STUDIO
ILDSJEL

Hawick Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) was a six-year, £1.5 million heritage-led regeneration programme aimed at repairing and revitalising Hawick’s historic town centre, protecting its architectural heritage and improving the wider streetscape.

Working for Scottish Borders Council, I managed the delivery of the scheme, drawing on my architectural background to coordinate property owners, professional agents, local contractors, the council and Historic Environment Scotland. My role covered the entire process, from developing viable scopes of work and negotiating funding approvals to resolving technical and financial challenges, coordinating contractors and monitoring workmanship on site.

Working with multiple owners, each with different priorities and financial circumstances, required a practical, solutions-focused approach. I helped owners and their agents develop appropriate, affordable and grant-eligible proposals, ensuring that professional fees and repair costs were proportionate to the available funding and that projects could progress from initial proposals to completed works.

Alongside traditional building repairs, the scheme delivered targeted initiatives including a gutter-cleaning project, shopfront improvements and public-realm enhancements to the front of the former Glenmac Mill, helping improve both individual buildings and the wider townscape.

The role combined architectural conservation, project management, stakeholder negotiation and hands-on problem-solving, turning ambitious heritage objectives into deliverable projects despite the practical and financial challenges of regeneration.