25 Knockagh Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A split level multi-bay International style house, built 1970 to designs by Michael Ferguson, facing south at the east side of Knockagh Road, Jordanstown. The house is built on a slope and consists of a lower entrance storey with cantilevered principal floor over opening onto ground level at north west.

Roof is flat with painted timber fascia, monopitched to central section, covered with single-ply membrane. Construction is load-bearing to end bays, with the central bay constructed on a steel H-frame and cantilevered over the lower storey. Walling is painted smooth render (having incised contrasting banding to left bay and west elevation), part unpainted sand lime brick, with isolated sections of glass brick. All soffits are timber sheeted. Windows are plate glass aluminium framed casements (unless otherwise stated) of various sizes, the majority without glazing divisions.

Principal elevation faces south. Each floor consists of three basic sections, with that to centre breaking forward. The lower storey is recessed with principal entrance contained in a further recess to left of centre. Left section is painted rendered with a square window to lower storey, large picture window to principal floor. Central section is concrete brick to lower storey with horizontal window (square window to left cheek), beneath cantilevered fully glazed bay above. To right of central section lower storey consists of a recessed raised basement, painted black. At left is a recessed patio door opening onto a deck fronted by a sand lime brick parapet dropping to ground level; at right is a rectangular block containing two windows. Entrance consists of an oak sheeted door surmounted by fixed panel, with full height glazing to either side (frames are timber).

West elevation has three openings to each level; lower storey is slightly recessed and contains a timber sheeted service door and two small windows. Principal storey has three equally spaced patio doors opening onto a deck supported on a steel platform with steel supports. The utility entrance block (detailed with north elevation) is recessed to left and has a full height window.

North elevation comprises two projecting geometric bays (having various horizontal and vertical strip windows), separated by a recessed glazed panel and a recessed patio door leading to a further deck; recessed lower storey is blank to left end. Single-storey right end is abutted by a sand lime brick utility block and carport covered by a single flat roof floating on timber sheeted beams. Utility block has a full-height uPVC window to north, full-height glass brick panel and timber sheeted door to left cheek; carport enclosed and roof supported to west side by sand lime brick wall.

East elevation has two windows, one square, one vertical.

Setting

Mature elevated landscaped
setting comprising terraced lawns, mature trees and a river diverted into three connected pools. Single storey rendered outbuilding block with monopitched roof to north east, designed in a similar style as the main house. Entrance is at west with a tarmac drive circumventing the house north and south, accessed from the road via two circular rubble stone faced piers. Panoramic views over Cave Hill and Belfast Lough to south.

Roof: Flat, single ply membrane
Walls: Painted render, sand lime brick
Windows: Aluminium framed
Rainwater goods: Concealed

Historical information

The house was designed in 1969, and built in 1970 by developer Michael Ferguson, a developer without architectural training. Influences are listed as the modernism of Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson.

Cowser (quoted in Crooks, 1996), describes the house as expressive of “the joys of elemental expression, light, space, and International style planning characteristic of its period.”

The oak doors are contemporary with and directly inspired by those which were being inserted in the Ulster Museum extension at the time of construction. The marble fireplace came from a nineteenth century house in Templepatrick, the spiral staircase and marble enclosure from a disused chapel.

There have been minor deviations from the original plan since the house was constructed, including the partial enclosure of original patio areas in the right bedroom wing.

References:

Primary Sources:
1. Original plans, dated 1969

Secondary Sources:
1. Crooks, Linda; Perspective; May/June 1996 (Vol. 4, No. 5), p.42-44
2. Information from owner

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Knockagh Road is a multi-bay International-style modernist house, built in 1970. The house is defined by a cantilevered upper ground floor in bold geometric forms, displaying the use of materials common to this style including white render, sand lime brick and extensive glazing. The house is set in a landscaped rural site and its layout capitalises on panoramic views over Cave Hill and Belfast Lough to east. Internally, the house features an eclectic mix of modern and period detailing. It is a late example of a modern dwelling in rural surroundings, and is representative of a style of architecture uncommon in Northern Ireland. The influence of the work of Noel Campbell can be seen but it is not of the standard of the best examples of this style.