San Jose

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This building has been demolished since the survey.

House of three split levels in modernist style with flat roofs, stone faced load-bearing walls and landscaped grounds set on the west side of the Dublin Road. It comprises three units: (1) one-storey central link block incorporating front door, (2) one-storey living block to left, with porte-cochere and room over, and (3) two-storey sleeping and utility block to right.

All roofs are flat with white painted concrete copings.

The single-storey link block incorporates the front door, hall and cloakroom. It has a flat roof with vertical timber sheeted eaves, and concrete brick walls. At right is the main door; this is timber with glazed top and bottom panels. To its left is a two-paned sidelight with an internal wrought metal security grill.

The block to the left of the link block, behind the porte-cochere, is raised on a concrete brick base. It contains the living/dining room with sunroom beyond and kitchen to rear. Walls are plain concrete brick laid in stretcher bond. Living/dining room has large timber window to left elevation and three narrow rectangular full height windows where it adjoins the link block. Sunroom is double glazed (plastic, not recent) and was originally an open porch. Rear kitchen has fixed pane/ louvred timber windows.

A two-storey block projects towards road perpendicular to this block. It has open ends to allow traffic through and an enclosed side of random rubble walling (with openings for access to front garden and for plant containers). At first floor, its walls are of concrete brick. Random rubble chimney to cheek, with concrete coping and copper hood to top. First floor is used as sitting room, and has extensive glazing.

The ground falls to the right from link block to create a two-storey utility/ bedroom block. The ground floor wall is of random rubble with concrete beam between it and concrete-brick ground floor. There are three narrow ceiling height windows between the concrete beam and rubble wall. At extreme right end on ground floor is a broad vertical sheeted panel which continues around corner – this was originally the garage entrance. There are two horizontal rectangular windows to first floor bedrooms, with one fixed panel to right and one louvered panel to left. The end elevation of this block is of plain concrete brick.

The rear elevation of the building is of concrete brick throughout, with doors to kitchen and store. Steps lead down to link and utility blocks; the latter has a boiler room annex with brick chimney attached to main wall of house.

Setting

The house is set into east-facing slope, with drive leading up from main road. Garden consists of a front lawn to the road with two terraced battered random rubble walls. Driveway forms a loop through the port cochere. To the left of the house, a terrace is laid out with a raised viewpoint, large seating area and fountain. Plant beds have random rubble retaining walls.

Historical information

Built 1966 for present owners to design by Mr M.H. Ferguson (Banbridge). Garden designed by Robert Carson, 1968.
Demolished between 1997 and 2003.

Primary Source:

1. Mr Ferguson, original drawings in house.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This building has been demolished since the survey.

An original 1960s split-level house in Modernist style. A classic of its period, with rational layout and simplicity of form. Built to a high specification of materials. Apart from kitchen fittings and enclosing of garage and terrace at back to form conservatory, it is unaltered.

General comments

This building was previously recorded as HB16/13/035