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Summary

Description

George Coutts, 1908. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay villa with stylised Old English detailing. Coursed rough-faced grey granite with contrasting pink granite long and short dressings, finely finished to margins at NE elevation; Aberdeen bond granite to remainder. Pink base course; chamfered reveals, 1st floor string course; long and short quoins; half-timbered gableted attic floor to NE advanced on timber brackets; timber ridge piece details; overhanging eaves; decoratively carved timber bargeboards.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; pierced timber gabled porch to centre bay at ground floor on pink granite plinth, pointed archway, surmounted by dentil cornice, shallow Tudor-arched doorway, 2-leaf timber door with linenfold panelling surmounted by glazed and leaded upper panes, arrowslit opening flanking to left; 5-light mullion and transomed timber oriel off-centre to left of 1st floor, bipartite window centred in gablehead of attic floor, iron finial to apex. 6-light canted window with crenellated parapet to bay to right at ground floor, quadripartite window to 1st floor above, bipartite window set in gablehead. 6-light canted window through ground and 1st floors, supporting advanced attic floor to bay to left, attic floor stepped-up with piended roof, 5-light wallhead dormer advanced on brackets supported by colonettes, projecting gablet above on deep cornice.

NW ELEVATION: gabled; asymmetrical; timber oriel set in gablehead, irregular fenestration to remainder; single storey and attic wing adjoining to outer right.

SW ELEVATION: asymmetrical; single storey and attic wing advanced to left, conservatory to centre, irregular openings to left and right returns. Piend-roofed central bay advanced, doorway to left of ground floor, flanked to right by bipartite window, bipartite window to centre of 1st floor. Tripartite windows to ground and 1st floors of bay to right, pair of tripartite piend-roofed windows to attic floor, skylight to centre, modern skylight flanking to right.

SE ELEVATION: gabled; piend-roofed shallow glazed porch to centre of ground floor.

Predominantly square-pane leaded casement windows. Rosemary tiled roof with pierced terracotta ridge. Decorative granite wallhead and gablehead stacks with circular cans. Iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: subdivided horizontally; main staircase altered; some original decorative features, including plasterwork cornicing in entrance hall and principal rooms.

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: contemporary garage structure to SW, panelled and glazed sliding timber doors, half-timbered gablehead, jerkin-headed roof, slate with terracotta ridge. Low coped granite walls to NE, gatepiers to left and right shared with adjacent properties; brick and granite coped walls to remainder.

Statement of Special Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 1 Rubislaw Den North is part of the later 19th/early 20th century development W of Queen's Cross. Rubislaw Den North runs almost parallel to Queen's Road (on the site of Skene Road) which was originally surrounded by the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned Skene Road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as George Coutts, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. Little is known about George Coutts, but the highly unusual 1 Rubislaw Den North is undoubtedly one of his finest buildings in Aberdeen. Stylised Old English is mixed with gothic and baronial detailing.

References

Bibliography

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