Threefold House folds origami-style in its angular London plot

Threefold House garden looking back at the house.

Threefold House was born out of an awkward, landlocked, triangular plot in southwest London, transformed by Knox Bhavan into an eco friendly, new built house with buckets of character - so much so, that it received a RIBA London Award 2023. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

Threefold House by Knox Bhavan

The home's origami-like shapes twist and fold to make the most of the unusually shaped site - a brownfield one formerly occupied by a disused warehouse. A 2.5m-high brick perimeter wall defines the plot boundaries and creates a sense of mystery for the dwelling behind it. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

Nestled in its quiet suburban cul-de-sac in London's Teddington, Threefold House features strong geometries which create opportunities within their niches and layers. Windows are carefully carved out in places, while canopies shelter parts of the garden, and an open plan living space thrives in its angular lines that add dynamism and fun. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

The ground level combines the main living spaces (including pantry, utility room and study) and the principal bedroom. It all opens up seamlessly towards the green garden. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

Upstairs are three guest bedrooms, two bathrooms and a double height flexible space that can be an informal family area, or an added accommodation room if partitioned off. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

The lightweight steel frame home features an engineered concrete slab with a timber-framed volume upper. Natural light and ventilation support the home's sustainable architecture efforts. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

'This development illustrates how a redundant and challenging odd-shaped brownfield site can be put back into good use. It is an elegantly designed, robust, low-energy dwelling and despite being designed six years ago, it is performing to meet current environmental targets,' says KnoxBhavan director Simon Knox, who heads the studio with partner Sasha Bhavan. 

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

'We applied KBe analysis, a carbon calculator system the practice has developed for benchmarking all our projects, and we were impressed by the results. The project meets the 2025 operational carbon benchmarks set by the RIBA and goes beyond the 2030 benchmark for embodied carbon. It is a project we can learn from to continue to reduce our carbon footprint as a practice.'

(Image credit: Edmund Sumner)

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