What Is a Split Foyer?

Identification

• A split foyer is an entrance that sits between two levels. Instead of a single stairwell between levels, there is a landing area set in the middle with the foyer placed here. This creates a half of a flight of stairs up to the level above and down to the level below.

Uses

• Split foyers are found in housing needing maximum allowance for limited heights. A split foyer allows the entire house to have a full sub-level without the need of a full dug basement. Split foyers also are used to accommodate hills or uneven land where the land would require leveling off for a conventional two-story building. Townhouses and two-family units make use of split foyers, allowing access to multiple units from a single entry point without needing a full flight of stairs. Commercial buildings requiring low visual impact to the surrounding area also use split foyers to accommodate multiple floors.

Advantages

• Split foyers create effective use of uneven property, allowing the house or building to be constructed into a slope or hillside. Fewer steps from the landing to each level allow for greater mobility of handicapped people or the elderly. Where local ordinance contains height limits or limitations on the number of full floors, a split foyer allows the building to sit squat on the property; this allows the maximum use of space while remaining within local laws.

Disadvantages

• Split foyers may require an exterior set of steps from the porch to the lower level when a garage is installed at the lower level. Additional barricades at the foyer may be required to keep young children or pets from moving between levels.