The Ouseburn Coffee Company

Today's xsite is Adrian...

Coffee is a subject pretty close to our hearts at xsite, and in the last couple of months we've been lucky enough to be able to combine our hot beverage of choice with some actual work. Last month saw the opening of Newcastle's latest top coffee spot, 9Bar on Grey Street and in a further pursuit of that caffeine buzz we have now welcomed The Ouseburn Coffee Company into space at our Foundry Lane Studios HQ.

A nip and a tuck to our basement workshop space has seen it converted into a roastery for OCC, an independent artisan coffee retailer who now roast their specially sourced green bean coffee on site. Look out for their product around town and if you’re passing you might even be able to score an espresso at our back door, sure beats S****ucks.

http://ouseburncoffee.wordpress.com/

9Bar Coffee

Today's xsite is Adrian...

The much anticipated second installment of our recent collaboration with Gusto UK and Reluctant Hero at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle is now up and running. 9Bar is a compact little, contemporary, Italian influenced cafe - a sort of Bar Italia for Grey Street.

The small unit on the South side of the Theatre's famous portico was stripped back to expose the base stone and brick wall finishes and a terrazzo floor. The fit out then gave centre stage to Reluctant Hero's graphic work and the brand they created for 9Bar Coffee, the result is the visual equivalent of a double espresso.

Click image to enlarge...

Redcar Hub Steelwork

Today's xsite is Nita...

Steelwork for the Redcar Hub is now progressing at a pace on site - this lot was up in about 10 days! Steelwork should be complete in the next 3 weeks, this will be followed by flooring and blockwork on site.

The New Year

Today's xsite is Adrian...

The New Year is well underway but we thought we’d start 2012 with images we’ve just received from Jill Tate of two of our stand out projects from 2011 : The Toffee Factory in Newcastle’s Ouseburn and the Waitrose Store in Jesmond, Newcastle.

Feedback has been great on both schemes and we’re also pretty chuffed with the end results.  

There’s plenty in prospect for the forthcoming year with major projects already on site across the region and beyond as well as the smell of coffee roasting in our basement and the arrival of our own gallery / event space round the corner on Ouse St just in time for Spring. Watch this space!  

Click on each image to enlarge...

Lord Mayor's Design Awards

Today's xsite is Mal...

xsite's Georgian House Extension in the West End was the winner of the 'Residential' category award at the 2011 Newcastle Lord Mayor's Design Awards last night!

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Meanwhile on Ouse Street...

Today's xsite is Anna...

xsite began taking a hammer to this garage on Ouse Street in Newcastle's Ouseburn valley this week. The first step to its demolition and the birth of a new venue for the valley. Watch this space... Literally!

Toffee Factory Practical Completion

Today's xsite is Mal...

The Toffee Factory is three days from practical completion.   All that remains are external light fittings, the tar spray chip finish to the courtyard and a few internal snags.  The high gloss resin reception floor and corten reception desk remain under wraps until handover on Friday.  We look forward to experiencing the building as users when we hold our practice conference there in a couple of weeks!

Toffee Factory behind the scenes

Today's xsite is Mal...

A little sneak preview behind the scenes at the Toffee Factory for you...

Victorian Town House

Today's xsite is Jane...

We have recently completed the conversion and refurbishment of two, two storey flats into a fully reinstated Victorian town house. The house, in Newcastle upon Tyne, overlooks the Leazes Moor and sits tranquil within the quiet environment enjoyed by this location.

Retaining many of the original features, a total refurbishment of all four floors has been carried out. Windows have been upgraded whilst retaining the original stained glass panels. Flooring, heating and sanitary fittings have all been upgraded and a contemporary basement apartment added. The kitchen area, fitted with bespoke oak furniture, gives access to a new breakfast terrace overlooking the rear garden.

Ouseburn Open Studios 2011

Today's xsite is Anna...

This years Ouseburn Open Studios has come round once again, this year taking place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of November, from 10am till 5pm each day. We will be opening our doors here at Foundry Lane Studios to let you see what everyone based in our building gets up to.

xsite are running tours of 'The Incidental Ouseburn', walking tours of the valley taking in art, architecture and the everyday in 'The Valley'... There will be a tour on both the Saturday and the Sunday leaving from Foundry Lane Studios at 12.30pm. If you work out how to use that new fandangled QR code stuff before coming along there will be additional elements of fun for you on the tour... Please email us to book a place at info@xsitearchitecture.co.uk

As well as touring and projecting our latest work around the building we will be cooking up another 'Pop-up Kitchen'. There will be cakes, biscuits and sweet treats for sale as well as Onion and Gruyere Tarts, tasty Leek Potato and Parsley Soup and Spanish Chorizo Stew to warm you up...

Amy Dover, xsite's latest Creative Resident, is transforming part of the building into a secret room, a hidden world of beast, birds and creatures, with lots of new works for sale. If you don't know her work have a look on her website, it is really beautiful...

Jill Tate, an architectural photographer, will be showing new work, with large and small scale prints and cards for sale. Alex Charrington will be showing new prints and studies from his studio space, as well as new web and graphics work from Morph Creative. Bubblegum Vegas will also be having a stall selling tattoo and 50s inspired jewellery and accessories... With lots going on all around our building and all the other venues around the Ouseburn it would be great to see you over the course of the weekend.

You can find out more about everything going on here on the Ouseburn Open Studios website.