Hill Street

Hill Street replaces a series of unpopular three-storey flatted blocks on a prominent site just north of Kilmarnock town centre. Previously associated with crime, anti-social behaviour and poorly defined public and private space, the redevelopment offered an opportunity to rethink both the housing mix and the character of the wider neighbourhood.

Delivered for Cunninghame Housing Association, the scheme provides 45 new homes, with a deliberate shift towards family housing alongside cottage flats, amenity homes and dedicated wheelchair accommodation. The mix was developed in response to local housing need and formed an important early component of wider regeneration activity in this part of Kilmarnock.

The existing street structure was largely retained, but the layout was reworked to transform Montgomery Street from an enclosed and unwelcoming route into a genuine residential street. Terraced homes, landscaped edges and grouped parking create a stronger sense of enclosure and overlooking, while a new pedestrian connection to Hill Street forms a landscaped amenity space at the heart of the development.

Buildings along Hill Street reinforce the urban character of this important route, while lower-scale family housing creates a more domestic environment within the site. A mixture of two and three-bedroom terraces, cottage flats and bungalows responds to differing household needs, with accessible homes integrated throughout.  A robust masonry palette, deep window reveals and recessed brick detailing give the buildings a strong, cohesive character. Distinctive sawtooth roof forms break down the scale of the terraces and help mark key routes and spaces.

Together, the new homes, landscape and reworked street pattern have transformed the character of the site, creating a more welcoming residential environment with clearer ownership, stronger connections and a greater sense of place.