Andrew Nisbet Place

Andrew Nisbet Place was developed with CCG and East Ayrshire Council as part of the Council’s Future Homes programme, providing a new model of supported accommodation on the site of a former adult training facility in Hurlford.

The development provides 14 one-bedroom amenity flats, including wheelchair-accessible homes, together with an on-site staff base. MAST worked closely with the Council’s housing and occupational therapy teams to develop an environment that could support a range of individual needs while retaining the character and privacy of an ordinary home.

A simple L-shaped plan places the flats along the north and east street frontages, with circulation arranged internally around a south-facing communal garden. Extensive glazing creates a strong visual connection between the shared areas and the landscape, while widened circulation spaces provide informal places for residents to meet rather than functioning solely as corridors.

The garden forms the focus of the plan, combining hard and soft landscaping to provide an attractive and accessible outdoor space for residents. This relationship between private homes, shared internal spaces and the garden became an important part of the assisted living model subsequently developed on other East Ayrshire sites.

The open circulation arrangement also required close coordination with specialist fire engineers, including smoke modelling to demonstrate a compliant escape strategy; whilst a high-performance timber frame, efficient heating and ventilation systems and photovoltaic panels helped each home achieve Section 7 Silver Aspects 1 and 2.

The scheme was shortlisted at the 2019 Inside Housing Awards and the 2020 Scottish Home Awards, recognising an early project in what became a wider programme of assisted living developments across East Ayrshire.