Design Statement 13 Malew Street

Callow's Yard

Design Statement

13 Malew Street, Castletown

February 2008

Currently, 13 Malew Street is a 'squat' three story building with very cramped head heights, the top floor being mostly within a very tight roof space - resulting in an undesirable living standard. The ground floor was, until very recently, a practicing dentist surgery.

Our research has indicated that originally No. 13 Malew Street was probably the garden area of No. 11 Malew Street. It may have been walled at the front with a garden gate, which is now the front door to the building. At some time during the early part of the 1900s, a building was erected on the land as an infill building between No's. 11 and 15 Malew Street. This original building is noted as being a shop (a baker and later a boot shop) with presumably a shop front(?) - which is no longer in place today. Both of the adjoining properties have the benefit of substantial gable walls.

According to Castletown Heritage, "the whole frontage of the building was replaced a number of years ago" which was understood as "generally respecting the original form of the building". This indicates that the current frontage (elevation) is not the original wall - which in all probability started as a garden wall, which is concurrent with many of the infill buildings in Castletown.

The general streetscape of Malew Street is made up of tall three and four storey buildings making the 'squat' 13 Malew Street at odds with this, and does go some way to concurring with the probability that originally, this is an infill building, built off the original garden walls - now demolished and replaced with a more recent construction. It is not clear how the rear elevation of this building came about, but in all probability it followed the line of the boundary between the rears of No's. 11 and 15, which when protracted between the two is parallel to the front elevation, therefore suggesting that the infill building was larger than currently built. We want to reinstate this rear wall on, what we would presume to be, the original building line.

In order to improve the internal head-heights and usage of the building, and following further consultation with the DoLGE Planning Officers, Sarah Corlett and Steve Moore (Heritage Officer), we have agreed and therefore propose that the front elevation be retained in its entirety (including the position of the first floor window apertures) but raise the eaves line slightly to match window/eaves detail on No. 11 Malew Street. This will raise the ridge line with an asymmetrical roof. These two height adjustments, and the inclusion of two 'period' dorma roofs, improve the elevational status of No. 13 Malew Street, making it more in keeping with the streetscape heights.

With regards to the overall integration into the ongoing Callow's Yard development, to which 13 Malew Street adds, the proposal for the rear elevation remains largely unchanged from the original submission, except for the raised ridge line only - the eaves remaining at the same height.

This general proposal will result in No. 13 Malew Street becoming a more desirable and usable building. Improving the floor to floor heights, makes the ground and first floors desirable retail/commercial space and will offer any resident of the revised apartment, a proper opportunity to live more appropriately.

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