July 4 2023

Cumbernauld is challenging New Town preconceptions with the completion of a landmark social housing scheme.

Sanctuary Scotland with Collective Architecture has delivered 131 homes at Burns Road, Kildrum, replacing three isolated tower blocks with a flowing crescent as part of a new housing strategy.

Faced with a challenging island site bound by dual carriageways the team have retained mature woodland to screen the busy Central Way while upgrading public footpaths, over and underpasses to improve connectivity and better manage the difficult terrain.

Oriented to face south to the Campsie Hills over open parkland the design employs a distinctive deck-access curve bookended by two powerful gables which follow the curved northern boundary. Parking is tucked away to the rear while an informal play area takes centre stage, part of a landscape strategy that includes tree planting and communal gardens.

Alternating pitched tile roofs add variety to the skyline with a light grey brick base contrasting with darker clay brick on upper facades and collonades. The curved theme continues with arched entranceways clad in recessed jade-glazed brickwork.

Project architect Alan Smith said: “Burns Road provides unique architectural forms, bespoke landscaping and public art sculpture features to create high-quality social housing for Cumbernauld. We enjoyed working closely with the client and the local community to provide quality homes with a strong sense of character and identity.”

A sculpture strategy enhances the civic status of the development, continuing the 'Town Artists' legacy established in the 1960s with artist Laurs Aldridge creating works inspired by the St Enoch Clock to mark pathways and residents' spaces.

Photography shown courtesy of Andrew Lee

10 Comments

#1 Posted by TheFakeArchitect on 4 Jul 2023 at 10:26 AM

This looks a great scheme and well done to all involved. Nice to see a wee departure from the same square blocks that appear everywhere at the moment.

#2 Posted by Roddy_ on 4 Jul 2023 at 12:05 PM

Still following the New Town paradigm of buildings as islands disconnected from streets.

The buildings are tall and densely occupied - but still not urban - with the pattern of high speed local roads dictating the overall forms and typology. The clothes have changed but the underlying structure hasn't.

#3 Posted by E=mc2 on 4 Jul 2023 at 14:01 PM

Budget Bofill ????

#4 Posted by Janet Freeman on 4 Jul 2023 at 18:34 PM

Sorry it reminds me of a workhouse .

#5 Posted by Jacqueline Armitage on 4 Jul 2023 at 20:39 PM

I was brought up in Cumbernauld and it was fine in it's day. These new flats look lovely but the problem is as always the people you put in them. There has already been quite a bit of police activity and no doubt the flats will soon look like a dogs breakfast
A shame as it's always the few who ruin it for the rest

#6 Posted by William c on 4 Jul 2023 at 22:15 PM

I think these flats look amazing even at night with all the stairwells lit up hopefully the tenants are proud of what they have and look after, it’s like a wee village of its own and I personally think this should win an architectural award.

#7 Posted by Thomas donaldson Clelland on 5 Jul 2023 at 00:51 AM

Looks absolutely amazing, all depends on the tenants that you put in them

#8 Posted by Sue Pearman on 5 Jul 2023 at 10:00 AM

Everything seems back to front here. There are no cars on the streets and where there should be courtyards they are filled with cars. So you have doubled up on the road surface by creating roads to the front and to the back and lost the opportunity to create private defensible space to the rear.

#9 Posted by Heidfirst on 5 Jul 2023 at 13:14 PM

I quite like the building forms but am less keen on the scheme that they have utilised the different coloured bricks in ...

#10 Posted by Paul G on 5 Jul 2023 at 23:07 PM

They look great inside and out. Sadly can't be said for the tenants. One block in particular is already on the way to ruin with vandalism and hooliganism

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