fragments in time

‘Fragments in Time House’ (FIT House) is a project that embodies three distinct moments: the distant past, the recent past, and the present.

When first approached in 2017, the brief was straightforward - design a four-bedroom home on the site. Yet rather than responding literally, Liam developed the idea of Fragments in Time: a concept that re-imagined the brief as an architectural narrative, one that could fuse memory, context, and contemporary living into a single form.

These fragments were drawn from three sources: the earliest buildings of the village, the 1966 extant planning consent, and the client’s ambition for a new home. The design sought to integrate these layers while ensuring the building settled gracefully into its surroundings.

Though relatively large, the house respects its setting - sitting between the neighbouring village hall (with which it shares a boundary) and the gardens, street, and common land to the north, west, and east. It has presence, but not dominance.

To bring this vision to life, Liam worked closely with Shane, who ensured that the technical and detailed design was a direct translation of Liam’s conceptual ideas. Together, the collaboration maintained the integrity of the Fragments in Time concept while resolving the building’s practical and constructional demands.

The client’s commitment to community and sustainability further shaped the making of the house. Local trades, suppliers, and craftspeople played a central role - the kitchen was built in Lewes, while much of the interior was hand-made by the client. Alongside this craft ethos, the house is also a sustainable tour de force: a fabric-first approach and ground-source heat pumps ensure minimal operational energy use and long-term resilience.

On returning to FIT House - often in the company of the client, now a friend - Liam is reminded of why the “Fragments in Time” idea resonated: the views shift like veils, as if one is looking through the mists of memory. This is a house where art and technology come together, and where architecture becomes not just shelter, but an expression of time itself.