8 Notting Hill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Modernist detached house, c.1972, with flat-roof, located in a mature site on N side of Notting Hill. Irregular on plan, it consists of a 2 -storey, central block of accommodation with a smaller, rectangular, single-storey outshot, with monopitch roof, to SE corner. There is a single-storey, flat-roofed, outshot with carport and garage to E façade. Situated on a quiet, suburban, road lined with mature trees; an area with a mix of early and late 20th Century, detached, houses on large, landscaped sites.

Materials:

Roof : Flat -roofed or mono-pitch with lead or single-ply membrane and course concrete block parapet
RWG : generally internal - no access/exposed hopper and downpipe on S elevation possibly uPVC
Walls : Brown/grey clay brick with exposed in-situ concrete heads and pre-fab concrete cills
Windows : Original black powder coated metal

Exterior Description

Front elevation (S)
In the centre of the main elevation is a two-storey block with single-storey projecting bay to left-hand side and single-storey car-port to right-hand side. The projecting bay extends almost halfway along the main two-storey block and there is a porch located at the re-entrant angle. Above the porch, at first floor level and in the centre of the main block is a single square headed floor-head height window with exposed in-situ concrete heads and slim metal cill. The porch is trianagular in plan and consists of a flat, deep in-situ concrete canopy supported on a brick pier. It has a deep in-situ concrete head above. There is a narrrow full-length slit opening at the junction to the main block. The front door is recessed and to the right of it there is a discreet external laneway leading from the front door to the carport, screened behind the front wall. The front door is a large timber framed pivoting glazed screen with fixed glazed sidelight to left and single flush step and plain concrete flags to ground area. The porch and laneway soffit is painted boarded timber. There is a built-in timber post box mounted on the wall to the right of the door and a narrow clerestorey window lighting the ground floor bathroom. The carport has a plain deep soffit with smooth cement render finish and slim concrete copings, with protruding rectangular brick pier at SW corner. It has painted boarded timber soffit and concrete flag to ground area. The projecting bay to the left of the S elevation has 2 no. square headed floor-to -head height windows with exposed in-situ concrete heads and slim metal cills (1 no. large square in centre and 1 no. narrow profile to far right). There is a small 3/4 height screen wall attached to the far left corner of the projecting bay, it has concrete block copings. All walls are generally Brown/grey clay brick in stretcher bond. Roof to the main two-storey block is flat and to projecting bay is mono-pitched. Roof coverings are single-ply membrane and parapets have course concrete block copings.

Rear elevation (N)

At ground level there is 1 no. rectangular window to left-hand side and a large floor-to-head height window to the right-hand side. There is a small 3/4 height screen wall attached to the left of the large window, it has concrete block copings. At first floor level are 3 no. windows; a combination of rectangular and irregular styles. All openings are square headed with pre-cast concrete cills and exposed concrete heads as per the other elevations. Roof is flat with single-ply membrane and parapets as per other elevations.

Side elevation €
At ground level a single-storey projection extends for most of the elevation, consisting of the carport to left-hand side and external store room/boiler house to right. The carport is open with protruding rectangular brick pier to left and external store room wall to right. To right of carport is small boiler house constructed in flush stained timber sheets. To right of this is the wall of external store room, which is recessed and in brick. To the N face of the single-storey projection is small recessed porch with door of external store room straight ahead and back door to kitchen to right. Both doors are glazed with outer timber frame. There is a recess for fire hose reel to the left of the porch. The single-storey projection has a plain deep soffit with smooth cement render finish and slim concrete copings. At first floor level are 3 no. windows in a combination of square, clerestorey and irregular styles. All openings are square headed with pre-cast concrete cills and exposed concrete heads as per the other elevations. Roof to the main two-storey block is flat with single-ply membrane and parapets as per other elevations.

Side elevation (W)
Consists of a two-storey block with single-storey projecting bay attached to far right-hand side and small 3/4 height screen wall attached to the far left corner. The projecting bay has a set of patio doors to the right and a screen wall attached to the corner as described on the S elevation. At ground level on the main block is a series of openings including 2 no. sets of patio doors, a slit window and a large full-height fixed window. There is a brick pier with concrete block coping on the right-handside between one of the sets of patio doors and the large fixed window. The screen wall to the left corner has concrete block copings and a built in barbeque with concrete ledge supported on brick corbels and exposed concrete head. A patio area paved in concrete flags extends to S of screen wall with dwarf boundary to W in same construction. At first floor level on the main block is a single floor-to-head height slit window. All openings are square-headed with exposed concrete heads as per the other elevations. All walls are brick as per the other elevations. The roof to the main two-storey block is flat and the roof to the projecting bay is mono-pitched as per the other elevations.

The house is set back slightly from the road and is bound by a hedge to the front (S) and mature trees to N, E & W. The site is accessed via a short tarmac driveway and pedestrian path to the right-hand side of the front (S) boundary and there is a large lawned garden area to W. 2 no. dwarf square piers and a dwaf wall demarcate the vehicular and pedestrian entrances. These are constructed in brick and with concrete block copings to match the house. There is a recessed light fitting in the corner of the dwarf wall. There are no gates. The pedestrain path leads to the front door and is paved in concrete flags. There is a patio area on the W façade. There is a path leading from the front door to the carport. These are both paved in concrete flags as is the area around the carport/external store area and to rear of the kitchen/utility area.

Historical information

No.8 Notting Hill was built in c.1972 for Alan and Renee Henry. It is believed to be the work of Brian Lowe. Lowe, (a native of Glasgow who had moved with his family to Belfast when he was 11), was not a registered architect, but an interior designer who is noted for having been responsible for the interior of the extension to the Ulster Museum (by Francis Pym - completed 1971) and for developing the corporate interior style for The Body Shop and the fit-out of its stores worldwide.

The Henrys appear to have retained the house until c.1975-76 when was acquired by Patrick McAreavey, an accountant, who lived there until at least 1996.

References- secondary sources
1 Hickey, Rosaleen, “The Ulster Museum 1914-2014: Evolution amidst Revolution”, in ‘Absorbing Modernity’ (British Council / Arts Council of Northern Ireland, 2014)
2 Information supplied by Barrie Todd (June 2017)

Secondary sources - online
1 http://archiseek.com/2007/francis-pym-ulster-museum-belfast/ (accessed 2017.12.06)

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

R. Age
S. Authenticity
Z. Rarity
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Modernist detached house in brown/grey brick with flat-roof, c.1980, designed by NI born interior designer Brian Lowe. Located in a mature site on N side of Notting Hill, it consists of a 2 -storey, central, block with smaller single-storey, rectangular, outshots to SE and SW corners. Almost completely intact inside and out, the house displays many modernist features including exposed in-situ concrete heads (breton brut) and its original black painted metal windows. It also retains a remarkable interior. Part open plan and featuring a hallway atrium with original contemporary staircase and first floor gallery, it has a wealth of bespoke fitted furniture and fixtures throughout. Situated in its original mature landscaped site it has its original modest entrance piers and walling, demarcating the vehicular and pedestrian entrances. Brian Lowe's Design Consultancy was most notable for creating the Body Shop's original 'green box' shop concept.