Bigg Market, Newcastle

Putting the heart back into the Bigg Market, the clients brief for the regeneration of Newcastle's historic centre - a joint venture by Newcastle City Council and NE1 returning the fortunes of a run down but yet much loved central market square synonymous with all who know Newcastle.

Infamous as part of Newcastle's legendary nightlife, this core of the city had become neglected. Many of the historic building facades needing urgent work ahead of the original detail being lost forever. The key historic centre of Newcastle went under a major facelift as part of a Townscape Heritage Initiative funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with MawsonKerr as lead consultant and architects.

The project has involved 12 of the surrounding buildings on Bigg Market, Cloth Market and Groat Market along with the public realm and iconic Victorian Gentlemen's WC. Over a 5 year period the buildings were individually repaired using historic conservation techniques and involving various crafts people. The project placed conservation as the agent of change to facilitate the regeneration of the Bigg Market Newcastle. The market place itself had a more extensive redesign in collaboration with landscape architects Southern Green. The design created has various plateaus on the sloped market square to allow a cafe culture to thrive and bring a day time offering to compliment the night time one. A unique space at the bottom of the Bigg Market is the former Gentlemen's WC. This space was transformed with new roof, sympathetic to the original, and now a popular cocktail bar - what else would it be...

As part of the £3.2 million budget NE1 are organising various events and workshops to celebrate the enhancement of the area.

Awards

Constructing Excellence - National Award for Conservation & Regeneration
Newcastle Lord Mayors Award – Transformational Frontage
RICS North East – Heritage Shortlisted

“The Bigg Market Project is fast becoming an exemplar model of heritage led regeneration and conservation. The success of this project is testament to the collaborative approach taken by the project partners and the unwavering commitment to quality”.

Alex Slack

Client and Head of Special Projects - NE1

“The success of the Bigg Market regeneration is evident for all to see, everything that has been achieved to date reflects the commitment, dedication and professionalism of the team leading the project. Newcastle’s historic heart is critical to the success of the wider city transformation plans and sets the very high bar for us to continue to deliver to”

Tom Warburton

Interim Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council

At completion in 2022, the Bigg Market is a vibrant, inclusive space, celebrated by artists, residents and the business community. It is now a viable space for investment, enjoyment and activity. Newcastle has it's historic heart back and beating louder than ever. At the time of writing, the additional investment (over and above the project costs) in the area has surpassed £17 million pounds, creating over 350 jobs along the way.

The Public Realm has been redeveloped and has demonstrated it's viability as a flexible public space. The strategy of giving it a new purpose and character while being sympathetic to the heritage is there for all to see. It has hosted Public Events and heralded the return of the much-loved markets, it has further enabled resident businesses outside space to trade and change the image of the Bigg Market from purely evening offering to a European public square.

During the development phase, 15 buildings were identified as at risk and in need of attention, 12 of these have now been restored directly through the project with a further 8 properties in the locale carrying out improvement works. At the time of writing, the additional investment (over and above the project costs) in the area has surpassed £17 million pounds, creating over 350 jobs along the way.

The project has demonstrated a best-in-class approach with it's professional team, drawing on the skills of surveyors, architects, archaeologists, conservationists and other specialists. This has been echoed by the client testimonials received.

The project has been cited as an exemplar in several academic papers and was recently published on the Government's High Street Task Force website HERE.

Rectory Road

Located in Gosforth Conservation Area in Newcastle our Rectory Road contemporary extension to an early twentieth century semi detached house enables the young family modern, flexible living spaces. The composition reflects the roofline and pitch of the existing and allows for a lower eaves adjacent to the neighbour, interlocking the existing house without dominating it. Large openings to the ground and first floor bring the garden into the house, and a raised terrace allows a continuous connection between interior and exterior living areas.

The contrasting finish to the extension gives clear delineation between old and new and is bold contemporary extension clad in dark stained timber throughout aided by the crisp detailing to the window openings and outline of the extension.

Birdoswald Roman Fort

Birdoswald Roman Fort is part of Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade II listed (Courtyard Buildings). The Cumbrian site is run by English Heritage with the existing visitor centre providing interpretation displays for the Roman Fort as well as a new café, retail, education space and accommodation. On an elevated site the building benefits from expansive views across Northumberland and Cumbria.

This project looked at an overall masterplan and refurbishment/new build options for the centre including visitor flow and experience.

A key aspect to the project was the spatial assessment of the current and proposed and the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ that needed to be solved to appropriately accommodate all functions to maximise the visitor experience and allow for an efficient running of the site. The design involved both refurbishment and a new build contemporary glazed link.

We have worked closely with the project team to develop and scheme which we be an exemplar family experience and their flagship family site on the Wall.

Awards

RICS North West Leisure and Tourism Award

100 Grey Street, Theatre Royal

Located within the curtilage of Newcastle's Theatre Royal is the café space at 100 Grey Street. Showcasing a thoughtfully curated, architect-designed interior within a beautifully restored heritage building. This modern café fit-out seamlessly blends historic character with contemporary design, offering a unique and inviting hospitality experience.

Our architectural approach preserved existing features while introducing refined modern finishes. The space features original terrazzo and stone detailing, with timber, ceramic and brass accents. Working with Design North creating a warm and timeless café interior. There is a nod to the famous Frank Matcham theatre through reinterpretation of existing motifs.

Designed to serve as a flexible hub, the layout supports uses with a mix of seating and external space. Natural light floods the space through expansive glazing, enhancing the connection between the café and Newcastle’s bustling Grey Street.

The café counter is designed for both function and visual impact. Lighting is layered to balance mood and utility, using pendant fixtures and discrete downlighting to define zones enhancing customer experience.

Working with the interior team at Design North, the café fit-out at Theatre Royal's 100 Grey Street demonstrates sensitive adaptive reuse within a sensitive historic fabric. The whole project was turned around in 4 months from inception to completion, with a 6 week site period. Whether it’s for a quick espresso or a long lunch, this space has been crafted to welcome, inspire, and connect.

More information on what's happening in the 100 Grey Street HERE.

Star & Shadow Cinema

Star and Shadow Cinema is a co-operative and registered Community Benefit Society which runs an independent theatre whilst providing a venue for artists and musicians. The organisation is run entirely by volunteers with decisions made democratically. Previously located on Stepney Bank Ouseburn they have grown out of their currently venue and managed to secure a dilapidated building on Warwick Street to transform into their new venue. This exciting community led scheme includes a Cinema, Venue Space, Café, Community Spaces, Artist Studios and Workshops which are all to be built by the Star & Shadow volunteers who have many different skills and expertise– a truly immense DIY project .

Design development has been an holistic and bespoke process incorporating ‘found’ items, recycling materials from their current venue and allowing an evolving scheme to incorporate other items founded during construction. The design ethos is ‘buildings within building’ to make maximum use of the volume of the industrial shell whilst also creating the high acoustic performance needed within the cinema and venue space. The layout and design has been created to have a vibrant heart to the building, a welcoming face to the street frontage and to enable volunteers to have a sociable time in the building whatever they have been allocated to do.

Awards

Newcastle Lord Mayors Award – Sustainability Award
RIBA McEwen Award

Lodge House, Gosforth

Located in a conservation area the design drivers of the extension and refurbishment of a dilapidated stone lodge were to preserve the unique character of the lodge whilst providing modern living for the client and a sense of space. The extension is of unique character and unashamedly contemporary whilst still respecting the context. The extension provides a large cooking, eating and entertaining space and an additional bedroom and rationalises previous substandard additions to the lodge.

The natural materials of the zinc roof and the stained rough sawn blackened timber cladding compliments the natural stone and slate of the existing lodge. The asymmetrically nature of the extension roof allows for volumetric interest internally and for North light to penetrate the space, reducing overheating and glare.

Jesmond House as seen on Channel 4

Working in collaboration with Zac Monro we designed (co-authors with Zac) and delivered this high profile project which was aired Channel 4 Inside Out Homes.

The brief was to connect, both physically and visually, the large semi-detached home with the garden and provide a high quality kitchen, dining and family space, within the existing house and a single storey extension. The extension is unashamedly modern and bold with huge sliding doors and chrome coated fin columns. A large slit rooflight allows for natural light to penetrate the existing house and the open plan helps create an airy space.

The studio garden is a vis a vis of the extension but in a thin profile timber cladding which seamlessly wraps the rest of the garden. Using high end materials and careful detailing the quality of the finished project has prevailed.

More can be found out about the project and the suppliers on this link:

http://www.insideouthomes.co.uk/

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-out-homes

http://www.z-m-a.co.uk/

Studio Work

We have completed a number of recording studio’s and acoustically enhanced performance spaces nationwide. Through a strong working relationship with acoustic specialists we are delivering various projects for schools, large companies and private clients.

We have completed specialist facilities at several universities, one off buildings such as Sunbeams Music Centre worked and with a number of high profile music producers nationwide. This work requires a collaborative spirit to ensure the technical requirements of the space are aligned with the design ambition.

There is a keen attention to technical detail required to create successful ambience. Our approach marries the physics of sound with an uncomplicated aesthetic approach.

Darras Hall House as seen on Channel 4

In our second collaboration with Zac Monro, we designed (co-authors with Zac) and delivered this high profile project which had its own episode on Channel 4 Inside Out Homes.

The brief was to enhance the connection, both physically and visually, between the house and the garden. In addition to this the clients wanted to totally modernise and enlarge their dormer bungalow which was suffering from damp and structural issues.

Working within the confines of the strict local planning law we have produced a dynamic and contemporary interpretation of a dormer bungalow will 5-6 bedrooms with huge windows and open plan living to the ground floor. The use of natural light and inventive space creation makes a special place the client can call home and allows for the flexibility for their growing family. Homely yet unashamedly modern.

More can be found out about the project and the suppliers on this link:

http://www.insideouthomes.co.uk/
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/inside-out-homes
http://www.z-m-a.co.uk/

Gosforth Residential Reworking

We worked with a client looking to fully overhaul a property creating a family home in the Gosforth area of Newcastle. The family were keen that the garden linked visually to the house with clear lines of sight from the kitchen and living spaces. Working with the existing structure rather than against, the ground floor has been opened up and connected but allows for a certain separation when different tasks are happening in separate areas.

While the interior has an unashamedly modern feel, the light airy spaces and connection to the garden soften the ambience and give a homely feel. The project also involved a single storey extension at ground level and master bedroom within the roof void with en-suite and study space within the confines of the queen post truss. A full electrical overhaul was required with underfloor heating incorporated into the entire ground floor providing energy efficient heat.