threestorey

Three-storey is an architectural term describing a building with three floors above ground level. In British, Irish, Australian, and many other Commonwealth usages the spelling storey is standard; in American English the term is usually written story. The hyphenated form three-storey is common when used as an adjective, as in three-storey housing.

Three-storey buildings are a common form of urban housing, especially in dense cities. They often take the shape of terraced houses or townhouses, with a shop or entrance on the ground floor and two upper living floors. Some examples are free-standing three-storey houses, or mixed-use blocks with commercial space on the street level.

Each storey is separated by floor slabs and ceilings, and construction methods vary by era and region. Typical floor-to-floor heights range from about 2.4 to 3.0 meters. Internal layouts commonly place a staircase in a central or side location, with bedrooms and private rooms on the upper floors and living spaces on the ground or first floor. Modern three-storey buildings may use concrete frames, masonry, or timber-framed structures, with fire safety and energy efficiency aligned to current codes.

Regional variations influence plan and appearance. In the United Kingdom, many three-storey terraces from the Victorian and early Edwardian periods remain a characteristic urban form; in Hong Kong, compact three-storey walk-ups maximize density; in continental Europe, three-storey houses often appear as villas or row houses with shared walls. Contemporary examples include three-storey apartment blocks or retail-residential mixtures.

Notes: The term refers to height rather than the number of habitable levels; spelling differences reflect broader regional conventions.