18 Greencastle Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Single story post-WW2 International modern house in mature grounds on north side of Greencastle Road. House is long and low with a three legged radial plan, one running ENE, another aligned SW, and a later addition to rear aligned NW. The (roughly) south-facing elevations of the SW and ENE wings form the front elevation.

Pitched concrete pantiled roof to each leg, all radiating from a brick pier (triangular in plan) which rises above ridge level. This pier has a flat roof and has plain timber eaves. To rear on its top is a single chimney pot. Its rear face is dashed and has a ventilator grill. To the front and right elevation of the house, abutting at eaves level of the pitched roof, is a flat copper roof (approximately 1m in depth) which has plain timber eaves board which incorporates the gutter; with down pipes falling from within its painted plywood soffit.

Front entrance is to right end of façade of ENE wing. It consists of an open pergola porch, which abuts the whole right side. Its roof has a grid of painted timber supported on three painted iron posts (circular in section). Its left end rests on a stained sheeted timber feature wall which advances from within the house below the flat roof. The door is set at left in pergola and is fully glazed with an original letterbox and doorbell, and a sidelight to left. To its right, continuing below the pergola is a brick feature wall with trellis and creeper attached.

The left side of the ENE wing contains four large fixed painted timber picture windows which rise to eaves and have a shared cill. The wall below is clad in timber shingles. To extreme left is the centre brick pier and to its left is the façade of the SW wing.

The SW wing has, on its south elevation, a red brick pier to left end. Its full length has thirteen equally spaced rectangular windows which rise to eaves level. The right three windows are almost square, with high common cill; the remaining windows are twice the height. The first, fourth, seventh and tenth of these has a square top hung transom in line with the cill level of the three right windows. The wall below their shared concrete cills (cast insitu) is timber shingled.

The end gable of the SW leg is red brick and blank.

The end gable of the ENE wing is painted wet dash with a timber bargeboard. At left is an advanced bay window. Its flat copper roof is a wrap around from that to the façade and it has two fixed picture windows on its face and one to its right cheek. Wall below is timber shingled.

The rear wall of the ENE leg is painted wet dash. At left is a varnished timber door with original decorative panelling. To its right is a pair of two paned casements within a single opening and sharing a common concrete cill. Remaining wall to right has a continuous run of six high rectangular timber windows with a common cast-in situ cill. Advancing to right is the NW (rear) leg. This NW wing is a later one-storey addition (1970s). It is undistinguished in terms of architectural design and use of materials and of no special interest.

The rear wall of the SW wing is glazed full height and lights an internal corridor.

Planted garden to front.

Historical information

Built c.1960 for Mr Annett, a local businessman who called it 'Falling Leaves'. Architect was Mr Kenneth Kenmuir who had offices in Belfast and Donaghadee. Building and site cost Mr Annett approximately £8000.

Primary Sources:
1. Mr Annett (former occupant).
2. Current occupant (1998)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An interesting building in a secluded setting. Typical of post-war one-off houses in the international modern style. Retains all external fabric