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The circular glass staircase at The White House, a privately owned waterfront property in Miami, is designed to make the entrance itself the architectural focus. A predominantly glass stair, with multi-laminated treads and custom curved panels, allows the entry volume to remain visually open rather than blocked by a conventional opaque stair. The project was laid out by interior designer Nathalie Ohayon of Renovaid Interiors with Bella Stairs, LLC, while Glasshape measured the partly built structure, modelled it digitally and fabricated bent laminated glass to fit. Those details come from Architecture & Design’s 5 October 2022 project feature; they are a reported account of one bespoke installation, not an independent engineering evaluation.
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The result is less a catalogued staircase system than a coordinated piece of architecture. Its appearance depends on the relationship between the room, the stair layout, the as-built opening and glass made specifically for that geometry. The source gives no project cost, dimensions, construction schedule, code review or independent performance tests, so those points cannot be inferred from the photographs or promotional descriptions.
Why does this circular glass staircase dominate the Miami entrance?
The staircase is positioned as the visual event of the entrance because its principal surfaces are transparent or translucent rather than solid. In the project account, the design rationale is straightforward: glass lets light travel through a space that an opaque stair would otherwise obscure. That is the article’s explanation of the design intent, not a measured lighting result or a claim that the stair produces a particular lux level.
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A circular plan also changes how the stair is read from different positions. Instead of presenting one broad, straight flight, the curved run reveals itself progressively as someone approaches or moves around the entry. The source does not publish the radius, rise, run, floor-to-floor height or viewing angles, so the effect should be understood as a description of the spatial strategy rather than a repeatable dimensional recipe.
Calling the house “The White House” identifies the private Miami property in the feature; it does not indicate a government building. The article describes the project as a waterfront residence in the United States and credits photography to Silvia Pangaro.
What parts of the stair are actually made of glass?
According to the feature, the staircase is predominantly glass. That includes multi-laminated stair treads and the curved enclosure or panel work that defines the stair’s transparent character. The stringers and handrail are the stated exceptions, so “all-glass staircase” is a visual shorthand, not a literal inventory of every component.
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Glasshape’s specified product is 14.28 mm TemperShield low-iron laminated bent glass. The 14.28 mm figure is the product specification reported by Architecture & Design in 2022. The source does not publish the glass lay-up, individual ply thicknesses, interlayer type, edge treatment, support details or structural calculations. Those omissions matter: thickness alone cannot establish whether a stair is suitable for a particular span, load case or local code requirement.
“Low-iron” describes the glass selected for greater visual clarity than ordinary float glass, while “laminated” indicates a bonded glass construction. “Bent” means the panel was formed to a curve rather than installed as a flat sheet. These terms explain why the panels can read as a continuous curved surface, but they do not substitute for the engineering documents required for a real project.
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How was the custom glass fitted to the building?
The fabrication process began with the building as it existed, not with an idealized drawing. Glasshape reportedly provided digital field measurement and three-dimensional laser scanning while the staircase was under construction. Its in-house design team then modelled the as-built structure and designed the glass for a close fit.
- Measure the emerging stair. Digital field measurements and 3D scans record the geometry that has actually been built, including deviations that may not appear in the original design intent.
- Create a digital model. The measured information is translated into a model of the stair opening and its surrounding structure. The feature attributes this modelling to Glasshape’s in-house design team.
- Develop panel geometry. The team designs panels of different sizes, including the tight interior radius described by Bella Stairs’ founder-manager Juan Esteban Arcos.
- Fabricate bent laminated glass. The specified 14.28 mm low-iron laminated glass is formed to the modelled curves. The article identifies the product and supplier but does not publish furnace settings, tolerances or production duration.
- Install and coordinate on site. The panels are fitted to the stair while the project team coordinates around the completed structure. The source says Glasshape remained available when a panel broke and helped source a replacement.
This workflow illustrates why a bespoke curved stair cannot be ordered reliably from a generic radius or a photograph. The surrounding construction controls the final geometry, and the glass must be designed around that measured condition. It also explains why late changes to stringers, landings or handrail locations can have consequences for panel drawings and fabrication.
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The project was collaborative rather than the work of a single stair manufacturer. Each credited participant had a different responsibility:
| Participant | Role reported in the project feature |
|---|---|
| Nathalie Ohayon, Renovaid Interiors | Designed the staircase layout. |
| Bella Stairs, LLC | Worked on the project alongside Ohayon; its founder-manager, Juan Esteban Arcos, discussed sourcing and installation. |
| Glasshape | Provided digital field measuring and 3D laser scanning, modelled the as-built structure, and designed and fabricated the custom bent glass. |
| Silvia Pangaro | Credited photographer for the published feature. |
The division of labor is significant for anyone studying the project. Interior layout determines how the stair occupies the room; the stair collaborator coordinates the build; and the glass fabricator translates measured conditions into manufacturable panels. The article does not assign structural engineering, permitting or inspection responsibilities, so those should not be attributed to any named party on the basis of this feature alone.
What made the glass difficult to source?
Arcos describes the project as requiring panels of various sizes and a tight interior radius. In his account, that combination made sourcing difficult. He credits Glasshape’s digital template service with producing accurate measurements and says the fabricator’s team was available after installation when a glass panel broke.
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“The White House project required a glass fabricator to produce panels of various sizes, including a tight interior radius, which made sourcing the glass quite difficult. Glasshape brought their A-game to this project and provided their digital template service to get accurate measurements. Upon installation of the glass panels, the Glasshape team was readily available to help when there was a glass breakage, and sourced the replacement piece in record time. Panels are of the highest quality, with little to no distortion.”
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This is a participant testimonial, not an independent test. “Highest quality,” “little to no distortion” and “record time” should therefore be read as Arcos’s published assessment of the collaboration. The source supplies no laboratory measurements, distortion specification, breakage rate or documented replacement interval.
Why does digital scanning matter on a curved stair?
On a straight stair with simple planar guards, a small discrepancy may be absorbed at a joint or trim piece. A curved laminated panel offers fewer such hiding places: its radius, edges and adjoining panels need to meet the geometry of the stair and its supports. Scanning the structure under construction gives the fabricator a record of the conditions that will receive the glass.
The project account does not claim that scanning eliminates every tolerance issue. It does show a practical sequence: capture the built condition, model it, then design the panels. For a future project, the useful questions are whether scans will be taken after major structural work, who approves the model, how changes are documented and what happens if the site differs from the approved digital template.
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What should an architect or homeowner specify before commissioning a similar stair?
A similar installation should begin with a coordinated brief, not a glass thickness selected from a photograph. The Miami project demonstrates the value of defining geometry, responsibility and replacement planning early, while leaving the engineering decisions to qualified professionals.
- Define the visual goal. Decide whether transparency is required at the treads, balustrade, stringer or all three. The featured stair uses glass extensively but still has non-glass stringers and a handrail.
- Freeze the layout before fabrication. Changes to the circular path, landings or support locations can alter every curved panel.
- Assign design responsibility. Identify who controls the architectural layout, stair construction, structural design, glass engineering, scanning and installation. The feature names some collaborators but not every discipline needed for a permitted building.
- Plan the measurement event. Agree when the as-built scan occurs and how the team handles construction changes discovered afterward.
- Review the glass specification as a system. Ask for the complete laminated build-up, edge and support details, load assumptions, applicable standards and approval documents. The published 14.28 mm figure alone is not enough information to approve a stair.
- Document access and replacement. Curved panels may be unique to one location. Ask for retained digital templates, panel identification and a realistic replacement process before handover.
- Coordinate cleaning and protection. Establish how the finished glass will be protected during the remaining construction and how owners will access both sides for routine care. The source does not prescribe a maintenance method, so this must be agreed with the fabricator and installer.
What does the source tell us—and what does it not?
The article gives a clear project narrative: a private Miami waterfront house, a circular glass stair, a layout by Ohayon, collaboration with Bella Stairs, and custom 14.28 mm low-iron laminated bent glass measured and modelled by Glasshape. It also records a project participant’s account of difficult sourcing, digital templates, a breakage response and low visible distortion.
It does not provide the stair’s dimensions, number of treads, radius, total glass area, structural support scheme, handrail material, cost, schedule, permit status, wind or impact design, fire considerations, accessibility analysis or independent inspection. Nor does it compare this stair with other systems. Any article or specification that supplies those details would need additional primary documents or expert sources.
How should this project be understood as architecture?
The staircase works as an organizing device for the entrance, not merely as circulation hardware. Its transparency preserves sightlines and lets the room’s daylight remain legible around the stair. The circular geometry gives the element a sculptural profile, while the custom fabrication ties that profile to the actual building rather than to a standard kit.
That combination is the project’s most transferable lesson. The visual simplicity depends on hidden complexity: survey data, digital modelling, curved laminated-glass fabrication, coordination among several firms and a plan for dealing with a damaged panel. The feature celebrates the finished effect, but its own details show that the effect was produced through a tightly managed bespoke process.
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Can the Miami staircase be reproduced as a standard product?
Not on the evidence supplied. The panels were designed for an as-built structure, include different sizes and a tight radius, and are described as custom-fabricated. A contractor could pursue a similar visual language, but the geometry, supports, glass build-up and approvals would have to be developed for the new building.
Using the photographs as a template would omit the information that made this installation possible. A credible replication would require an architect, stair specialist, structural and glass engineers, a qualified fabricator and an installation team to coordinate the new site’s measured conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The White House staircase open to the public?
The project feature identifies The White House as a privately owned waterfront property in Miami. It does not describe public access, tours or a commercial venue, so availability to visitors should not be assumed.
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What is the exact radius or size of the circular stair?
Architecture & Design does not publish the radius, dimensions, number of treads or total glass area. The only numerical product detail supplied is the reported 14.28 mm glass specification.
Can a replacement panel be ordered if one breaks?
The project participant says Glasshape helped source a replacement after a breakage. Because the panels were measured and fabricated for the as-built stair, a future replacement would need the project’s records and a fabricator’s confirmation rather than a generic off-the-shelf part.
Does 14.28 mm prove that a glass stair is structurally safe?
No. Thickness is only one part of a stair-glass design. Support conditions, laminated construction, loads, connections, impact requirements and local approvals must be evaluated by the project’s qualified professionals.
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