abstract
| - Brandon House is an 11 storey tower block on Jacob Well's Road in the Cliftonwood area of West Bristol. Construction of the block commenced in early 1959 and was completed in 1960 by William Cowlin and Son, with E. N. Underwood serving as the consulting engineer for the project. The tower block occupies a 1.5 acre site on steep slope, with the maximum change in levels being 70 feet and a sharp rise at the back of the site. The site was previously occupied by Victorian tenements. The block has an L-shaped layout, with main wing facing northeast. It contains 90 two and three bedroom flats, with bed-sitting room flats. The block is narrow, and the living rooms extend through the width of the block so that they receive maximum natural light as well as taking advantage of the unique views. The ground floor of the main block is left opening, providing access to the courtyard at the back of the block. A laundry room, garages, workshops and bicycle stores are included in the amenities on the ground floor. The staircase and lift core is located at the corner of L, with escape staircases at the ends of the wings. Deck access balconies provide link the flats to the vertical circulation. It is constructed using a reinforced concrete frame with columns placed in-situ and precast beams. The floors are of a composite construction with precast units and an in-situ topping. Lightweight concrete blocks were used extensively, both in the dividing cavity walls and for external infilling panels below windows. The balconies are recessed within the block and metal-framed pivoted windows were originally used for easy cleaning, although have since been replaced. The staircase and lift towers are clad in brick. The blocks are faced directly with glass, providing a glossy finish against the matt concrete used for the structural elements.
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