Scissor section flat

When used in high rise tower blocks, the scissor arrangement also makes the lift installation cheaper as a landing is only required every three levels.

This sits the storey level above the entrance corridor on the interior of the building, so these rooms have no natural light or ventilation.

This design builds upon - but subtly differs from - the dual aspect arrangement of interlocking flats pioneered by Le Corbusier in the Unité d'habitation in Marseilles (and developed in London council housing designs such as Lakanal House) by arranging the rooms so that all the living accommodation is on one side of the block and all the bedroom accommodation on the other, minimising noise disruption between neighbours.

The scissor section flat was developed by David Gregory-Jones and his team at LCC Architects department in 1956-57,[1] with details of the design approach published in a technical article in 1962.

[3] The scissor section design was also used extensively outside London; in Glasgow, tower blocks at Tarfside, Hutchesontown "B", Ibroxholm, Shawbridge and Woodside also employed the configuration.

A view of Perronet House , London showing the distinctive 'half floor' arrangement between the internal walkways (shown by the end windows) and the accommodation floors (shown by the side windows)
The diagram shows how two scissor flats interact. The red flat is a 'down' flat - where you enter from the top entrance corridor, down stairs to living area, down to the bathroom area, down to the bedroom area and down to an emergency exit to the lower corridor. The blue flat is an 'up' flat with this arrangement in reverse.