Reckitt Hall, The Lawns

Reckitt Hall, The Lawns

A university hall of residence built between 1963 and 1967, designed by Isi Metzstein and Andrew MacMillan of the architectural practice Gillespie, Kidd and Coia. The University of Hull appointed the practice in 1961. Reckitt Hall forms one of six halls of residence that together comprise the planned layout of The Lawns.

The building is constructed of loadbearing brick walls in buff and grey handmade sandstock bricks. Ground floors and roofs are of timber, with concrete intermediate floors.

The hall comprises a self-contained quadrangle of three-storey study bedrooms with a basement level. Behind this rises a lower range housing wardens and tutorial staff. The overall plan is roughly triangular, with broken and staggered sides. Staggered cross-walls form a series of parallelograms defining the study bedrooms, which are divided into five self-contained staircase units. Each study bedroom has its own angled balcony concealed from its neighbours by the stepped plan. Reckitt Hall abuts Grant Hall, while Lambert, Nicholson and Morgan Halls also abut each other, the two linear groups forming longer zig-zag walls of study bedrooms. Downs Hall stands freestanding between the two groups.

The outer east-facing elevation is flat-roofed with three storeys and a basement. Five obliquely angled blocks of five stepped bays project outward in a rough triangle to the foremost central block, with a recessed fifth block partially abutting Grant Hall. Each study bedroom has an orthogonally set window and balcony, concealed from its neighbour by the stepped plan. The balconies feature thick brick balustrades with narrow gaps below. Rows of bricks set vertically or on edge mark floor and roof slabs and the edges of the balustrades. Rooms have timber-framed sliding windows to access the balconies. Each block incorporates an orthogonal staircase bay with full-width fixed and opening timber-framed windows and horizontally boarded timber fascias. The staircase bays are positioned differently in various blocks, creating a varying rhythm to the facades. The central block has shallow horizontal window grilles to the basement, and on its right-hand side a shallow angled flight of brick steps descends to an underpass leading through to the quadrangle. The brick return walls contain three or four rows of horizontal windows, mostly toward the inner end; some have an offset deeper window beneath, lighting kitchens and bathrooms. The central block also features a timber-framed sliding glazed doorway on its right return.

The inner elevation displays three-storey, five-bay stepped blocks of study bedrooms with balustrades, with the central three blocks facing west into the quadrangle and the two outer blocks overlooking grass. Three external flights of brick steps with steel ribbon balustrades lead up to oversized timber and glazed doorways into staircase halls. A shallow flight of wide brick-edged steps and an angled flight of brick steps lead down to the underpass, where oversized doors provide access to two other staircase halls. Paths alongside the blocks are edged with low zig-zag brick walls.

The quadrangle is closed by a lower flat-roofed west range with similar brick detailing. Abutting the inner corners of the outermost three-storey blocks are single-storey stepped blocks of two bays with sliding windows opening into the quadrangle and doors to the side elevations. The south block has an attached storage area. Between these stands a single-storey warden's house and a long single-storey single-bay block containing offices and senior common room, with an attached garage at the west end. These connect to the corner of the north block and by a canopy over the quadrangle entrance to the south block. The warden's house has stepped east and west elevations with outer brick bays containing sliding windows and glazed central sections with board spandrel panels and horizontally boarded timber fascias, and two glazed doors to the outer west elevation. The west garden is partially enclosed by a brick wall.

Interior arrangements divide each of the five study bedroom blocks around a staircase either placed parallel to, or at right angles to stepped rooms on wide landings. Half-level parlours off the parallel stairs have been bricked off and converted to en-suite bathrooms; those off right-angle stairs have been converted to bedrooms. Rooms in some blocks have en-suite bathrooms while other blocks retain shared bathrooms off the landings. On each floor, larger kitchens have been inserted either into former double study bedrooms or extended single rooms.

Circulation areas have exposed brick walls with concrete floor plates and plywood panelling, wood-veneered doors and timber architraves on the landings. Ground-floor stair entrances have tiled floors; ceilings on the ground floor and top floor have timber boarding. Staircases feature balustrades of three horizontal timber rails fixed to slender square black steel posts and steel brackets, with the upper and middle rails swept and individual straight bottom rails. Study bedrooms have plastered walls.

The warden's house has timber boarding to the ceilings of the entrance lobby, living room and kitchen. The kitchen is separated from the living room by a wood-veneered counter with a post and shelf over. Walls are plastered, with wood-veneered doors and timber architraves. Most fixtures and fittings have been replaced. The attached block has exposed brick walls to the circulation space and senior common room, with tiled floor and a step around the outside of the senior common room and timber-boarded ceiling. The blocks have wood-veneered doors and timber architraves. Most fixtures and fittings have been replaced.

The courtyard contains low walls bounding paths, external steps to the staircase blocks and steps to the underpass. Steps to the underpass are also located on the east side of the building. Not all of these features appear on MasterMap, so the entire courtyard and the location of the east steps are mapped to include them.