61 Dhu Varren

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Dramatic flat roofed building in the modern style located at the top of a rise over looking the sea and coast road to the western edge of Portrush. The building has an ‘L’ shaped plan with the top of the ‘L’ cantilevering out 4 metres towards the view and the base dropping into the back of the hill to become a two storey entrance block. The building has a concrete frame exposed on the main north and east sides (the inside of the ‘L’) in-filled by timber panelling or glass. It appears to rest on massive sandstone retaining works, which are also used as an enclosure for a raised garden and the eastern gable of the building.

The building is entered from the south at the head of the entrance drive connecting to a cul-de-sac. The elevation is enclosed and formal. At the eastern end the 150mm depth of the stone gable projects. Adjacent, the garage door is horizontal timber sheeting. Separated by a small concrete column is the entrance door with larger side window. Both are in timber and glazed with a singe central rail. The group of doors are surrounded by a small projecting concrete canopy, currently painted mustard. Above this group at first floor a range of vertical timber sheeting aligning with the garage, a large window aligns with the entrance door and sidelight. Above, clerestory windows run the length of the group, those aligning with the garage have mullions closer together. To the west of the elevation is smooth plastered and painted white. The ground steps up to first floor level and a set of concrete steps is provided with a simple metal rail. A long row of windows, the same depth as the clerstory but dropped in similar depth from the roof to align with their base, runs along this part of the façade at first floor. These light the kitchen behind. At the top of the steps a small projection of 2m houses a timber sheeted exit door from the kitchen. It has a sandstone rubble end wall facing south without any openings. Unlike the east gable, the flat roof with 350mm deep timber fascia projects over this wall.

The west elevation is single storey and mainly plastered. Low key timber framed windows light bedrooms along the southern end of the elevation. Towards the sea as the ground falls way and the building becomes cantilevered, the concrete frame is exposed at the base of the floor with the deep white fascia providing a matching horizontal at the top. Between, the building is clad in vertical timber sheeting. On this elevation before the cantilever begins however, a full height window projects at an angle away from the building and north west of the view. It also has a concrete base with fascia and timber sides.

The cantilever is expressed by two large concrete, ‘angel brackets’, which are equally spaced under the width of the projecting room. The ground is cut back and clad in sandstone to a height of approximately one metre. The top of the retaining wall aligns with the surrounding grass. The brackets project into the ground as well as extending 4 metres under the room. They taper along their length. The room above projects a further metre. On the seaward elevation the full width and height of the room above is glazed. (Three windows wide with a thin horizontal rail at balustrade height) To the east the side of the room is clad in vertical timber boarding and as already described from the west. A vertical concrete column separates this treatment from two bays of glazing in the same position moving toward the corner of the ‘L’. This glazing is divided into three panes at clerestory level over each large bay of glass. The clerestory is narrower than that described on the front elevation as vertical timber boarding 200mm deep separates the glass from the fascia above. In the corner of the ‘L’ on this same eastern elevation, is an abstract composition in colourful tiles also located between concrete base and fascia. This overlooks a linear pond which runs down part of the north façade. The pond is currently empty.

On the north façade the concrete frame returns with glazing as already described overlooking the pond. The clerstory in this section is completely sheeted in vertical timber. At the eastern end the building projects toward the view by 2m enclosing the eastern end of the pond. The projection is clad in stone which is forms a base across a large glazed window facing north for the full width of the remaining façade, as the ground drops away. This again stretches from floor to ceiling through it is clad in vertical timber boarding to balustrade level.

On the eastern gable the wall is clad in stone with the wall angling back at first floor to reveal the side of the window described above. At ground level three square concrete lined windows are punched through to the garage. A low chimney tops the gable with an oddly chosen Victorian pot.

Historical information

Building built in 1958-59 by architect Noel Campbell and originally known as the Rainey House. It has been largely unaltered since the time of construction. It is the most dramatic of a number of modern houses designed by Campbell during this period while working as County Londonderry Education Architect. Also listed are the ‘Smith House’ Strand Road Port Stewart (1958) and the’ Lee House’ or ‘Scandia’ at Brocklamont Park Ballymena (1959-60). The pallet of materials used on this building can be found in many of the schools designed by the architect particularly Faughan Valley High School in Drumahoe near Londonderry built in 1955-59.

References

Primary Sources
1. O.S. map 1972 Co Londonderry Sheet 1

Secondary Sources
1. Paul Larmour. Style Master: the work of architect Noel Campbell. pp19-31 Perspective The Journal of the Royal Society Of Ulster Architects July/ August 1997.
2. Long before his time: Architect Noel Campbell. pp24-29 Ulster Homes Autumn 2001

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A dramatic example of mid twentieth century modernist house design, which distils many of the themes of the period (truth to materials, form follows function, expressive structure, flat linear forms) and uses them to create a building of great strength and presence. Innovating by using a cantilever, the building is largely unaltered and has a setting that is an integral part of the design. It is the work of one of the foremost Ulster architects of the period and is of national interest to Northern Ireland as a good local example of the type. Only the most outstanding buildings from this period merit listing however.