Month: August 2014

Theatre Royal Back of House Refurbishment

Posted on by will_mwsnkrr

Theatre Royal Back of House Refurbishment
Location: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Sectors: Civic, Heritage, Leisure

This latest project completed by MawsonKerr at the Theatre Royal comprises half million pound refurbishment project over six floors of dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces, band rooms, staff facilities and an enlarged green room area. Construction work within the Grade I listed building was phased floor by floor basis over 14 months while the building was live with actors and staff for the majority of the works.

The Iconic building has an amazing history and we were delighted to be involved in redesigning the back of house area to a brief of providing ‘the best dressing room facilities in the country’. In opening up the existing cellular space on the ground floor the back of house has a new heart working with artists and photographers bringing the spaces to life.

Norbord OSB Housing

Posted on by will_mwsnkrr

OSB Low Rise High Density
Location : Byker, Newcastle
Sectors: Residential, Affordable, Competition, Sketchbook

This housing prototype was developed for a RIBA Journal competition looking into the potential for Norbord OSB as a product for creating affordable housing.

Working with the material our proposal pushed the material in terms of providing shelter, structure and form within a 4.8×4.8m module that allowed for interlocking units. The way the units tessellate presents a private space available to each unit proving a density of 115 units per hectare. CNC techniques are utilised to give minimal waste and allow construction on site by relatively unskilled labour. We chose a brown field site in Byker to show how the units could be planned forming a new community complex on unused plots of land.

Our design went on to win the competition with discussions ongoing to develop the prototype for affordable housing.