I realized I should clarify a few things. The attic will be unfinished in the rebuild, but we have emphasized that we'd like to finish the attic in the future when funds allow and therefore requested a real stairway instead of a pull down and collar ties that will allow for minimum ceiling height requirements. This must be why architect is concerned (but I will verify with him). Our laundry room is on 2nd floor off the main hall that leads to stairs to first floor. Perhaps the code requirement of terminating stairs at an Exit pathway or public way means that the laundry room cannot have a door that separates it from the hallway? In other words, perhaps if the laundry didn't have a door it would be considered an extension or branch of the main hall? Of course, a doorless laundry room would be problematic with my messy ways... :)

Could you leave the door off until after inspection? Then put it in?

Am in a very similar situation and found my village building inspector very, very helpful. He knows well similar buildings, and was able to identify what needed to be changed, suggestions for changes, and what could be grandfathered.

Perhaps the stairs could be positioned at the end of this laundry space so the hall could do a 90ð turn outside of the laundry room? That wouldn't be very good for getting furniture up the stairs, but neither would having to bring it in through a laundry area.

Sounds like the upstairs needs to be redesigned with something giving here. Like maybe the upstairs laundry room? A stacked set in a shared bath might work better than dedicating an entire room to the laundry, even if it's a small room. Post your plan for suggestions!

If you show us the plan we might find a way to locate the stair better. What will be upstairs? I've used an "alternating tread" stair that is a cross between a stair and a ladder and is code compliant.

For a single family house building codes are vague about egress paths. Here is all the 2009 IRC has to say about it:

SECTION R311 MEANS OF EGRESS
R311.1 Means of egress. All dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress as provided in this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the exterior of the dwelling at the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage.

Thank you all so much! Renovator8, thank you for posting this cite. I think I was looking through the 2009 IBC instead, which has stricter requirements. I'm so glad you pointed this cite out, because you're right, the IBC does not apply to detached single family houses, the IRC does. I'll point this out to my architect (nicely) and see if we can confirm that a continuous and unobstructed patch of egress does not necessarily have to be a separate, dedicated hallway.

Are you planning on putting a bedroom in the attic? That might make a difference.

In some jurisdictions the IBC will be used for special issues that are not addressed by the IBC but it is up to the building official to determine when that is the case.