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LINDO COURT, 36 MACDONNELL ROAD
GENERAL.
ARCHITECTS MESSRS. LEIGH & ORANGE
The task was to provide as large a number of 3 bed- room flats as possible on a site previously occupied by a semi-detached villa and its garden. Caretaker's quarters were also to be provided, and as many lock-up garages as possible; but as the revenue produced by garages is less than that pro- duced by flats the number of garages was to be a secondary consideration to the provision of the maximum number of the latter.
The building was originally planned as a nine-storey block, but as this would have interfered with the view from the house on the site above, the height had to be reduced to six storeys. This, owing to the steep slope of the hill- side, brings the roof of the flats level with the ground floor of the adjoining house. The building thus consists of 12 flats and 9 garages.
SITE.
The site slopes down steeply towards the North, giving unobstructed views of the harbour. The approach is by a steep road on the front of the site over which the adjoining houses have a right of way. As the local building regulations require one third of the site to be left open at the back and side of the building, maximum use of the site required that the building should occupy the triangular area in the front of the site, adjoining this approach road.
PLAN.
The main rooms of the flats were placed on the North East and North West sides of the block, facing the views. Two flats per floor were provided, with main access by lift and staircase in the North corner of the building. Kitchens and servants' accommodation were planned on the remain- ing two sides of the centre courtyard, with separate access by a staircase in the South corner,
The passages were planned along the wall facing the courtyard in order to isolate all the principal rooms from noise from this source.
Each flat has two bathrooms and a trunk store. Generous built-in storage has been provided both in the form of ward- robes and drawers in all bedrooms and by cupboards for general storage.
The front flats have a combined living-dining room 31′3′′ by 15'6" and a verandalı 22′0′′ X 11′0′′. The side flats have a sitting room 24'0′′ X 15′6′′ and a separate dining The verandahs have been made wide enough to enable them to be finished as outdoor sitting rooms, protected from the rain, for use during the hot summer months.
rooin.
Verandah fronts are made of green-glazed Chinese pierced tiles of traditional local design. These are butt jointed with wrot iron reinforcement horizontally between each row of tiles. These provide a contrast in colour and texture to the plain wall surfaces of the rest of the building. Handrails are of oiled teak.
Garages are planned on the ground floor where the building runs into the hillside. Owing to the steep slope of the ground it was possible to plan two small flats on the ground floor at the front of the building.
CONSTRUCTION.
R.C. frame construction was used, with 9′′ brick walls between the columns, which were restricted to 9" in width as far as possible in order to avoid projections internally. Floors are hollow block and T-beam construction.
Walls are rendered externally and painted white.