In the old days before inexpensive electric lighting skylights were frequently used to bring daylight into the interior of large floor plates. They were also used over (grand) stairs and also interior light shafts on to which windows opened in order to bring daylight into interior areas of buildings. Many times these light wells were open in order to provide 'fresh air' to these interior spaces. Daylight issues are also why there were so many courtyard type buildings with narrow wings with windows on both sides.
Fire escapes were typically needed where there were no enclosed interior stairs nearby. They served, as the current building code lingo states, as a 'required means of egress'. Therefore I think it is unlikely they were paired with adjacent enclosed interior stairs. They were served by either doors or windows and they could switch back from floor to floor or with intermediate landings between floors where the stairs changed direction. Ben Trousdale, AIA --- In [email protected], raleigh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > If you intend to add floors to the interior, (I assume it doesn't > come with them) the stairwells would be in line with the fire escapes > and enclosed. The roof entrance would be in line with the stair wells > (and fire escape doors. The skylight is typically placed over the > stairwell but not always. The windows wouldn't have curtains unless > it was an apartment house. > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
