standards_/_measurements]] [[Category:Construction_techniques]] [[Category:Design]]

Stairsmith

2026-07-22T01:33:39Z

JakePWhite: Created page with "StairSmith StairSmith is a free, open-source, browser-based parametric staircase design tool. It allows architects, architectural technologists and designers to model residentia..."