7 And 9 Laverockbank Avenue And 13-17 (Consecutive Nos) Laverockbank Crescent Including Lockup Garages

Basil Spence and Partners, 1957-60, (Peter Ferguson, partner-in-charge; Richard Cassidy, job architect; Engineers, T Harley Haddow & Partners). Modernist style L-plan municipal housing development consisting of 6-storey, 11-bay rectangular-plan flatted wing to W and row of 2-storey and basement terrace houses diposed at right angles to S of plan, linked by glazed curtain wall staircase block; on steeply sloping site near Newhaven harbour; designed as part of infill development adjacent to earlier tenements. Development encloses terraced landscaped courtyard with lock-up garages.

W RANGE (NOS 7, 9 AND 13): flats at first floor, maisonettes above; advanced shop unit at ground floor to left (No 9), stair tower with internal drying areas to outer bays. Reinforced concrete frame construction forming dressings to maisonettes, whinstone setts to ground and 1st floors and outer bays, glazed screen wall to lower floor of maisonettes, some with spandrel panels, vertical cedar boarding above; external infill walls of painted harl to rear (E elevation). Shop unit faced with vertical cedar boarding. Regular fenestration, concrete lintels, projecting cills. Angled concrete balconies with steel balustrades and timber detailing at 2nd and 4th floors of W elevation. Cantilevered gallery access at 1st, 2nd and 4th floors of E elevation with glazed steel balustrades. Flat arched pend to right of shop unit.

S RANGE (NOS 14-17): row of 3, 2-bay houses, to S of plan, running W-E; basement flat (No 17) to left. Cavity brick construction, predominantly harled, vertical cedar panel boarding to left bay of each property, whinstone setts basecourse, basement and forestairs. S (principal) elevation: single entrance door to right with square concrete canopy supported on a slender steel piloti; regular fenestration. Forestairs to left (No 17) oversailing basement. N (rear) elevation: regular fenestration; vertical cedar boarded aprons to windows at ground in right bay of each property; 4-bays to right at basement partially open to form drying areas.

Predominantly replacement uPVC glazing; original timber windows to shop unit, ground floor stores and stairtowers. Original 2-leaf glazed timber doors to common stair tower of W elevation with original ironmongery. Flat felt roof to W range, pitched felt roof to S range.

INTERIORS (partially seen 2010): 4 three-apartment flats, 18 three-apartment and 1 five-apartment maisonettes to W range; simple plan-forms of flats and maisonettes generally intact. Common stairs with walls of painted brick, some whinstone wall details, concrete stairs and steel balustrades. Laundry drying chambers on intermediate landings. Steel mesh pram stores at ground floor. 3 four-apartment houses and 1 two-apartment flat to S range; simple plan-forms predominantly intact.

LOCKUP GARAGES: 11-garages arranged in a U-plan to N section of rear courtyard. Roughcast brick with double-leaf vertical boarded doors.