Changemaker

Today's xsite is Tim...

xsite have been awarded the chance to work with a Changemaker.

In short this a young person between 16 – 25 years old who is interested in developing leadership skills and working on a project in the Ouseburn with xsite over a period of six months.

We need to nominate three people to be considered for this by September 12^th and we are keen that they are local, enthusiastic and willing to be challenged.  It represents a really exciting opportunity if you want to know more look at www.changemakers.org.uk for what might be expected of you and  www.xsitearchitecture.co.uk for who we are.  If you want to talk about it please contact Tim Bailey by email tim@xsitearchitecture.co.uk  call on 0191 287 2161.

Invisible Architectures Festival

Today's xsite is Anna...

Earlier this year, xsite hosted Will Schrimshaw, an artist-researcher, for a 3-month 'Creative Residency'.  Will’s work focuses on environmental interaction and the invisible determinants of space and place. His current project examines the ‘invisible architectures’ and subliminal layers of the city. 

This project presented a great opportunity for Will and xsite to work together and the result is a 3-day festival that will take place in September called ‘Invisible Architectures’.  The festival will explore the invisible yet influential substrates of urban existence. Artists, architects and writers will explore the subtle, subliminal invisible layers of the city through guided tours, workshops, films showing at the Tyneside Cinema and participatory events.

Working with the artist, xsite have designed a temporary pavilion, to be located at Grey’s Monument, that will act as a base for the festival, an information point for visitors and a starting point for guided tours.

‘Invisible Architectures‘ will take place at and around Grey’s Monument, Newcastle-upon-Tyne from 9th – 11th September 2011.

For more information visit http://subliminalcity.co.uk/ and http://willschrimshaw.net/

Enchanted Chicken Coop

Today's xsite is Anna...

One of our installations from last year's Enchanted Parks has found itself a new home, in the form of a chicken coop. xsite's first chicken related architecture...

'There was a House in the Woods' had been sitting unused for too long, so we decided to donate it to a worthy cause. Resulting in the chickens of the Ouseburn Farm finding themselves with a new house. They were all lounging around quite at home when I went to visit...

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!).