17 Mount Charles, Belfast

17 Mount Charles is a three-storey mid-terraced brick townhouse with an attic and pitched roof, designed by Alexander MacAlister and built in 1859. It forms the eighth house from the right within a terrace of nine properties that lines the south side of Mount Charles, a tree-lined street running between Botanic Avenue and University Road within the Queen's Conservation Area. The building is rectangular in plan with a projecting return to the rear. Originally constructed as a townhouse, it now serves as university student accommodation.

The front elevation faces north onto Mount Charles. The brick facade is laid in Flemish bond with splayed brick soldier courses to window heads. A single-storey canted rendered bay projects to the right side, while the doorway is positioned at ground floor level to the left. The canted bay features moulded plaster detailing and a flat roof with a modern membrane over a projecting cornice. The ground floor bay windows are horizontally split 2/2 with a translucent film applied to the inner face of the lower sashes. Above, first and second floor windows are also horizontally split 2/2 on the main facade. All windows are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and are replacements. First and second floors share a continuous painted stone cill course. The front elevation includes a deep painted rendered plinth at the base and a similar frieze beneath the eaves. Two modern rooflights sit at attic level.

The doorway is deeply recessed and features an elliptical arched head with brick voussoirs and a moulded plaster reveal. Ionic columns flank the entrance on raised moulded plaster panelled bases, supporting a moulded plaster entablature with a plain fanlight above. The doorway sits atop two replacement concrete steps with dwarf walls to each side. The timber four-panelled door appears original, though the two upper panels have been replaced with glazing.

The pitched roof is laid in natural Welsh slate with black clay ridge tiles. Brick chimney stacks stand to the right and left, rebuilt but retaining corbelled detailing and seven circular clay pots, shared with the neighbouring properties. Cast aluminium ogee guttering and cast metal downpipes serve the main facade, with a small section of PVC piping from the bay.

The side elevations (east and west) are fully abutted by neighbouring properties No. 19 and No. 15 respectively.

The rear elevation faces south into a yard formed by the house's rear wall, an original three-storey return on the right at half-landing height, the return of No. 15 to the left, and a three-storey yard wall facing University Street. All walls within the yard are painted render. The main block has a pitched natural Welsh slate roof with one modern rooflight to the left side. The return has a hipped natural Welsh slate roof with black clay ridge tiles. All rear windows are single-glazed timber sliding sash with horns and are replacements, with possible exception of a ground floor window on the rear yard wall. The main block's rear elevation displays a 2/2 window on the left side at each level with painted stone cills. A smaller 6/6 window sits at attic half-landing level on the right, above the return's roof. The return's yard-facing elevation includes a replacement timber back door on the extreme left with a 6/6 window above on the first floor and another 6/6 window above on the second floor. A further 6/6 window, possibly original, is positioned to the right of the back door at ground floor level.

The internal face of the yard wall onto University Street presents a replacement timber sheeted door with plain fanlight on the ground floor, surmounted by two multi-pane timber window frames above (without glass)—one at first floor and one at second floor level, both with slim painted stone cills. The replacement yard door is painted timber panelling with plain fanlight beneath a semi-circular head with brick voussoirs. A 6/6 window to the right, possibly original, has wrought iron bars attached to the reveals and a painted stone cill. A diminutive square single-pane window with frosted glass stands to the right. The first floor features a false multi-pane window frame to the left and a 6/6 window to the right, both with shallow arched heads. The second floor mirrors the first floor arrangement, with straight window heads instead. A cast iron gutter runs above the painted rendered eaves band.

The facade facing University Street is constructed of dark brown brick in Flemish bond with a rendered plinth and eaves band. A plain flat concrete coping stone runs across the rear wall.

Structural materials comprise natural Welsh slate roofing with black clay ridge tiles, red brick in Flemish bond with painted render, and lime pointing. Rainwater goods are cast aluminium with small sections of PVC. Windows are timber sliding sash with horns, single-glazed and replaced, with modern rooflights at attic level.

Access to the front of the house is gained directly from the pavement of Mount Charles, while the rear is accessed from University Street via the yard door.