Threefold Architects’ terrific transformation of a London terraced house
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nAkYMptnvyHgd4Anppb2a4-415-80.jpg)
When enlisted for the interior overhaul of a terraced four-storey property in the heart of London’s Redchurch Street conservation area, Threefold Architects knew they had a challenge in their hands, describing the original space as ‘crowded and claustrophobic’. The result was Fissure House, a bright and open family home, which takes its name from the dramatic vertical void (or ‘fissure’) that runs internally along one side of the property.
Previously inhabited by a photographer, the old structure’s interior was cramped and closed off, with no external access. The new owners, a small family, tasked the architects with transforming it into a highly functional, bright and contemporary living space. Threefold duly obliged, completely reworking the structural and architectural program of the home to create an open and sunlit interior, equipped with terraces on three of its four levels.
The house’s defining feature is none other than the aforementioned void. The vertical element greets guests when they enter the property and sets the tone for the whole project. Light floods in via little glass panels scattered on the higher floors, which also provides little viewing windows that provides sneak peeks of visitors as they climb though the building's social spaces.
Take an interactive tour of Fissure House
The master bedroom, main bathroom and a slightly smaller secondary bedroom sit on the ground floor, shielded from the street by a frosted glass panel that ensures privacy for the residents. Living spaces are spread across the floors above.
The architect’s choice to flip the conventional residential program on its head allowed them to play with the interior arrangement more. For example, there is an influx of light via the home’s series of staggered interior balconies, which were created by cutting back each of the floor plates on the upper levels. On the first floor the kitchen and dining area can be found, while the second level houses the livingroom and the third and final floor is a cosy office space.
Architects and clients worked together on the interior atmosphere, opting for details that remain sensitive to the site’s heritage, such as exposed brick, locally sourced brass fixtures and custom joinery composed from Valchromat – a material similar to MDF, but coloured through, so that it allows for flawless milled detailing in the bespoke cabinetry.
A series of staggered interior balconies allow for an influx of light in all the rooms, as well as for welcome visual connections between the house’s social areas
The architects and the clients worked together to envision the interior atmosphere, opting for details that remain sensitive to the property’s historical context
Locally sourced brass fixtures are featured throughout, along with custom joinery composed from Valchromat, a material similar to MDF
Threefold completely reworked the structural and architectural program of the home to create an open, bright and spacious living area with a terrace on each of its upper levels
The first floor is home to the kitchen and dining area, the second level houses the property’s living space and the top floor, pictured, is a cosy office space
INFORMATION
For further information, visit Threefold Architects’ website
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Drama Republic moves into a colourful, handcrafted workspace in London
For the new creative HQ of production company Drama Republic, Emil Eve Architects remodels a warehouse into office space in London’s Holborn
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Hideaway House in London features timber panelling inspired by the New York hospitality scene
The elegantly refurbished Hideaway House by Studio McW in London features timber panelling inspired by Philip Johnson’s The Four Seasons Restaurant
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
An Uxbridge annexe by Bureau de Change is a design for effortless intergenerational living
Uxbridge Bower, a residential annexe in west London, is a contemporary addition offering both privacy and connection for the needs of a family
By Tianna Williams Published
-
‘Modern Buildings’ tours south-east London through a guide to post-war Blackheath and Greenwich
‘Modern Buildings: Blackheath and Greenwich’ is a detailed survey of a London borough’s rich trove of new modernist architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Triangle House invites you to its inner world of colourful surprises
Triangle House by Artefact is a private home in Epsom, outside London, combining Caribbean style, colour and functionality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Tour the refreshed Saint Andrew Holborn: an icon reveals its crisp new interior in London
DaeWha Kang reimagines Saint Andrew Holborn church through a sensitive architectural solution that blends tradition and modernity in London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Suffolk house by Studio Bark pairs a fresh visual language with low-energy design
Suffolk house Water Farm is off-the-grid but defiantly on the map, a bold new object in the landscape with a strong visual impact and minimal carbon footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published