Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A multi- storey, Modernist, higher education institute designed c. 1960 and opened 7th May 1965. The building consists of a 2-storey glazed entrance link and attached lecture theatre block, an 11- storey tower building (the Tower block) and a 3-storey square courtyard building (the Lab block). The Tower and Lab block are connected via a 2-storey glazed link at ground and first floor levels.

Located at the junction of Stranmillis Road and Chlorine Gardens, the ground level falls steeply to the W. The building is entered from Stranmillis Road on the E, via a first floor level glazed Entrance link. There are also secondary accesses on the N elevations of the Tower and Lab blocks, at ground level. There is a large retaining wall and sunken courtyard with carpark, along the boundary to Stranmillis Road.

The building is located within an area of mixed, 19th-century, red-brick, residential and commercial buildings, 0.5 km S of the Lanyon Building, Queen’s University Belfast, (HB26.27.005). It is situated within a small cluster of higher education buildings, including the David Keir Building, (HB26.17.072), on the adjacent site to N and the new School of Biological Sciences (currently under construction), on the former site of the Science library in Chlorine Gardens.

Entrance link and lecture theatre block (1 &2)

Materials:

Roof: Flat roofed in bituminous or single ply membrane
RWG: Concealed possibly cast metal or uPVC.
Walls: In-situ reinforced concrete-ribbed pattern /replacement powder coated aluminium glazing - double glazed
Windows: Powder coated aluminium double glazed (replacement)

Front elevation (E)

On Stranmillis Road there is an entrance screen on the right with a cantilevered flat roof and a large ribbed in-situ concrete façade on the left (lecture theatre). The entrance screen has brown/black powder coated aluminium sliding double doors and full height glazed panels. The roof has a plain deep fascia painted white with white powder coated aluminium to the parapet and galvanized metal tube safety railings to the roof perimeter. The soffit of the entrance screen consists of smooth painted fibreboard panels with circular recessed light fittings. There is metal lettering attached to the entrance fascia reading ‘Ashby Building’. The wall of the lecture theatre block consists of a blank ribbed in-situ concrete wall with horizontal recesses dividing the façade into 4 similarly sized sections. It has a similar parapet and safety railings to the entrance screen roof.

Rear elevation (W)

The rear wall of the lecture theatre block consists of a blank ribbed in-situ concrete wall with horizontal recesses dividing the façade into 4 similarly sized sections. There is a horizontal rectangular strip opening with louvers at the upper section and two small horizontal window openings at the upper ground floor section. At ground level there is a large recessed panel to the right containing louvered panels and doors. To the right of this a natural stone wall which extends beyond the building into the sloped landscaping adjacent. A new natural stone wall has been erected at right angles to this, in recent years, to screen a lean-to shed. To the left are 3 no. equally sized square window openings. It has the same parapet and safety railings as the other elevations.

Side elevation (N)

The side of the glazed Entrance link consists of 2 no. stories of floor to ceiling windows extending the entire length of the link. They have a continuous horizontal in-situ concrete band at floor and roof level. The windows have transoms at every column and on the mid-points of every column. Windows are metal framed with double glazing(Replacement). It has the same parapet and safety railings as the other elevations.

Side elevation (S)

To the S the theatre block abuts the central section of the Entrance link. There is a short gap between the E wall of the theatre block and the Stranmillis Road boundary, where the in-situ concrete floor of the Entrance link forms a bridge over the courtyard below. The bridge is supported on 2 no. in-situ concrete, circular, multi-faceted structural columns, painted white. The under croft below the bridge is treated in concrete paviors; Ramped to the S the paviors continue around the boundary of the theatre block. To the left-hand side of the theatre block on both levels the glazed link consists of floor to ceiling windows with a continuous horizontal in-situ concrete band at floor and roof level. The windows are the same as the N elevation. It has the same parapet and safety railings as the other elevations.

The S façade of the lecture theatre block has a ribbed in-situ concrete wall with horizontal recesses dividing the façade into 4 similarly sized sections. On the far left hand-side at the upper section there is a vertical strip opening with louvers. It has the same parapet and safety railings as the other elevations.

Tower Block (3)

Roof: Flat roofed in bituminous or single ply membrane
RWG: Concealed possibly cast metal or uPVC.
Walls: In-situ reinforced concrete-ribbed pattern / In-situ reinforced concrete-diamond formation pattern/ powder coated aluminium curtain walling - double glazed (replacement)
Windows: Powder coated aluminium double glazed(replacement)

Front elevation (E)

To the right is a large 10-storey façade consisting of continuous, horizontal bands of windows (19 no. window openings per floor). There are deep, continuous, horizontal bands of in-situ concrete at each floor and ceiling level. Each of the windows is subdivided by a narrow continuous concrete pilaster which runs for the entire height of the façade, from parapet to the first floor plinth. Windows are square headed in a landscape profile and are powder coated aluminium, double glazed (replacement). The façade changes at ground level where the wall is recessed behind 7 no. large in-situ concrete, circular, multi-faceted structural columns, painted white. The wall surface at this level is faced in square granite panels. There is a series of ‘arrow slit’ openings with powder coated aluminium windows and there are 2 no. large louvered openings to the left. To the right corner at ground level is a full height glazed screen.
To the left of the 10-storey façade of windows is a vertical band of curtain walling extending from first floor level to roof. It encloses the main staircore and has powder coated aluminium frame and double glazing(replacement). At first and ground floor level the glazed Entrance link abuts the tower block. To the left of the curtain wall is a large panel of diamond formation patterned, in-situ concrete extending the full length of the tower. The roof has a slim concrete coping to the parapet and there are galvanized metal tube safety railings to the roof perimeter. There is a large, rectangular, flat-roofed plant building on the eleventh floor, at roof level. It is single storey with a 2-storey tower and is constructed in ribbed in-situ concrete and has the same roof perimeter and railings.

Rear elevation (W)
To the right corner is a large panel of diamond formation patterned in-situ concrete extending the full length of the tower. To the left corner is a large panel of in-situ concrete with exposed shuttering (Breton brut). It has horizontal recesses at regular intervals extending the full length of the tower. The main section of the tower consists of a large 10-storey façade consisting of continuous horizontal bands of windows and concrete walling similar to the front (E) façade with 20 no. window openings per floor. This façade also stops at first floor level; At ground level the wall is recessed behind in-situ concrete circular columns and faced in square granite panels, similar to E elevation. There are horizontal openings centred between the columns with pc aluminium windows. A two-storey glazed link connecting the Tower Block to the Lab Block abuts the W elevation at first and ground floor level. The roof and safety railings are the same as the E elevation.

Side elevation (N)
To the right is a large vertical band of curtain walling extending from ground to roof level, which extends over half the width of the elevation. It encloses the second staircore and has powder coated aluminium frame and double glazing. The glazing is sub-divided into regular square sections of fixed glazing and the far left sections are louvered at the floor levels. To the left corner is a large vertical panel of diamond formation patterned, in-situ concrete extending from first floor level to roof level. Ground level beneath the concrete panel is enclosed in curtain walling tied in with the remainder of the façade. The roof and safety railings are the same as the E elevation.

Side elevation (S)

The S elevation is an 11-storey façade consisting of continuous horizontal bands of windows, similar to the E and W facades with 5 no. window openings per floor. At ground level the glazing extends full floor height and has louvered infill panels at the bottom. The roof and safety railings are the same as the E elevation.

Lab Block (4)

Materials:

Roof: Flat roofed in bituminous or single ply membrane
RWG: Concealed possibly cast metal or uPVC.
Walls: In-situ reinforced concrete- ribbed
Windows: Powder coated aluminium double glazed (replacement)

Front elevation (E)

The E elevation consists of 2 no. continuous, horizontal bands of ‘strip’ windows at ground and first floor level and a deep, continuous, horizontal band of ribbed in-situ concrete at first floor level. A 2-storey glazed link connecting the Lab Block to the Tower Block abuts the façade on the right-hand side. There is a large overhanging flat roof with deep fascia at roof level. Windows are subdivided with narrow vertical infill panels. At first floor level the windows are divided into regular sections by transoms; Windows generally alternate between fixed pane windows and windows subdivided horizontally into 3, with opening sections. At ground level to the left of the glazed link the windows are deeper with some infill panels at the centre. There is a full height metal roller door in the centre and a set of glazed double doors to the left. To the right of the glazed link the façade is similar to the W elevation. The roof has a slim concrete coping to parapet and there are galvanized metal tube safety railings to roof perimeter. There are a collection of plant buildings at roof level. These include a square plan, flat-roofed building constructed in ribbed in-situ concrete with the same roof perimeter and railings as the main building. There is also a large drum and tall, circular flue constructed in shuttered concrete, painted white.

Rear elevation (W)

The W elevation consists of 2 no. continuous, horizontal bands of ‘strip’ windows at ground and first floor level and 2 no. deep, continuous, horizontal bands of ribbed in-situ concrete at floor and ceiling levels. The roof and first floor level windows are the same as the E elevation. At ground level the windows are clerestory, with some louvered infill panels at high level and small, horizontal window openings at lower level. The roof has a slim concrete coping to parapet and there are galvanized metal tube safety railings to roof perimeter.

Side elevation (N)

The N elevation consists of a band of horizontal ‘strip’ windows at first floor level with a horizontal band of ribbed in-situ concrete below. First floor windows and roof are detailed the same as the other elevations. At ground level, to the left, is a band of clerestory windows and a section of full height windows with some infill panels at the centre, similar to those on the E elevation. In the centre there is a large, square-headed opening, providing vehicular access to the courtyard. To the right of the entry is a glazed screen, enclosing the stairwell with a set of glazed, double doors. To the right-hand corner is another section of clerestory glazing. There is a stairwell leading to the basement with some clerestory glazing.

Side elevation (S)

The S elevation is similar to the W elevation. There is a stairwell leading to the basement with some clerestory glazing.

Courtyard elevations (N, S, E & W)

The courtyard elevations are similar to the external elevations. They generally have continuous bands of horizontal ‘strip’ windows and ribbed in-situ concrete on two levels. Windows are a combination of larger horizontal strips of glazing, servicing labs and smaller horizontal strips of windows lighting the corridors. There is a continuous, horizontal ventilation grille at first floor level, along 3 sides of the courtyard. At ground level there are a number of large openings, with roller shutters, to service lab areas.

The site is enclosed along Stranmillis and in the SE corner by original, painted steel railings. They consist of slim, rectangular section uprights, on horizontal rails. They are supported by posts, mounted on a low, concrete wall. There is a gap in the railings at the main entrance on Stranmillis Road and the entrance area is paved in granite flags. The site is enclosed to E and W by a large, in-situ concrete, retaining wall and there is a lower level courtyard with car park facing the Tower block to E. The hardstanding around the site is generally tarmacadam with some concrete paving, in the lower courtyard around the Tower block. There are in-situ concrete, raised planters incorporated into the hard landscaping around the buildings. There is a bank of soft landscaping S of the Entrance link and Lecture theatre block, with lawned area and mature trees; There is a raised carpark area directly adjacent to this on the W. There is an original, small, plant building attached to the W retaining wall. It is square plan with in-situ, ribbed, concrete walls and a circular, concrete drum to the roof.

Historical information

The inter-war era witnessed the expansion of the Queen’s University campus beyond the immediate confines of the original 1840s college building, with the construction of the Faculty of Agriculture in Elmwood Avenue in 1926-28, and the commencement of the Whitla Hall in 1939. With the opening up of further education ‘for all’ in the post-war period this enlargement accelerated. The Whitla Hall, postponed during the hostilities, was completed in 1949, and in the same year work the new Geology premises in Elmwood began. The latter was completed in 1954, by which date the University had acquired a large swathe of land between the Malone and Stranmillis Roads and (in conjunction with Belfast Corporation) had begun the construction of what was to become its largest building project to date, the David Keir Building, for the Faculty of Applied Sciences. This was opened in 1959 and within a year a similarly grand scheme on the plot to the immediate south was under way.

This was the Ashby Institute (now simply the ‘Ashby Building’). Like the Keir, it was initiated by the Joint Authority for Higher Technological Studies, a partnership between the University and Belfast Corporation, and was intended to cater for the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mathematics. A £2.5 million project, with F.B. McKee & Co. of Shore Road, Belfast, acting as main contractor, work on the complex took five years, and it was officially opened on 7th May 1965 by Sir Eric Ashby, (Vice Chancellor of QUB 1950-59 and later Chancellor 1970-83 – after whom the Institute was named). It marked an end to fifteen years of almost constant disruption on the site, after which the University marked the occasion by holding a reception in the new premises for the local residents, who were ‘thanked for their forebearance during building operations’.

Conceived by Manchester architects Cruickshank & Seward with W.A. Gibbon the overseeing partner, the Modernist ‘educational palace’ was in complete contrast to the somewhat outmoded 1930s-like aesthetic of the neighbouring Keir, consisting of three diverse sections – a tall eleven-storey office / classroom tower, a large, but much lower profile, two-storey laboratory quadrangle and a cuboid double-height lecture theatre, all linked by low, two-level glazed walkways. Gibbon, writing just before the opening described the components as, ‘All…constructed of reinforced concrete, which is used as an architectural as well as a structural medium, that is, no attempt has been made to cover the frame and walls with veneers of other material, but the natural qualities of the concrete have been given free expression. Patterning of the surfaces has been effected in various ways, including the modelling of the unbroken wall surfaces of the tower in a diamond formation. Perhaps most important of all has been the use of concrete made from locally [Glenarm] quarried limestone and white cement, producing brilliant white surfaces which reflect every change of light. White concrete alone would, nevertheless, be austere, and hence a warmth of tone has been added to the facades by employing hardwood for the window frames, ventilation louvers and the soffits of the Machine Laboratory roof. The colour of these plays an important part aesthetically. Further relief is provided by the Mourne granite panels which face the ground floor walls of the tower.’

Regarding the internal layout, he explained that, ‘In a world where the total scientific knowledge is doubling every 15 years, a building designed for scientific research and teaching must, almost above all else, offer opportunities for change. If it imposes a rigidity, either in its layout or pattern of services, it will inhibit development and experiment and be outdated almost as soon as it is completed. The Ashby Institute recognises this, and provides in its design for frequent and quite radical variations of internal layout and programmes of work. Not only can partition walls be moved to new positions, but the services can readily be re-routed or augmented and brought to any point.’

As to the surrounding space, the low-level nature of the site, (a consequence of centuries of excavation of the ‘old sandpit’ which previously occupied the plot), allowed the grounds around the complex to be remodelled as a sunken garden, the soft greenery acting as an effective contrast to the hard brightness of the structures themselves.

These grounds have witnessed most change over the years, much of their original extent having been given over for car-parking space, whilst the suburban aspect of Cloreen Park to the western side has disappeared entirely, with the building of the two large brick blocks belonging to the Northern Ireland Technology Centre (1989) and Queen’s Sonic Arts Research Centre (2004). Externally, the Ashby itself has witnessed little alteration, but was subject to a major £26m refurbishment between 2010 and 2013, overseen by Kennedy FitzGerald Architects. This was carried out in three stages, the first (2010) involving work to lower floors and the replacement plant room, the second (2011-12) witnessing the renovation of the 5th and 7th – 9th floors, and the final phase, comprising the refurbishment of the 1st – 4th and 6th floors, was completed in April 2013.

References – Primary sources
1 ‘Belfast News-Letter’, 7 May 1965
2 ‘Architects Journal’, 10 November 1965
3 ‘The Builder’, 19 November 1965

Secondary sources
1 Brian Walker and Alf McCreary, ‘Degrees of Excellence – The story of Queen’s, Belfast 1845-1995’, (Belfast, 1994), pp.100-01, 111-15
2 David Evans and Paul Larmour, ‘Queen’s an Architectural legacy’, (Belfast, 1995), pp.46-7
3 David Evans et al, ‘Modern Ulster Architecture’, (Belfast, 2006), pp.56-9

Online
references
1 http://www.futurebelfast.com/property/ashby-building/ [accessed 2017.11.06]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
F. Structural System
G. Innovatory Qualities
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

A Modernist, university building, erected 1961-65 to designs by Cruikshank and Seward. Comprising three distinct elements connected by glazed link buildings, including a tower block, a low level courtyard building and a 2-storey lecture theatre block, the building is uncompromisingly Modernist in style. The Tower block is constructed with an in-situ concrete frame, with ribbed concrete walls and large expanses of curtain walling and features a striking 10-storey diamond formation pattern panel. The 20th Century Rationalist style of architecture is carried throughout the interior, which is virtually intact, despite some modernisation of materials and addition of fire safety screens. The staircases are of particular note. Constructed in reinforced concrete with terrazzo treads and slender steel balustrades, the main stair is enclosed to one side with a vast curtain wall which runs the entire length of the building. The Lab block, with its large overhanging flat roof and horizontal bands of windows and concrete walling, also displays many features typical of the period in architecture, including a circular drum and chimney on the roof, in the style of 'Le Corbusier'. Purpose built as the Ashby Institute of Engineering for the Queen's University of Belfast, the building is still in its original use. One of the best examples of a large scale, Modernist, in-situ concrete building in Northern Ireland and a landmark building in South Belfast.