Spiral stairs are a specialized solution to accessing another story or level. Theaters and equipment mezzanines are the main uses for a spiral stair. A residence in need of a little drama is another use. 
Benefits
Besides being aesthetically cool, spiral stairs have some key benefits. They have a very small footprint, rivaling a ship's ladder. Spiral stairs are extremely functional. None of their structure is excess, everything works together. For the architect there is no detailing to do, just a layout and selection of parts from the manufacturer's standards. Finally, spiral stairs are fun to use - at least for a while.

Through-wall roof scuppers are used in two circumstances. The first is for roof drainage where a gutter is ruled out for whatever reasons. The second is a backup system in case roof drains clog to prevent roof water from accumulating excessively and collapsing the roof structure. 
In each case the scupper extends through a parapet to allow roof water to drain either into a conductor head and downspout or simply down the face of the building in the case of overflow scuppers.
Some codes require a secondary roof drain system as backup to the main roof drains. Scuppers may eliminate the need for secondary overflow roof drains. In extremely large roofs, scuppers may not be feasible.
The traditional material for scuppers was copper for its durability. Today it is stainless steel for an equivalent quality without the risk of robbery.

Roof Access is critical in commercial buildings especially if there is mechanical equipment located on the roof (flat roof). The traditional 30"x36" roof hatch and vertical ladder are inadequate. Maintenance of both the roof and the equipment located there require easy and safe access for inspection and bringing tools and filters onto the roof. The taller the building the more necessary this roof access becomes.

A Ship's Ladder and Roof Hatch are the least expensive way to meet this need for maintenance access.

Very High Ladders require require special consideration of OSHA regulations. A cage around the ladder may be required if the rise is more than 20'. 

In terms of Energy Savings, day-lighting is one of the few initiatives that you can take that has a significant impact. These roof monitors allowed sunlight into the 2-story building through vertical south-facing glass, which was then controlled by the calculated placement of baffles so that direct sunlight was never a problem. The monitors were about 15' on a side and sloped down from a 7' high point. There were open areas in the second floor to allow sunlight to reach the first floor.
The glass in the roof monitors faced south to get the maximum amount of sunlight into the building all day long in a way that could be controlled. The monitors allowed that to happen in a way that skylights could not.
This project was built in 1997 by Dutch-owned candy company who had taken on the challenge of becoming sustainable by 2004. (They were bought by an Italian candy company before achieving the goal.)

Exterior Soffits are subject to extremes of temperatures, blowing moisture, and other rough treatment that gives you pause to just use painted drywall. Exterior Insulated Finishing Systems [EIFS] offer several benefits through its ability to withstand most of those issues with only a modest increase in cost. Certainly less cost than the traditional material - cement plaster.

The canopy fascia might be formed of EIFS also. The use of EIFS is very straightforward if you have limited penetrations. The drip edge detail is recommended to avoid discoloration from water running back onto the soffit instead of dripping off the edge. Insulation value is not an issue since the thermal (and security) barrier should be at the wall line of the building.

Utilitarian Stairs are used for fire exits, industrial buildings and and other "backstage" locations. These stairs are almost always steel because of the building's Construction Type or the configuration that the stair must take.  Steel allows for bent stringers, and balusters that will hold up over time. 
The drawings should show a stair cross-section at the very least to establish dimensions of the flights, headroom clearances, support and railing configuration. Additional details should be used to show any aesthetic or quality-related issues. Stairs are normally fabricated by specialty sub-contractors, so for the most utilitarian of stairs the only information that they need are the dimensions. The stair will be truly utilitarian in appearance.
An otherwise utilitarian stair can be made more attractive if attention is given to flooring, railing, and exposed connections. Carpet removes some of the industrial appearance. Replace the standard 4" o.c. pickets with something nicer. Add aluminum hand rails, which do not require maintenance to remain unblemished (finger rings tear up painted steel). Use a drywall soffit on the underside to cover most of the remaining utilitarian aspects.

Many building types could benefit from a dedicated receiving area with a dock. Shipping often entails multiple docks, but almost all buildings receive packages and material deliveries. A dock that can accommodate an over the road truck is the subject here. These drawings show how you might document the truck dock in plan, elevation and section. 

These drawings would need to be supplemented by specifications describing the actual equipment that is intended to be used. 

It is easy to design a truck dock that looks good but doesn't work very well. The manufacturer's representative of a dock equipment fabricator can be invaluable in making decisions that avoid an ineffective design.

A commentary on Truck Dock Design can be found here.

Details of Typical Wall Conditions in drywall construction are a good practice. In some simple projects they may not be required. However, by detailing the conditions, you create a basis for requiring the level of detail that the project should receive. Where fire ratings enter the picture, the plan examiner may insist on details.

These details are suggested to specify any special configuration, construction and materials required for the drywall construction conditions of the project. 

As you collect details of various conditions, it becomes a simple matter to include this information in the drawing set. 

A Pitch Pocket is the last resort for sealing a roof penetration. When you have exhausted every possibility for accommodating a roof penetration in a more fool-proof way, a pitch pocket is the solution. 
A pitch pocket is simply a sheet metal sleeve flashed into the roofing membrane. The penetrating object, say a small angle, penetrates the roof membrane through the sleeve; and the sleeve is filled with a flowable, permanently mastic material to seal around the penetration. Originally this mastic material was wood resin, or pitch; ergo the name.
The reason a pitch pocket is a last resort is that nothing will maintain the seal forever in all types of weather. So you have just created an eventual leak. Yearly maintenance is required to avoid the leak.
The preferred solution is to penetrate the roof with a shape that can be easily flashed. Then transition to the irregular shape above the flashing. Equipment support frames are often done this way. 
Another alternative to a pitch pocket for small items like conduit is a 'Pipe Box'. 

Skylights can have a dramatic impact on the interior of the building. Natural daylight provides interesting light and can reduce the need for other artificial types of lighting.  

A linear skylight requires integration with the structure. In this case roof joists were enclosed by and included into the ceiling design without adding any awkwardness.

The key features of the detail are the:

• structural integration
• roof flashing and counter-flashing
• ceiling configuration and detailing to show off the skylight
• identifying other components of the skylight system

A custom casework reception counter requires details to describe what is required. While striving to accommodate the work flow of the user, it is pointless to make it too customized - people move on.

Not shown here are the ADA counter height and knee space that is required now. See this article for one solution.

The transaction top is shown 14" deep, which is a good size for signing in on visitors' list. Overhanging the front face of the casework a few inches would improve the detail. Also using a work surface height of 30" would be preferred.

The front face of the casework can be any material you like. This counter was curved to fit the space, and limited the choices somewhat.

If the goal of a folding wall is both visual AND sound separation, pay special attention to wall rating, seals and provide a sound barrier above the ceiling. Creating the barrier with drywall, while possible, rarely works as intended. Fixing a sound problem later is often imperfect because it is just too complicated.

Lead sheet is the ideal material for blocking sound because it is dense and flexible for an airtight fit around penetrations and the perimeter of the ceiling plenum. Lead is not a good idea any more for environmental reasons. The material we have used as a replacement is:
SoundBlocker1™  - Reinforced Flexible Sound Barrier
See http://www.gretchken.com/

Avoid duct penetrations and use dampening in ducts that connect to spaces you want to isolate.

Be sure to inspect the work before subcontractor leaves. Test by clapping or loud music to see if it is satisfactory.

Details of Typical Exterior Masonry Conditions are a good practice. In some simple projects they may not be required. However, by detailing the conditions, you create a basis for requiring the level of detail that the project should receive. 

These details are suggested to specify any special configuration, construction and materials required for the conditions required at openings and joints in masonry construction.

The lintel schedule makes sure that someone is responsible for lintels at openings. The joint details address the fundamental condition that concrete block shrinks over time and brick expands over time. This minor movement can create major problems if not addressed during construction.

Details of Typical Wall Intersection Conditions in masonry construction are a good practice. In some simple projects they may not be required. However, by detailing the conditions, you create a basis for requiring the level of detail that the project should receive. 

These details are suggested to specify any special configuration, construction and materials required for the conditions required where gypsum drywall walls or masonry wall intersect with masonry walls. When not properly constructed these joints can deteriorate because of movement.

The critical issues are to keep the walls connected and to finish the joint with sealant, which can tolerate some movement.

Roof Expansion Joints are customary where a new roof abuts an existing building, as in this case, where there is an expansion joint in the building, or where there is a change in plane of the roof. In this last instance an expansion joint is not always required.
Roof Expansion Joints prevent movement from damaging the roof. Movement is almost always the root cause of roof problems. After eliminating chemical incompatibility and physical damage causes, you are left with movement due to gravity, thermal expansion/contraction (of membrane or building), or shrinkage of membrane. 
Some roof membrane types are more susceptible to movement than others. If your project expects a life of more than 40 years, it is prudent to expect that the membrane type will change when re-roofing takes place at some point. 
In the roofing condition shown here, the new building had an EIFS finish that we did not want to flash to, so we tucked the counter-flashing under the EIFS. This tactic could be used to flash into an existing unsuitable surface, too.

Mounting Heights of various fittings and fixtures are a good practice. In some simple projects they may not be required. However, by showing the various conditions, you eliminate any doubt about what is expected.

These mounting heights are suggested to specify any special conditions that the project or codes might require. This approach is far better than including the information in specifications that, unfortunately, are not always available when needed.

As you collect information on various conditions, it becomes a simple matter to include this information in the drawing set.

Exterior Glass Block Walls can be a dramatic addition to a building, but may not work everywhere. Sun and views need to be handled with care. This example is an industrial building where bringing light in through a stairway seemed desirable. Views were ’industrial’ and not a concern.
This glass block wall emphasized the entrance by its size and curvilinear plan. There is a limit to the size of glass block panels. This made it necessary to have intermediate curvilinear beams to carry the block as well as column-backed mullions.
Another feature of glass block that needs care is how it is terminated, which you see below in the details. These requirements are spelled out in the manufacturer’s installation guidelines (see Comments).
Glass block is about the same cost as low rise curtain wall. The ability to curve the wall without segmentation is unique in light transmitting wall materials.