The Malings

The Malings is a development of 76 homes on a steeply sloping former industrial site on the banks of the Ouseburn River, just east of Newcastle City Centre. It is designed to create an authentic piece of the city in an area where there has been no residential development for almost a century.

The scheme takes cues from the traditional life of terraced streets to create a cohesive community. Every home has its own front door that opens directly onto a street with a communal gathering space at its centre. Other less formal community magnets have been included such as allotment plots, communal cycle stores and shared recycling spaces.  Non-residential units at quayside level for community and social enterprise uses enliven the waterside.

There are two main residential types: the terraced house, generally three storeys with a small garden behind; and a variant of the ‘Tyneside flat’, whereby one maisonette is stacked over the other to create four-storey units, the lower of which has a garden and the upper a roof terrace. Other types include tower houses and courtyard houses. The terraces run up and down the contours of the site rather than along them, creating a syncopated roofline and allowing all homes to be positioned for mid-afternoon sun.

Internal common areas such as lifts, staircases and corridors are eliminated, significantly reducing management charges for residents, while still providing apartment level urban density.