Dog-leg (stairs)

A dog-leg staircase

A dog-leg is a configuration of stairs between two floors of a building, often a domestic building, in which a flight of stairs ascends to a quarter-landing before turning at a right angle and continuing upwards.[1] The flights do not have to be equal in length.[2] A dog-leg contrasts with a straight stair, which has no change in direction, and an open-well stair, which encircles an empty space in the middle of the stairs.[2]

Structurally, the flights of a dog-leg stair are usually supported by the quarter-landing, which spans the adjoining flank walls. It is called a "quarter" because it is constructed at a 90-degree angle, which is a quarter of a 360-degree circle.[3]

From the design point of view, the main advantages of a dog-leg stair are:

  • To allow an arrangement that occupies a shorter, though wider, floor area than a straight flight, and so is more compact.[2] Even though the landings consume more total floor space, there is no large single dimension.
  • The upper floor is not directly visible from the bottom of the stairs, thereby providing more privacy.
A quarter-landing, on a dog-leg staircase, is made into an architectural feature, by the use of arches and stained glass. The handrail stops at the landing area, rather than going across the window and the portrait.

As with any stairs, when a dog-leg stairway will be used by young children, elderly people, or disabled people, the handrail should be continuous throughout the entire area, including on the landing.[2] However, depending on the other design elements, it may be difficult to provide an aesthetically pleasing and uninterrupted handrail on both sides of the stairs with dog-leg stairs.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009) [1969]. Lancashire: North. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 741. ISBN 978-0-300-12667-9.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Rich, Peter; Dean, Yvonne (2012). Principles of Element Design. Taylor & Francis. p. 144–146. ISBN 9781135141448. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Thorne, Gary (2015). Technical Drawing for Stage Design (ebook). Crowood Press. ISBN 9781785000669. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
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