Folding Floor House by Crosshatch Architects

Referencing the saw-tooth silhouette of its neighbour, the distinctive rhythmic façade of Crosshatch Architects’ Folding Floor House complements its urban context while through its form generating a sense of curiosity within.

Incorporating this new build within an established streetscape, one with varied heritage and pre-existing industrial bricked building surrounds, formed the basis for Crosshatch Architect’s formal response to site. Folding Floor House takes its name from its folded roof structure, referencing the saw-tooth roof of a converted slipper factory directly opposite. The reference is then interpreted as a slab folding over the functions and internal zones within. The height of the neighbouring townhouses is also recalled in the same frontage as a nod to proportion, and a common thread of materiality (brick, steel and timber) binds a myriad of styles and their respective times in history.

Folding Floor House takes its name from its folded roof structure, referencing the saw-tooth roof of a converted slipper factory directly opposite.

The height of the neighbouring townhouses is also recalled in the same frontage, as a nod to proportion, and a common thread of materiality (brick, steel and timber) binds a myriad of styles and their respective times in history.

Located in Abbotsford, Melbourne, the home sits on 260 square metres of land, with 220 square metres of internal floor area, emphasising the built form’s maximisation of utility and efficiency within the site. Built by Codbuild, key to the success of the project within such a restricted sized site was encouraging natural sunlight into all levels. As well as acting to reference the surrounding urban context, the roof provides a means to penetrate light and air into the building through the integration of clerestories. Bringing light and ventilation from above is a departure from the traditional vertical positioning of windows, and this non-traditional approach to ventilation and access to the natural light then activates the roof as a living and integral aspect of the build.

As well as acting to reference the surrounding urban context, the roof provides a means to penetrate light and air into the building through the integration of clerestories.

Daylight filters through the clerestory windows above, providing essential access to natural light that would be otherwise restricted.

The external materiality references the building’s predecessors, neighbours and the rich industrial heritage of the area. The combination of strong steel lines defining the folding slab/roof element, together with the timber as the connecting conduit and the brick for the solid base, brings this lineage together with a sense of harmony. There is a sense of rhythm created, which is then punctuated by larger glazed elements at either end of the site. Internally, the effect of the three elements provide a sense of privacy, filtered light and access to otherwise restricted daylight. The utilisation of a classic and timeless sensibility for these internal zones through a muted materiality also allows for the focus to be on the connection to these three essential building elements.

The utilisation of a classic and timeless sensibility for these internal zones through a muted materiality also allows for the focus to be on the connection to these three essential building elements.

Folding Floor House brings together a respect for its context and the site’s history in a way that speaks to a curiosity about form. The bold and translated reference of the roof, cascading across the vertical plane, opening up the internal spaces and then closing again to provide a sense of enclosure, has allowed Crosshatch Architects to incorporate a sense of play into design on a restricted site that would typically result in more rigid and expected response.