Twofold House

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Project Information

New-Build House and Studio, London
Client: Private

Design and Construction: Cassion Castle Architects

 

The house is located on a very constrained site in East London. The clients - two industrial designers - required a place to live and work which could offer a sanctuary to escape the bustling city. The building is designed to minimise views out so as to create a sense of shelter from the outside world. The studio and living spaces are arranged as two interlocking L-shaped forms. Bound on three sides by two-storey party walls, from the street the building is expressed as a foreign object ‘wedged’ into the existing terrace, providing a bold counterpoint to the dishevelled alleyway. This street elevation is expressed as two forms: an elegant double height glass box filtering light into the interior; and a robust anti fly poster painted ground floor entrance way, set back to create a threshold onto the alley. The interiors of the studio and house are crystalline white, providing a blank canvas for the interplay of light and shadow.

Site constraints made the construction process difficult. Cassion Castle Architect's dual role as architect and contractor meant that the project could be delivered on time and on budget.

The house was short-listed at the RIBA awards and Grand Designs Awards 2009 for Best New-Build.