LDN Architects appointed for next phase of Hill House conservation

The National Trust for Scotland confirmed the appointment following a competitive procurement process as part of its Mackintosh Illuminated project, which aims both to safeguard the building and to strengthen international recognition of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald’s legacy.

Backed by £1.1 million in development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will create a detailed programme of external and internal works to address the Hill House’s long-standing conservation challenges. The property, completed in 1904, has battled persistent damp issues throughout its history. Since 2019, it has been protected by the pioneering chainmail enclosure—known as the “box”—which has allowed the structure to dry out. This temporary cover is due to be removed in 2028.

Under the contract, which runs until late 2026, LDN Architects will also design improved visitor facilities, including a café, shop, and toilets, as well as contribute to wider plans for learning resources and community engagement.

Elizabeth Davidson, project director for Mackintosh Illuminated, said: “We were very impressed with the quality of those who came forward to tender for this project and are incredibly grateful for all the hard work and preparation that goes into a process like this.

“We are excited to be working with LDN Architects on this critical development stage, during which we will create detailed plans for the next steps in the conservation of the Hill House, the removal of the pioneering box, and designs for updated visitor facilities at the site.”

She added that the Trust anticipates securing up to £7.3 million in additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the plans in full, alongside a major fundraising campaign and investment from the Trust itself.

LDN Architects brings extensive experience in heritage projects, including work on Orkney’s Scapa Flow Museum, Abbotsford in the Borders, and the Trust’s own Newhailes property in Musselburgh.

Mark Hopton, partner at LDN, described the Hill House as “one of a select few buildings in Scotland that are world-famous.”

“It is Mackintosh’s most important domestic design and one of Scotland’s most significant contributions to 20th-century world architecture. Our challenge is to solve the problems of water ingress that have plagued the building throughout its life and recover the design authenticity and artistic integrity of Charles Rennie and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh’s original design intent.

We look forward to working closely with the National Trust for Scotland to deliver a project that will demonstrate what 21st-century conservation can be: technically excellent, philosophically rigorous, publicly inspiring, and environmentally sustainable.”

Work to remove the Hill House’s roughcast is due to begin in October.