Apart-hotel / mixed use development in Conservation Area.
The development proposal outlined here builds upon a previous proposal by the practice for a mixed-use development on the same site. Of the previous proposal, English Heritage stated that:
“This is an exemplary submission showing a full understanding of the special character of the Lower Ouseburn Valley. The proposed development is sensitive to its historic context yet still a clearly modern addition to the valley……..would make a positive contribution to this unique part of Newcastle.”
This proposal follows a very similar design strategy referencing the complex guidelines of the Ouseburn Valley Urban Design Framework and responding to the special architectural character of the Ouseburn Valley Conservation Area,
All accommodation is housed within a single four story structure. As a general principle, the building is arranged with an open aspect fronting onto the tight and irregular boundary along Foundry Lane and with a with a closed rear aspect towards the steep valley side.
Apart-hotel apartments are arranged over four identical upper floors fronting Foundry Lane. The ground floor hosts a large street-fronting commercial unit together with entrances to both apart-hotel accommodation and the parking garage.
The built elements of this proposal are in keeping with the scale of the area and extend to the extremities of the site, creating clearly defined street and building edges.
Building along or close to the edges of the site and the creation of a tight built frontage to ‘back of pavement’ and provision of active frontage along Foundry Lane is an important aspect of the urban design objectives of this proposal.
With a limited frontage along Foundry Lane and a desire to give each individual apartment a river / street frontage the overall building mass is subdivided into narrow units, each with principle living accommodation open to this aspect.
Facades are composed by repetition of simple elements and characterised by deep openings in the masonry and exposed structural elements which draw on the Ouseburn’s industrial heritage.
A limited palate of traditional materials is proposed: Red brick, exposed steel and glass are employed to generate buildings which are authentically simple, robust and utilitarian in nature.