Toffee Factory Site Visit

Today's xsite is Mal...

Foundry Lane Studios descended, en masse, on the Toffee Factory site on Friday lunchtime as a prelude to our summer BBQ.  The scaffolding is largely down on Glasshouse Bridge revealing the new brickwork elevations in all their corbelled glory.  The Sedum roof is planted (though it’s not too green as yet, the recent weather should give it a good kick-start...) and both stairs and first floor link bridge are in.  A sample of the embossed aluminium cladding for the stair tower has arrived and it looks fantastic!

Colin Booth - Institute of Play

Today's xsite is Anna...

'Institute of Play' an installation by Colin Booth is currently showing at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, until the 2nd October 2011. Three different pieces are on show 'Institute of Play', 'Colony' and 'Streamline'. Beautifully crafted building blocks of different timbers form three different elements within the main exhibition room. Building blocks have historically had an important part in shaping the role of creative play. The act of building has inspired many sculptors, designers and architects. Architecture, particulary modernist architecture, is an important element in Colin Booth's work.

In partnership with us at xsite architecture, and Virtual NewcastleGateshead, a space has been created in a room next to the exhibition, where visitors can design their own moderist buildings using the computers provided. There is an exhibition of modernist buildings of Newcastle put together by xsite. There is also a huge floor mat of wooden building blocks to get to work with and a display of some beautiful Architectural Construction Toys. It is very much worth a visit...

Tim Bailey of xsite will be doing a public walkthough of the exhibition on Wednesday 20th July from 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Sea view

Today's xsite is Anna...

We have just received new photographs by Jill Tate Photography of a private house project that was complete in Autumn last year. The house belongs to a private client, who wanted to utilise their views of the sea and create an open and contemporary family home.

Cakebook 2011

Today's xsite is Anna...

We were involved with the EAT! festival again this year, helping to plan out the map for Cakebook earlier in the year and actually baking our own cake entry last weekend. We were joint Cakebook winners last year, so had hoped to retain our crown, but to no avail! The Farne Islands won in the end, the same team that we shared our crown with last year...

We baked, toasted, melted and iced a model of the Toffee Factory, one of our current projects on site in the Lower Ouseburn. It joined a giant map of the North East and Yorkshire, at Gibside, covered in other landmarks that people had created from cake... Here are a few photos of the cake creation process from start to finish...

The Redcar Hub starts on site

Today's xsite is Nita...

The Redcar Hub will be a creative industries centre - lettable space for small to medium sized creative businesses in the area. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Regeneration commissioned the project as part of a wider strategy to help promote the growing creative industries sector in the region as well as regenerate the seafront.

After a lengthy process of asbestos removal we are happy to announce that work started on site last week, with main contractor Surgo Construction.

As you can see from the photos the existing building is in a bit of a state, having been derelict for several years. The original theatre has undergone several renovations throughout its life, serving as a bingo hall, fast food outlet and cinema, as well as a theatre. Once the few remaining original features are salvaged from the building for conservation by the Theatres Trust, it will be demolished, with construction of the new building scheduled to start in Autumn this year.  

The new building will consist of 5 floors of office and studio space around an internal courtyard, with the ground floor accessible to the public. The front elevation will be fully glazed,  featuring a colourful wave graphic.

We’re looking forward to posting more updates on the blog as construction progresses.

Toffee Factory Progress

Today's xsite is Mal...

Construction at the Toffee Factory is moving on apace. Work is well underway on completion of the external envelope. The roof is watertight, external walls are framed out and half the windows are in. Brickwork is being laid to the Glasshouse Bridge elevation of the building, corbels and all. We’re excited about seeing the finished article in a couple of weeks time (corbels not building!) Scaffolding is down on the refreshed and repointed chimney while internally first fix of services is taking place.

Names for Bands

Today's xsite is Nita...

A hobby that we have developed in the office over the past couple of years is to think up possible names for bands, often over a Friday afternoon drink at the Cumberland. There are so many bands out there who make great music but have pretty terrible names. And inspiration for band names can come from all sorts of quarters. Unfortunately, none of us are looking to start a band with this name any time soon, so we are blogging them in the hope they may amuse others. So, in no particular order, a selection of our favourite names:

The Revetments
The Grubby Cuffs
Crosstalk Attenuator
The Windemeres
Transition Roost
The Dawn Swarming
The Dead Prospects
Goats in Transit
Cluster Flat
Visual Contrast
Commando Socket

We didn’t properly check if any of these bands exist already, if we have inadvertently copied your band’s name sorry (and kudos!).

Timber apartments top-out in London

Today's xsite is Robin...

The erection of the timber frame for an apartment development in Camden is now complete.  The project is for five apartments just five minutes walk from Kings Cross Station.  The narrow site is sandwiched between a 1930s apartments building and a secondary school, currently being redeveloped as part of the BSF programme (the steel frame on the pictures).

The scheme will be clad with a combination of brick-slips (London stock colour) and timber. Works are due to be completed later this summer. 

FIRE!

Today's xsite is Anna...

We've had a very dramatic day in the Ouseburn. On popping out to get lunch from Byker Morrison's we were faced with towering black clouds of smoke from the top of the hill. Some brave members of the office ran towards the flames to get a better look while others retreated to the office to make a 'fire' themed playlist... The Scrap yard was a blaze all day but looks like it is finally under control...

Winners!

Today's xsite is Anna...

Thanks again to everyone who came along and took time to layout an idea of what might happen to the Ouseburn in the future. The judges have deliberated and the votes have been cast, we have decided to award four prizes on the basis of 'best ideas well executed'...

1st place _ Cable Car by Laura Bruton
2nd place _ The Cumberland Arms Zip Line 'cos that bank's a killer' by Andy Robson
3rd place _ Free Trade Flute Shoot by Leon Millar
4th place _ Chicken Museum by Pamela Duff

A 'hard hat' tour of the Toffee Factory site is the prize on offer to the lucky winners, as well as a pint on us at The Tyne pub afterwards...