2-38 With Retaining Walls

This listing describes three short terraces of flats and houses located on Kendal Street in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Built between 1972 and 1975 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor, with Vernon Gracie as the site architect and structural engineering by White, Young and Partners, the buildings feature pale metric modular brick on a timber frame, complemented by blue and green weatherboarding. The roofs are made of blue metal and are supported by plywood box beam purlins, with projecting blue and green porches at the front. The windows are timber with aluminium opening lights, although some have been replaced with uPVC. The doors are timber with glazed panels, with some having been renewed in hardwood. The interiors were not inspected. The pale brick garden walls are an important part of the overall design. The development took into account the older demographic of the Byker area during its redevelopment in the early 1970s, resulting in many units being designed as two flats that could be adapted into houses if the need for more family accommodation arose. This adaptability is particularly evident in the units located at the ends or next to the ends of the terraces.