1-115, With Attached Fences, Steps And Timber Heating Ducts

Ten short terraces of houses and flats, with four pairs and one detached house, built 1978-80 in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Designed by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor with Vernon Gracie as site architect and White, Young and Partners as structural engineers; Fairclough Building Limited was the main contractor.

The buildings are constructed in orange-red metric modular brick with carefully toned mortar, concrete block internal walls, and Marley Modern tiled roofs. They are arranged as two storeys following the horizontal contours of the steeply sloping site and angled to maximise views. The longer terraces contain two flats per unit. The south-eastern end units form the flats, with white weatherboarded ends (recently renewed in uPVC and fitted with bird boxes). The north-west end is extended with black weatherboarding on each side, serving as fencing.

The design exploits the fall of the land through split-level units, with kitchen windows at ground level on the entrance (north) side. Bold coloured doors face the entrance front, positioned next to triangular staircase windows, with narrow eaves windows to the first floor above a projecting brown timber band carrying heating pipes. Projecting timber balconies run at first floor to upper flats on terraces of more than three units. The end units have projecting weatherboarded outshuts; other units have brown timber door hoods suspended from deep eaves. Timber windows are used throughout, with those on the south side being larger and fitted with aluminium opening lights.

Black, brown and green fences form an integral part of the composition. Pale brown boxing to heating ducts is a key feature of this hillside development, linking units 17 and 21; 31, 45 and 51; 61, 75 and 81; and 91, 99 and 107. Units 91-95 have black fences on red brick walls. Prominent steps with granite sets lead to number 95. Number 97 is detached, with a projecting porch and downpipes forward of deep eaves and black weatherboarded ends.

These were the first of a new housing type developed by Erskine to maximise the potential of the exceptionally steep slopes and fine views of the Carville Road area. Newcastle City Council requested that concrete tiles be used instead of Erskine's preferred metal sheeting; Marley Modern tiles proved to be the only ones effective at the shallow pitches required. The Council also requested brick and block construction rather than predominantly timber building, but Erskine had already produced the design with timber ends (which he viewed as a deterrent to vandalism) and adapted the internal construction accordingly in January 1978. The sophisticated palette of dark tones, contrasted with black and white end walls and brightly painted doors, provides an interesting foil to the primary colours of the rest of the estate.