From nosings and treads caps to risers and engineered stair treads, TerraMai’s environmentally friendly wood products will take your next project to new heights. 

Staircases hold a fascinating space in the history of architecture. Whether naturally occurring or crafted from natural materials like wood and stone, they are the great connectors in a building’s composition. 

Early staircases were a result of practicality; they were a way to escape danger or to reach resources. They took a more aesthetic turn in Ancient Egypt and in China, where they were also seen as a way to “ascend” toward sacred places. In medieval times, staircases, particularly spiral staircases, saved space in building design and aided military tactics. Over the years, the form of staircases and stairways became more flexible and nowadays seeks an experiential design that factors in how the structure is used by people.

Social Staircases – an upward design movement

The popularity of social staircases has soared over the past few years. TerraMai image.

One of many ways stairs enhance space and structure is through experiential design. This involves considering how a space will be used by its occupants, leveraging new trends in technology and social interaction to take the user experience to another level. In a commercial context, this means strategically using design elements to evoke an emotional connection and embracing new ways of working, socializing, and recharging. 

In its 2017 Experience Index, the Gensler Research Institute found “the human experience must be the driving force behind every element of a space – from the design of physical space to the qualities of interaction, expectation, and intention.” This takes many different forms, but above all, engagement and emotional connection are the foundation of experiential design. In an office setting, this could include creating spaces that facilitate workflow and optimize emotional and physical employee well-being. This shines through in the creation of the social staircase – a hybrid of a regular, functional staircase and areas for people to sit and chat. 

One of the main ingredients of a staircase, social or otherwise, is the stair step, or stair treads – and how it supports the structure’s function and artistry.    

A step-by-step look at treads

The anatomy of a stair step is made up of risers, nosing, and, of course, treads. 

A riser is the vertical distance from the top of one to the next subsequent tread. Nosing is part of the tread that hangs over the edge of the step. 

And tread is the place where a person’s foot lands when climbing or descending a staircase.   

At TerraMai, we use sustainably harvested wood to bring these elements to natural life by using flooring planks in the tread, nosing, and risers.

Tread nosing options include:

And our tread profiles cover:

Climbing new design heights with TerraMai treads

Tread brings a subtle and transformative tone to staircases and is made all the more beautiful when the materials used are wood. 

TerraMai collaborates with designers to create unique and spectacular stair tread installations. We offer the most diverse range of reclaimed and sustainably-harvested woods in the industry.

Our stair treads can be used for both interior and exterior installations and we are excited to help you make your design vision become a reality. 

Incorporating TerraMai’s tread into your next creation honors the legacy of this sophisticated building feature. You can take that first step here.