Naval Base Mansions, Ferryhills Road, Jamestown

William Williamson, circa 1909; J A Mactaggart and Co (65 Bath Street, Glasgow), contractors. 3-storey and basement, 11-bay U-plan former boarding house. Main and secondary beams, stairways, landings and columns in Hennebique reinforced concrete. Basement and ground floor level brick-faced with single ashlar courses (above basement windows and below ground floor windows to principal elevation); rendered upper levels and rear elevations. Painted ashlar central advanced full-height entrance bay with segmental pediment. String course; moulded eaves course and cornice. Plain pilasters and strip pilasters (with surmounting chimneystacks) at regular intervals; large segmental-arched windows to ground floor.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation, arranged 5-1-5. Advanced entrance bay, round-arched and keystoned doorway with raised stone letters directly above 'NAVAL BASE MANSIONS'; 2 large windows at 1st floor; 2 bipartite windows at 2nd floor. Flanking bays divided by slightly advanced pilasters and strip pilasters (central pilasters forming chimneystacks above roofline); large segmental arched windows at ground floor; rectangular windows to 1st floor (with slight segmental arch); circular windows to bays immediately flanking central entrance bay at 2nd floor; rectangular windows and small segmental-arched windows to remaining 2nd floor bays. Sunk basement windows now blocked with bricks.

S ELEVATION: 11 bays. Fenestration similar to principal elevation; sunk basement windows also blocked.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: arranged 8-6-8. 3-storey advanced flat-roof (with later additional floor) section to E to central section. Advanced outer wings with projecting full-height timber stair towers to ends. Fenestration similar to outward elevations; tripartite basement windows basement windows to N wing.

N ELEVATION: 11 bays. Fenestration similar to principal elevation. Later advanced full-height square lift shaft to penultimate bay right.

Almost all windows to front elevations blocked from exterior by timber panels (many original frames set behind); windows to rear elevations blocked from interior. Windows predominantly 15-pane timber sash and case; large segmental-arched windows 18-pane, timber-framed. Flat roof; coped wallhead chimneystacks; some circular clay cans remaining.

INTERIOR: central concrete staircase with former lavatories (now used as store rooms) to either side of stair. Majority of floor space adapted to open warehousing; basement still subdivided with brick walls. Centre of W (front) section adapted to office space. Typical Hennebique concrete framing seen in distinctive deep narrow beams with chamfered edges.