Hillhouse Road

Working with The JR Group on behalf of Link Group, MAST designed Hillhouse Road as an independent retirement living development on a prominent corner site to the west of Hamilton town centre. The scheme provides 29 one- and two-bedroom homes for social rent, including two wheelchair-accessible flats, together with shared facilities for residents.

The site came with a number of constraints that helped shape the layout, including an existing gas main and associated no-build zone, a new electricity substation and land safeguarded for future road improvements. Mature trees along the southern boundary were also retained, helping establish a more settled landscape around the new building.

The accommodation is arranged within two three-storey wings linked by a lower central element containing the principal communal spaces and mobility scooter storage. This stepped arrangement allows the building to respond to the curved site boundary through a series of distinct frontages, with projecting window surrounds used to mark key points in the elevation.

At the centre of the scheme, the shared accommodation was developed with an interior designer to provide a comfortable, informal focus for residents. To the rear, the building encloses a sheltered landscaped courtyard, offering usable outdoor space while creating greater separation and privacy for ground-floor homes.

The residential model developed at Hillhouse Road has since informed further retirement living projects for Link Group, particularly in the way private homes, communal spaces and accessible outdoor areas are brought together.