Glen Shira, 6 Forthill, Lisburn, County Antrim, BT28 3BB

Glen Shira is a detached single-storey red-brick bungalow built around 1950, designed by architect K. Francis Lewis. It occupies a large elevated site on Forthill in Lisburn. The house was awarded "NI House of the Year" in 1952 and represents a fine example of post-war suburban design, blending Arts-and-Crafts and post-war styles. It is well-preserved and relatively rare of its type, making an important contribution to the heritage of the Edwardian character of the Fort Hill district.

The building is symmetrical with a distinctive inverted V-plan, comprising three bays arranged around a central entrance. The principal elevation faces south with the entrance between two projecting wings set at 35-degree angles. Walling is constructed of stretcher-bonded red-brick with curved bricks at the corners and a decorative vertical brick course at plinth level. The steeply pitched hipped roof is covered with cedar shingles and features overhanging sprocketed eaves. A tall red-brick chimneystack projects to the rear. Rainwater goods comprise replacement aluminium ogee gutters with original cast-iron downpipes and hoppers.

Windows are predominantly original multi-paned leaded steel casements made by Critall McKinney in hardwood sub-frames, positioned to eaves level with projecting brick sills. These include windows to the south elevation and two Critall steel casement windows in a timber sub-frame to the north elevation's central section. A replacement aluminium window has been installed in the kitchen to the rear elevation. Additional fenestration includes an eyebrow dormer window to the south elevation, a roof-light to the east and west, and a slender leaded window and timber-sheeted door with transom light to the north elevation's right bay.

The principal south-facing entrance is accessed by two semi-circular brick and stone slab steps. The double-leaf vertical-panelled Burma teak door features decorative cast-iron strap-hinges, finger-plates, and round handles, positioned within a chamfered recess. An eyebrow dormer window sits above the entrance. The north elevation's right bay is accessed by three masonry steps. Architectural detailing, including the majority of leaded glazing, remains largely intact. The interior layout is largely unchanged and much of the historic fabric has survived.

The property stands within a mature elevated site overlooking Friends School playing fields to the north and Wallace Park to the south. The surrounding Fort Hill district, largely unspoiled and mainly Edwardian in character, contains detached villas on large sites. Glen Shira occupies a large lawned sloping garden to the rear with views over the playing fields, enclosed on all sides by mature trees and hedgerow. The front garden is bounded to the road by a stone wall laid in courses with mature shrubbery.

Associated with the house is an original red-brick garage with hipped shingle roof and original timber-sheeted up-and-over garage door. A timber-roof car-port has been abutted to the garage. The building was formerly known as Vergemont and does not appear on historic map editions up to 1939. Owner information indicates construction around 1952, though records suggest construction within the period 1940-1959.