Kildonan St Municipal Building

North Lanarkshire Council appointed Collective Architecture in February 2021 to lead a combined consultancy team to deliver the design and contract management of the proposed conversion of Kildonan Street Council offices, incorporating part demolition, façade retention, part conversion, some new build properties and some new interventions. The building is currently owned by North Lanarkshire Council and the proposals are primarily for conversion from office to residential use with some "touchdown” office provision for internal spaces unsuitable for converting to accommodation. The majority of the building area will be re-purposed to social housing but the former council chambers will house an area of business space where conversion to social housing is not practical or economically viable. This area will be retained under Council management. 

The building sits on a sloping site at the junctions of Dunbeth Road, Kildonan Street and Muiryhall Street with a private access road to open courtyard to rear of building, forming a U-plan. As a result of the slope there is a large partial basement area while the building varies from 3 – 4 storeys in height with the modern replacement to the rebuilt wing on Kildonan Street having a fifth floor within the roof space. To the south west is the main town centre while the north and east areas are predominantly residential. Coatbridge High School sits behind the building to the east separated by a private car park and the grounds of the school. A second larger car park is located across Dunbeth road overlooked by the main façade. Immediately to the south are the extensive open grounds to a block of multi-storey flats. There is no public space associated with the building with the three main facades sitting directly behind the public footpath. 

The Coatbridge Municipal Buildings, originally Coatbridge Town Hall was built as the headquarters for the Coatbridge Burgh Council and was designed by Alexander McGregor Mitchell. Mitchell had established a practice in Coatbridge prior to this and was involved with a number of important buildings in the area. Built in the renaissance style in red stone ashlar and pitched slated roof it was completed in 1894. The impressive north wing of the building was badly damaged in a fire and was rebuilt in 1992 with the main corner repeating some of the architectural features of the main façade with a more pragmatic modern brick and cladding design further east along Kildonan Street.

The new design provides 42nr residential units covering a GIFA of 4,766m2 and office accommodation covering a GIFA of 1,632m2. 

- Conversion of main building into 43 residential units (Including 5 amenity flats) 

- Provision of 1632m2 of touch down spaces (including stairs and amenity space) 

- Demolition of the police wing, with facade retention to Muiryhall Street and the East gable 

- A rooftop extension to the North Wing 

- Creation of a central resident’s amenity space, a people priority zone, with restricted vehicle access (for emergency access only) 

- 50% car parking provision is provided. 22 parking spaces are provided to the east of the site with EV charging provision. Includes 5 disabled spaces. 

- Provision of secure external bin and bike stores making use of existing out-buildings as well as creating some new build structures. 

- Whole building approach to Retrofit