Best regeneration project – up to 100 homes

Ross Street Mews is a modest housing development with a transformative impact. Once home to the notorious Ross Street Flats, a housing scheme plagued by crime and neglect, the site had long been regarded as a symbol of west Belfast’s decline.

 

Today that narrative has been rewritten. The partners have redeveloped this site into a safe, welcoming and connected street, with 24 energy-efficient homes for social rent, several of which are fully wheelchair-accessible units.

 

The design of this scheme reimagines the traditional Belfast terrace, with a pedestrian-prioritised layout that fosters passive surveillance, active frontages and neighbourly interaction. Secure, south-facing private gardens maximise sunlight and well-being. The mews configuration nurtures connection and safety in the public realm, in stark contrast to the isolated walkways and neglected alleys of the old Ross Street Flats. Anonymity and fear have been replaced with openness and dignity.

 

This project has revitalised the neighbourhood. It has eliminated criminal activity from the site, restored safety and beauty to the street, and delivers a genuine sense of home.

 

The judges said:

“An exceptional transformation that has eliminated serious crime from a notorious site and created a safe, thriving neighbourhood with outstanding design in one of Northern Ireland’s most deprived areas”