BEST NEW HOMES IN BRITAIN

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Foreword

WHAT HOUSE? AWARDS 2017THE BEST NEW HOMES IN BRITAIN I hope you enjoyed the show, the day the new homes flag flies

highest and many congratulations to all the winnersand their supply chains. You are a credit to thehousebuilding industry and should be immenselyproud of your achievements.

The houses, the products, the bricks and mortarcontinue to be the stars of the show, highlighting the very best work of Britain’s housebuilders andsilencing those lazy critics who still assume the newhomes industry only churns out bland uniformity orworse. Get out of your ivory towers and look around.

However, what has been particularly noticeable thisyear is how entrants have showcased their people –the talent within their organisations and the need tofind more of it to solve a skills crisis of monumentalproportions. Just one reason why we are delightedthis year to support Dallaglio RugbyWorks, a charityhelping teenagers who are not in mainstreameducation into employment, training or education.

Housebuilders quite rightly are always keen totrumpet their customer care initiatives, but more andmore are emphasising the importance of trainingand nurturing their own employees – fromencouraging apprentices into their fold through tocareer paths from building site to boardroom. The

culture of a housebuilder should be woven into thevery walls of their new homes; the staff the veryfoundations of award-winning schemes.

Industry leaders came on stage to receive theirawards from our event hosts Jack Whitehall andLawrence Dallaglio, but I would once again urgetoday’s award-winners to find and highlight theyoungest person who worked in whatever capacityon their winning development, who played his orher part in building some of the best new homes inBritain – further proof that new homes create jobsfor young people and rewarding careers in anindustry absolutely vital to this country’s economicand social well-being.

This is what the best housebuilders, large andsmall, and their supply chains, can deliver. There areskills in abundance in the outstanding propertiesand housebuilders showcased in this magazine.

The industry has many challenges ahead, but fornow let us celebrate the best new homes in Britain.

We would like to thank all the housebuilders,suppliers and other industry colleagues who haveonce again supported this great event, with specialthanks to the Awards sponsors and judges.

Rupert BatesEditorial DirectorWhat House Digital & Show House magazinerb@globespanmedia.com

Globespan Media is the organiser of the WhatHouse? Awards and also publishes the leading trade title for the housebuilding industry, Show House.

Its sister consumer-facing business is WhatHouse.com, the leading new homes portal.

Editorial director: Rupert Bates • Creative director: Kelly Bates • Chief sub-editor: Suzanne Frost• Sales director: Adrian Talbot (at@globespanmedia.com)

Globespan Media Ltd – 5th Floor, 291-299 Borough High Street, London SE1 1JG 020 7940 1070

www.whathouse.com | www.showhouse.co.uk

Housebuilder of the Year

Berkeley GroupIt is a bold statement to compareyour community spirit and social responsibilities to greatVictorian businessmen andphilanthropists such as the Leverbrothers (Port Sunlight on TheWirral) and Titus Salt (Saltaire inWest Yorkshire).

But it is this robust belief that,amid the profits that make theheadlines, you are doing good thathousebuilders need much moreof. Shout it from the rooftops.

Berkeley Group, through its 41-year history, has styled itselfhousebuilder, property developer,placemaker and now communitybuilder.

Berkeley doesn’t just read themarkets in terms of how it runs its business, it taps the social

zeitgeist too, which is one reasonwhy it is Britain’s fourth mostadmired company across allsectors and industries.

The group mixes hard-edgedcommercial savvy, with soft socialskills. Integrity and respect arefamiliar values espoused by itsexecutives, led by chairman and

founder Tony Pidgley and groupmanaging director Rob Perrins.Berkeley is a FTSE 250 companydeveloping under six brands –Berkeley, St James, St George, St Edward, St Joseph and StWilliam. London and the south-east is its vast manor, butBirmingham’s Gun Quarter will

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see 400 homes from the new StJoseph stable in the Midlands.

More than £0.5bn of subsidieshave gone into affordablehousing and wider communityand infrastructure benefits in thelast year; while Berkeley’s healthand safety record, supported byan Innovation Fund for ideasimproving health and safety, was its best ever. Meanwhile, the Berkeley Foundation hascommitted more than £10m tocharities around homes, jobsskills and care since beinglaunched in 2011.

While ‘modernise or die’ hasbeen a mantra promoting theadoption of modern methods of construction, Berkeley has simply got on with beinginnovative with its own housing

typology and modular solutionsand a commitment to net bio-diversity gain on its sites.

Berkeley is also acutely aware of the skills shortage crisis and the urgent need topromote housebuilding as acareer. Last year it launched itsown Apprentice Awards and

currently employs more than 650apprentices in the group.

Incidentally, in the 2016 list of Britain’s Most AdmiredCompanies, Unilever camesecond, just two places higherthan Berkeley. Perhaps the Leverbrothers reference is not a boldcomparison, but entirely fitting.

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Housebuilder of the Year

Best Large Housebuilder

GOLDBerkeley Group

Everybody loves a before andafter picture story, be it a smallprivate project upgrading yourown kitchen, or, in the case of Berkeley Group, urbanregeneration on an epic scale.

Here are just two exampleshighlighting the housebuilder’splacemaking skills and ability todeliver at scale and why Berkeleyis once again worthy of gold inthis category.

Kidbrooke Village circa 2009was a no-go area even for police, ahugely deprived, notorious 1970s’housing estate. The 2017 model isa new London village of 1,450homes and 667 affordable andextra-care homes, 136 acres oflandscaped parkland and newschool buildings.

Turn the Royal Arsenal dial backto 2001 in Woolwich and therewere no homes, derelict heritagebuildings, contaminated land andgeneral deprivation. Now there are2,600 homes – a third affordable –pubs, a microbrewery, local start-up businesses, a train station, ariver bus service and a culturalquarter hosting public events. Thescheme has created more than3,000 jobs, with more than £15.5minvested in the community. Rob

Perrins, group managing directorof Berkeley, called Royal ArsenalRiverside “a real-life manifestationof sustainability”. Sustainability andsocial integration, communityplans rolled out across 12 sites to deliver “successful places”through measurable targets,Berkeley simply refuses to rest ongold-plated, copper-bottomedlaurels, always prepared to pushboundaries, looking ahead,staying ahead and constantlythinking in terms of both today’scustomer and tomorrow’s legacy.

SILVERCALA HomesCALA, 142 years young, hopes tobe building around 2,500 homesa year with £1bn revenue by2020 and it is certainly goingabout its rapid growth in the right,sustainable way.

Dip into any aspect of CALA’sperformance in the last year andyou see highachievements, be it in developingsites across itseight regionalbusinesses, ordeveloping people.

What strikes youabout a company

that badges itself “the UK’s mostupmarket major homebuilder” is the culture that permeates the business. It lists its fourfoundation values around itspeople as passion, quality, respectand delivery.

Culture cannot be created andsustained without engagement,with employees not just sharing inoverall company strategy, but beingpart of it, whatever your job title.

CALA has a flourishing charitypartnership with the Prince’s Trust,running a ‘Get into Construction’programme with City of GlasgowCollege, with work placements andcollege placements leading tosubcontractor apprenticeships. Beit through training, development,recognition or rewards, CALA’scommitment to its staff is secondto none.

Community engagement andcustomer service go hand in hand with its new developments,with enduring and innovativedesign excellence throughout theproduct mix, always true to localcontext and buyer need andinvariably sprinkled with sales andmarketing stardust.

Another award in the toughestof categories that recognises thebest of the biggest. CALA doesn’tjust build houses, it builds people,while its wider responsibility topromote the industry is anexample to its peers.

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BRONZERedrow

Redrow continues to deliveroutstanding financial results. Butlook behind the profit and yousee the excellence of the peopleand products responsible for therecord-breaking numbers.

Redrow delivers through every facet of its business. It cancontribute new garden cities suchas Ebbsfleet in Kent, where Redrowwill deliver nearly 1,000 homes intoa new community expected toreach up to 15,000 new properties.It is equally ambitious in the north-west, with two garden villages.

Numbers never come at theexpense of product and design.The Redrow landscape is diverse,ranging from its Arts & Craft-inspired Heritage homes, through Georgian influences tocutting edge and contemporary.Blake Tower at the Barbican, forinstance, sees Redrow takebrutalist architecture and turn the building into sleek, stylishapartments, while ColindaleGardens in north-west London is avast regeneration scheme to createa brand new neighbourhood.

Consumer engagement andfeedback is key and Redrowproduced a report this year called ‘Creating Britain’s newcommunities’, surveying 2,000people on what they want

from newdevelopments.

Redrowcontinues to leadthe way when it comes toapprenticeships,training and staffdevelopment.The issue ofskills shortages is beyond criticaland Redrow went to the root of the problem, with its researchrevealing poor careers advice and misconceptions, which put off young people from entering the industry.

The housebuilder has called for more collaboration andcommunication to promote theindustry and is both a doer and athought leader in this field.

BRONZECountryside PropertiesCountryside Properties, foundedin 1958, was an early adopter of the term ‘placemaking’, usedto portray a business in terms of beliefs, not just bricks –what Countryside refers to as“delivering enduring value” andwhere “people feel a true senseof belonging”.

Countryside runs two thrivingdivisions: housebuilding andpartnerships. Housebuilding alsoincludes the award-winning luxury

home brand Millgate, acquired bythe group in 2014 and continuingto set new benchmarks at thehigh end of the market, withschemes such as Knowle HillPark in Cobham.

The partnerships division is oneof the country’s leading urbanregenerators, taking on big publicsector sites to deliver mixed-tenurehomes in partnership with housingassociations and local authorities.

One shining example of this workis Acton Gardens in Acton, WestLondon – a £840m, 16-year projectto regenerate one of the largestcouncil-built estates in London, run-down and crime-ridden. It is ajoint venture with L&Q and EalingCouncil and the masterplan is formore than 2,800 homes.

Countryside is nothing if not big and bold with its majordevelopments, with Beaulieu inChelmsford, Essex, another in itsportfolio, delivering 3,600 homes.

Design is also central to thecompany’s ambition and delivery,with Abode near Cambridge anexample of its contemporary flair.

Skills and training rank very hightoo and for 26 years Countrysidehas run Local Labour inConstruction schemes on its majorregeneration projects.

Turning eyesores into landmarksat scale requires collaborative skilland vision, which Countryside,from the top down, has inabundance.

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Best Large Housebuilder

Best Medium Housebuilder

GOLDHopkins Homes

Hopkins Homes, founded byexecutive chairman JamesHopkins in 1993, has beenentering and winningWhatHouse? Awards for 20 yearsand now wins its biggestaccolade so far, with gold in ahugely competitive category.

Hopkins Homes is the largestindependent housebuilder in EastAnglia – a long way from its birthwith just four employees. It now,directly and indirectly, supportsaround 2,000 jobs.

The team, with the Hopkinshead office within its Melton Parkdevelopment in Woodbridge,Suffolk, is passionately committedacross all disciplines, with trainingand staff development ensuringbars are continuously raised byone of the region’s most respectedbusinesses.

Where Hopkins has alwaysscored highly – underscored by itswealth of awards down the years –is in design. It builds houses withpretty faces that doff the cap to thevernacular, without tumbling intopastiche; enhancing communitiestoo, be it bold new developmentsor sensitive, restorative work onbrownfield sites.

East Anglia, throughS106 payments, offsitefacilities, communityinfrastructure projectsand creating schoolplaces, has a lot tothank Hopkins for. The last financial yearsaw the housebuilderclosing in on 1,000homes a year, withprices starting fromjust under £120,000.

Hopkins Homes,largely by dint of its designexcellence, was selected byUrban&Civic as its first residentialpartner at Alconbury Weald inCambridgeshire – the largestplanned brownfield residentialdevelopment in the UK, stretchingto more than 1,400 acres. If youwant to set the tone and thepalette, call Hopkins.

SILVERHillHill doesn’t miss a beat in theenduring quality of its work andthe boldness and breadth of itsambition. It was another recordyear in financial performance forthe Essex-based business, takingthe group’s net worth past £100mand with a very healthy pipelineand land bank, equating to morethan 3,200 homes. Hill broke

through the 1,000th private homesale too last year, which also sawwork started on two big schemesin North West Cambridge andBarton Park, Oxford.

Hill is highly sought after as apartner – be it pioneering JVs withuniversities, or work with housingassociations, such as Hyde,Origin and Peabody, and localauthorities like Ealing Council – to deliver critically neededaffordable housing.

Staff training and employeeengagement remain among thebest in the industry. Hill had itslargest ever intake into itsmanagement trainee programmeand introduced a Women’sInnovation Forum to review thecompany’s processes and values.Subcontractor performance isequally important and Hill hasrolled out a supply chain system,assessing subcontractors toproduce star ratings.

Customer service has seen anumber of new initiatives, with the journey from initial enquiry tomoving in and beyond trackedand measured and makingcustomers well aware of how anypost-completion defects will bedealt with.

Cast an eye over its propertyportfolio and the eye is drawn tothe veracity of the architecture –always contextual, never uniform –

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and such is Hill’s reputation, thegovernment white paper used oneof its developments to showcasedesign quality.

BRONZEChurchill RetirementLivingThe Medium Housebuildercategory of the awards covers a huge number of highly ratedcompanies. Churchill RetirementLiving finished top of the mediumtree last year, before taking theindustry’s blue riband prize –WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year.

2016 was a hard year to cap,but Churchill has kicked onimpressively, driving the businessforward in every facet of theretirement housing sector – not justdelivering the product, but shoutingloudly on behalf of the industry,promoting both the housing andsocial needs of the elderly and the need for the overwhelmingdemographic evidence to beaddressed by both governmentand industry.

Sustainability has never been accurately defined, butChurchill talks of “integrating withcommunities, reducing andpreventing social care costs anddelivering value for society as awhole”. This is an ethos that goesway beyond the delivery ofpurpose-built apartments. The

Churchill Awards,celebrating theachievements of theover 65s across avariety of categories,are testimony to lookingoutside the bricks andmortar of housebuildingin promoting the talentsand values of oldergenerations, not to mention itsfunding of retirement livingresearch at Newcastle University.

Churchill has big growth plans, allied to a commitment tospend £500,000 on staff trainingand building on a culture ofexcellence, which saw anotherFive Star rating in the HBFCustomer Satisfaction Survey.

Churchill was placed 13th in The Sunday Times 100 BestCompanies to Work For andlast year opened its 100thdevelopment. Bronze may not be gold, but another mightyimpressive year.

BRONZEMactaggart & MickelThis Scottish housebuilder isa remarkable family business,now with fourth generation family members in the 92-year-old company.

It is not just family loyalty.Long service medals areregularly awarded, with careerprogression and opportunities

reasons for thecontinued success of‘MacMic’, with thehousebuilder deliveringfive successive yearsof rising profits. Thelatest figures show pre-tax profits up 22% to £12.7m on£74.3m turnover.

Chief executive Ed Monaghanis a shining example of thecompany’s ‘grow your own’philosophy, having started atMactaggart & Mickel as a 16-year-old apprentice painter.

Mactaggart & Mickelannounced this year that it isheading south of the border intoEngland, securing consents onstrategic landholdings, withOxfordshire its first port of call.

Schemes this year includePolnoon in East Renfrewshire – a development of energy-efficienthomes and Red Lion, 17 familyhomes at Newton Mearns, near Glasgow.

This year also saw thecompany win the Queen’s Awardfor Enterprise for SustainableDevelopment for the GlasgowCommonwealth Games AthletesVillage, as part of the City Legacyconsortium. Mactaggart & Mickelwon a Five Star rating in the HBFCustomer Satisfaction Survey forthe fifth successive year andshowed its marketing innovationwith an interactive ‘kitchen styler’tool, allowing customers to createtheir own kitchen finishes.

MacMic also has a range of community sponsorshipinitiatives, including the DerekMickel Architecture Scholarshipat the Glasgow School of Art.

A Scottish builder with a greatheritage and plenty more to comeboth in Scotland and England.

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Best Medium Housebuilder

Best Small Housebuilder

GOLDMetis Homes

The Hampshire housebuilder,based in Winchester, has goneone better, turning silver in thiscategory last year into pure gold.Metis had an outstanding 2017,selling 62 homes acrossHampshire, Dorset and Surreywith an average price of£438,000.

Metis Homes was founded in2007 by managing director AdamO’Brien and Tony Burton, a formerboard director of Linden Homesand Alfred McAlpine Homes, so it launched with a distinguishedhousebuilding pedigree,augmented by investment fromThe RO group.

Team building has mirrored the Metis growth, with a robustselection process ensuring thehiring of top-class talent. Stafftraining is front and centre of the business, with variousprogrammes and initiativesincluding a strong focus oncustomer service.

Metis canboast a 100%planningsuccessrecord in thelast year, with sevenpermissionsfrom seven applications andstakeholder engagement andcommunity collaboration crucial.

Metis has an eclectic designpalette, but with each schemepertinent to its location. It buildscontemporary apartments inGuildford, large detachedtraditional red brick houses nearWinchester, and Portland stoneDorset vernacular beside thewaters of Dorchester.

Town or country, it meets thearchitectural challenge and adds tothe local scene, with sympatheticlandscaping another string to itsbow. Metis expects its supply chain to match its standards,resulting in high specifications andtop quality materials.

Technology and sustainabilityare key future drivers too, as well

as keeping pace with marketinginnovation and enriching thecustomer experience, not tomention the commitment toaftersales service. You sense abuilder with happy staff and happycustomers and a strong cultureestablished within a decade ofbusiness. Simple ambitions, butnot so easy to realise. A goldstandard set.

SILVERFreeman HomesThere is something about familybusinesses that invariablymeans a touch more pride, a bit more passion. When yourname is over the door and on the signage, perhaps youcare more.

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The MF Freeman Group wasfounded in 1966 by Mervyn andJenny Freeman as a plant hirecompany, before their eldest sonLuke Freeman founded FreemanHomes in 1999.

SMEs have to fight hard whenit comes to planning and funding,but, while dealing with thefrustrations and the roadblocks,they must show an unswervingcommitment to quality of product– no corners cut, with localmaterials in the mix and localreputation on the line.

Freeman, based in the Forestof Dean, has done just that with its collection of design-leddevelopments in Gloucestershireand Herefordshire.

Freeman has taken customerand product research to a newlevel with its profiling and isworking with Keith Goffin,professor of innovation and newproduct development at CranfieldSchool of Management.

Freeman leaves no stone,Cotswold or otherwise, unturnedin its quest to improve. Its seniormanagement team undergoesleadership training and joint CEOLuke Freeman, who has a post-graduate certificate in leadership,is completing an MBA, includinga dissertation on ‘responsibleleadership to deliver gooddividends’. Personal development

of staff is also integral to thesuccess and growth of thebusiness.

Sales and marketing is bothstrategic and innovative and thisyear Freeman launched its own‘Lifestyle’ magazine.

There is an energy andauthenticity about this builder thatradiates through its work andFreeman pushed Metis all theway for top spot in a highlycompetitive category.

BRONZEConservation BuildersYou have got to be confident in your ability to deliversustainable, ecologically driven communities if you callyourself Conservation Builders.The confidence is justified, for this company is all aboutbold, bespoke architecturecomplementing, even enhancingnature, notfighting orthreatening it.

This Cotswoldsbusiness wasfounded by thelate JeremyPaxton, aninspirational figurewho created theremarkable LowerMill Estate and his

enduring legacy has been takenon with equal passion andcommitment by his family, led byJeremy’s son Red Paxton.

As well as the ongoing delightsof Lower Mill near Cirencester,Conservation Builders is buildingon the 650-acre Silverlakedevelopment in Dorset.

Lower Mill is a development of holiday homes set within anature reserve, with a series oflakes and lagoons forming acollection of waterside villages.The Habitat House, designed byFeatherstone Young, is a primeexample of the estate’s innovativearchitecture, with a wildflowerliving roof providing a naturalhabit for birds and plants.

Silverlake continues the cleverfusion of natural habitats withmodern design. The Lighthousebeams strong at Silverlake,sustainably built to PassivhausStandard and with redwoodcedar cladding and a wrap-around balcony among its rich features.

As befits bespoke products,buyers have tailored, face-to-faceservices to steer them throughthe design and build process. As for lawn-mowing duties atSilverlake, that’s left to fourDartmoor ponies. Biodiversityand building in one rarecompany.

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Best Small Housebuilder

Housing Association of the Year

GOLDSwan Housing Association

Everything about last year’s silverwinner and 2017’s top dog in this category shouts ambitionand innovation. From its awardentry, with its digital and videocontent, to its determination totake on high-risk, high-rewarddevelopment sites that otherorganisations wouldn’t evenconsider.

Under its new corporatestrategy, in the last year aloneSwan has opened a modularhousing factory in Basildon,which will generate 40 jobs andbuild up to 300 homes a year;secured planning permission forthe final phase of its £100mBeechwood regenerationscheme; and increased itssecured development pipeline tomore than 3,500 homes and4,000 plots.

Its in-house developer, NULiving, has now built more than800 homes and contributednearly £60m to the group’s socialpurpose projects, while the in-house management arm Hera is providing services to othercompanies, operating PRS

developments for Gloriana,Mercury and Red Door Ventures.

Swan has a major focus onproviding community facilities aswell as homes – in the last 12months it has opened The Reachcommunity hub, at its £300mBlackwall Reach regeneration inPoplar, providing youth activities,a book club, exercise classes,and women’s groups, as well asproviding a local events space.

Other recent highlights for thisdynamic organisation includejumping from number 63 tonumber 34 in the most recentSunday Times Best Not For ProfitCompanies To Work For list;retention of SHIFT gold status

(one of only six RSLs to do so);and achieving accreditation fromthe Housing Diversity Network.

A worthy winner with a lot tolive up to next year.

SILVER Thames Valley HousingThames Valley Housing wins theSilver this year for its continuingwillingness to challenge thestatus quo and innovate toachieve its goals.

Thames Valley Housing has anexceptional shared ownershipoffering, with around 7,000homes managed, but its SharedOwnership Plus model offers

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customers a unique opportunityto grow their equity share year-on-year. The association is alsorebranding its shared ownershipproperties to keep the productfresh and interesting.

Elsewhere, its smart strategicpartnership deals mean itsprivate market sales arm, OpalLand, and private rentingproduct, Fizzy Living, contributevaluable cross-subsidies to helpfund new affordable homes andremain ahead of the competitionin terms of brand profile.

Finally, Thames Valley Housingtakes its commitment tocustomers seriously, workinghard to deliver a modern online

service through MyTVH andrefocusing its communityinvestment funds to ensure allprojects help keep managementcosts down and supportresidents get jobs, training and a better service.

BRONZEAster GroupAster has grown significantly inrecent years and is becomingincreasingly ambitious, using itsnew size and strength to delivermore. This year it broke into thetop 10 developers in the sectorand it is undertaking someinteresting projects, including

making CommunityLand Trust schemes areality – somethingothers have struggledwith or shied awayfrom. Its commitment is helping build new homes in ruralcommunities desperatefor affordable housing.Its financial strengthhas also allowed Aster to take the risk on more land-leddevelopments andrapidly boost shared

ownership volumes.Aster’s strategic partnership

with Galliford Try is growing inimportance, with a new £150mfive-year deal in place to create2,500 homes and joint venturesalready delivering on two bigschemes in the south.

A focus on organisationalefficiency is also payingdividends, through cheaperprocurement and improvementsin management andmaintenance, while the AsterFoundation ensures the group“gives something back” to thecommunities it serves.

All in all, an organisation onthe up.

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Housing Association of the Year

Best Build to Rent Project

GOLDThe Slate Yard, Salford,ManchesterLegal & GeneralInvestment ManagementReal AssetsThe Slate Yard in Salford is thefirst completed build to rentscheme by Legal & GeneralInvestment Management RealAssets (LGIMRA) and it has setthe bar high. LGIMRA, part ofLegal & General Group, is one ofthe largest real estate investmentmanagers in the UK, with £24bnof funds under management. Ithas made a big commitment tothe build to rent sector to theinvestment tune of around £1bn,with 1,500 homes currently beingbuilt across five UK cities, withthe business projected to delivermore than 1,000 new homes ayear from 2019.The Slate Yard – 225 one-, two-

and three-bedroom apartments

in two phases– is part of the first residentialphase of the New Baileyregenerationscheme on theSalford waterfrontoppositeSpinningfields.One-bedroomapartments startfrom £895 a month.The scheme has been

specifically designed for rent, withan onus therefore on operationalefficiency and service. Thescheme, with up to five-yearleases available, encouragessocial interaction, with amenityspace, including a club room with work desks, a communalriverfront terrace and alandscaped garden and with agym to follow, but also allows for‘own front door’ privacy andmaking each apartment personal.

Crucially for budgetingpurposes, there are no fees andthe scheme also offers a freeWiFi package and free car clubmembership. With 170 cyclespaces and just seven carparking spaces, the transportemphasis is obvious. There is amix of residents from studentsthrough to pensioners. Designand service, with a 24-hour onsite team, are at the core of theSlate Yard. A gold-winning debutfrom L&G in this brand newawards category.

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SILVERBe:here Hayes, Hayes,MiddlesexBe LivingBe:Here is a development of 133 rented homes in Hayes,Middlesex – a mix of 119apartments for private rent and 14affordable homes. The schemeworks round two interlinkingblocks, with exposed externalwalkways, with undercroft carparking and cycle storage. The Be Living (part of Willmott

Dixon) scheme, a slice of the Old Vinyl Factory mixed-usedevelopment just three minutes’walk from Hayes & Harlingtonstation, has proved popular in thearea, with 20% of tenants havingmoved in from the local area.Confounding an assumption thatthe build to rent sector is allabout Millennials and youngprofessionals, the tenants rangein age from 20 to 60, with overthree-quarters of tenants wantingto stay for at least two to threeyears, or “as long as possible”.Be:Here Hayes has a combined

heat and power system and solarpanels and there is enhancedsound insulation between thebedrooms and the living spaces.Shared amenities include a

landscaped podium on the first

floor of the building, with benchesfor tenants to socialise, while thefifth floor has a landscaped roofterrace, complete with deckchairs.Some of the apartments have

private outdoor gardens, whilepets are welcome, with a certainnumber of units designated aspet-friendly homes.The apartments are fully

furnished, with Habitat supplyingthe designer furniture, andresident feedback has beenoverwhelmingly positive, praisingthe location and design, as wellas the onsite service from theproperty management team.

BRONZERoyal Albert Wharf,Beckton, London E16Folio LondonRoyal Albert Wharf is part of the

regeneration of London’s Royal Docks. The scheme, fromFolio London, the private rentalarm of Notting Hill HousingGroup, comprises 73 rentalapartments, surrounded bywater on three sides, including a new footbridge. Residents have a dedicated

site and facilities managementteam, available 24 hours a day,including concierge services.There are no administration fees,but a £340 holding fee, whichgoes towards the first rentpayment. All of the units were let within five months of launch,with rents starting from £1,100 a month for a one-bedroomproperty. There are onlinesystems to pay rent and trackand log any issues, withapartments also given an annualhealth check.Royal Albert Wharf, close to

Gallions Reach DLR station, ismerely the first phase of ascheme that will deliver morethan 1,500 homes, as well ascommercial units and communityspaces, across nearly 10hectares of east London. A lot has gone into the

contemporary design as well as the service, with bespokebrickwork, including green-glazedfeature bricks.

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Best Build to Rent Project

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Best Starter Home Scheme

GOLD The Crescent, Hertford,HertfordshireNetwork HomesNetwork Homes retains this titlewith another highly successfuldevelopment, this one acollection of 35 homes aimed at local people, including 11 stunning three-storeytownhouses made available tolocal buyers on the SharedOwnership scheme, with aminimum 40% initial investment.

Replacing tired, sub-standardproperties, these three-bedroomhouses have an appealing moderndesign, and each boasts a rearpatio and garden, off-street parkingand two balconies, and an interiorwith an abundance of natural light.

Each home is of a generoussize, with well-appointed rooms,plentiful storage and greatstandard specifications anddesigns for bathrooms andkitchens. Master bedrooms arevery spacious and come withtheir own large balcony, built-inwardrobe and a bathroom.

This popular area – whichbenefits from good schoolsnearby, a range of shops justopposite The Crescent andHertford North station just a few

minutes’ walk away – has verylittle of this kind of propertyavailable, and Network Homeshas worked hard with East HertsDistrict Council to produce high-quality homes aimedspecifically at the local market.The housebuilder provided eventsand information on the purchasescheme to potential buyers in the neighbourhood prior tocompletion, and brought in adedicated aftercare team to helpthose in all 35 homes settle in.

This development has achievedits success in the category withthis excellent combination ofquality, price and service for thosepurchasing a first home.

SILVERLymington Mews,Dagenham, London, RM8Lovell Homes

It isn’t surprising that house-hunters camped overnight to befirst in line for a property atLymington Mews.

First-time buyers prepared toinch to the outskirts of London canbuy a home here for as little as£230,000 and still be withinstriking distance of ChadwellHeath station, which offers fastconnections to Liverpool Street.There is a feeling of permanencyto Chadwell Heath, which is oftenlacking in this category. With a mixof homes, from one-bedroom flatsto four-bedroom houses, and thefoundations laid for a new school,Lymington Mews offers more than just a step onto the propertyladder. The developer is keenlyaware the first-time buyer categorynow includes parents in their 40sas well as young professionals;the patchwork of tenures willensure a mixed community. Thedeveloper has also upped theante for first-time buyer offerings:rooms are generous, ceilings arehigh and storage is ample. A cityworker or young parent would beequally at home. LymingtonMews, a former gravel pit, was the first development built on public land released by theMayor of London in response tothe capital’s housing crisis. It is afine example of what this kind ofpartnership can achieve with theright developer.

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SILVERLocking Parklands,Locking, SomersetSt Modwen HomesThis transformation of a formerRAF site into 1,450 new homes, acollection of shops and schools,extensive space for employmentopportunities and new sports and leisure areas, has provenincredibly popular with thosepurchasing their first property.

To date, nearly three-quartersof those purchasing have beenlocated within 10 miles of thissite. Around 90% of buyers havebeen first-timers and over 70%have been under 35, with Help toBuy and Shared Ownership bothcommonly used to enhance theaffordability. Other offers on legalfees and stamp duty have alsoassisted budget-consciouspurchasers.

The mix of apartments andhouses, all in St Modwen’sdistinctive contemporary designstyle, provides property types tosuit a wide range of budgets andrequirements. Internal/externalspecifications exceed those ofother developments in the region,and purchasers with a little extrabudget are able to choose from arange of optional extras topersonalise their homes.

These homes are just a fewminutes from the M5 and railstations, and within easy reach of

Weston-super-Mare, Bristol and theMendip Hills, meaning both workand leisure options are well served.

Thorough pre- and post-purchase services offered by thishousebuilder further appeal tothose buying a home for the first time.

BRONZEClissold Quarter, Stoke Newington, London, N4Higgins HomesClissold Quarter is one of thosedevelopments that first-timebuyers probably won’t believethey can afford. With Help to Buy,a one-bedroom flat is available to first-time buyers for just£285,000, in an area where theaverage property price reached£676,355 in July 2017. Byrestricting multiple purchasesand excluding overseas sales,the developer has given the localcommunity a chance to gain afoothold in the London Borough

of Hackney; the majority of two-bedroom homes are also pricedwithin the limit for Help to Buy.

Impressively, the developer hasnot cut space to match the price– the smallest apartments onoffer are a generous 544ft². First-time buyers will feel spoiled withample storage, floor-to-ceilingwindows, generous balconiesand a specification a cut abovethe average offering for thiscategory. The developer has alsopaid close attention to its market,offering thoughtful perks such aslifetime access to a car club.

Clissold Quarter is an excitingprospect for a first home in an areacurrently undergoing a makeoverand with Arsenal, Manor Houseand Finsbury Park undergroundstations within easy reach, thedevelopment offers superb value for money. With swathes of communal outside spaceincluding play areas, landscapedgardens and allotments, it is easyto imagine generations callingClissold Quarter home.

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Best Starter Home Scheme

Best House

GOLDPlot 1 Habitat House,Lower Mill Estate,Somerford Keynes,GloucestershireHabitat First GroupPlot 1 Habitat House is part of a development of 10 (to date)contemporary detached four/five-bedroom holiday homes positioned informallylakeside within the unique ruralsurroundings of Lower Mill Estatein the Cotswolds, where a 550-acre nature reserve provides a21st-century country retreat.

These contemporary-stylesustainable houses have beenvery cleverly designed byFeatherstone Young Architects.All the homes are detached andarranged over three floors. Eachhouse has its own garden decksurrounded by lawn and allowingplenty of private unenclosedspace; upstairs balconies providesweeping views over the lake andsurrounding countryside. Theelevations are simple andfunctional and the sleek, modernstyling and the use of localnatural materials, including agreen wildflower roof, localCotswold stone and Western redcedar cladding, allows the homesto blend seamlessly in with therest of the development whilemaintaining their own distinctive

character. Each house has itsown air source heat pump.

Expansive floor-to-ceilingglazing allows the interiors to beflooded with natural light. Theinteriors are modern and flexible,offering spacious accommodation.On the ground floor there is a lovely, light, open-planreception/kitchen space withsliding glazed doors opening ontothe deck space. There is also aseparate utility/mud room andshower room and a small studythat can double up as a fourth/fifthbedroom. On the first floor, a huge light-filled landing leads to two bedrooms, both with en suites, and the master with itshuge walk-through dressing room.There is another en suite bedroomon the top floor. All the bedroomshave large balconies overlookingthe lake.

The Habitat House offersexceptional value for money, withfantastic green credentials and a

great specification for the price.The judges were impressed by thesense of space and light and thefabulous views from almost everyroom. A very worthy Gold winner.

SILVERTownhouse, GabrielSquare, St Albans Meyer HomesThis four-bedroom townhouse atGabriel Square, a development of 80 contemporary homesdesigned around a new gardensquare in central St Albans, offersmore than 2,000ft² of living spaceover four floors with a roofterrace, three smaller terracesand a private rear garden.

Behind the cool, modernist,stone-clad elevations, this crisplydetailed terrace house has beencarefully planned to provide verywell-proportioned, beautifully lightliving spaces that flow seamlesslyinto one another.

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The houses are accessed atground floor level via a pavedbridge over the lower groundcourtyard. Once inside, the viewextends through to the rear of thebuilding and the terrace beyond.Extra-wide, full-height slidingdoors pull back to allow the two smaller living spaces tobecome one.

A well-designed contemporaryPoggenpol kitchen with breakfastbar is located to the rear of thelower ground floor opening ontothe garden, while a fourthbedroom/study looks out onto thefront courtyard, with a storagespace and shower roomalongside the central stairs.

Two bedrooms, a familybathroom and small utilitycupboard occupy the secondfloor. The master suite is locatedacross the third floor level, withthe bedroom overlooking themain square via a privatebalcony and the large luxurybathroom overlooking thegarden to the rear. Each house has its own undergroundparking space beneath the very attractively landscapedcommunal garden square.

The judges particularly likedthe generous glass box abovethe stairs, the fabulous roofterrace space, the immaculatelydesigned bathrooms and theluxurious Control4 home

automation system providedthroughout the house.

A great house packed withthoughtful details.

BRONZE1 The Place, Sale,ManchesterAltin Homes The Place is a development of 24 three-storey family homesoffering a choice of six housedesigns; 1 The Place is one offive semi-detached five-bedroomhouses arranged as part of a splitterrace set back from NorthendenRoad within landscaped grounds.

Designed by local architectCalderpeel, with Altin Homes’own design team providing thespecification and details, theelevations are well-conceivedmodern reinterpretations of thetraditional Victorian houseslocated around the site. At thefront, each house has its own off-street parkingspaces as wellas a garage withdirect accessfrom theentrance hall.

A substantialhardwood frontdoor opens intothe light andspaciousentrance hall.

Passing the front reception roomand cloakroom, the hall leads to alight, open-plan kitchen/familyroom which in turn opens out viasliding folding doors onto the largeterrace and landscaped gardenbeyond. The full-height interiorglass panels to the reception roomand kitchen, together with theglass handrails and oak open-tread stairs, emphasise the feelingof spaciousness while helping toflood the interior with natural light.

Upstairs there are threebedrooms on the first floor,including the master with en suitedressing room and bathroom,while a guest suite and fifthbedroom/study occupies the floorabove, utilising the additionalcelling height into the roof space.All the bathrooms are very wellspecified with Duravit and Grohefittings, flush shower trays andgood lighting. There is also alaundry cupboard on the first floorwith space for a washer and dryer.

The luxurious SieMatic kitchenis very well equipped withSiemens appliances and sleekSilestone worktops. There is amulti-room HD distributionsystem with ceiling speakers inthe ground-floor rooms andmaster bedroom together with ahome automation system withlighting presets throughout. A fullsecurity system is also provided.

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Best House

GOLDBlake Tower, Barbican,London, EC2YRedrow Stylish and practical meets trulyurban at Blake Tower in the City ofLondon, where Redrow and theConran Design Group havetransformed a former brutalistYMCA block at the Barbican intouber-cool apartments.

The retention of original concretewalls in the Grade II listed buildingalongside 21st-century versions ofthe Barbican signature features ofbrass ironmongery, integratedwooden seating and alcoveshelves above beds addscharacter to what could have beena predictable scheme.

Even though the setting’s a bitMarmite – you either love or hatethe Barbican – the judges wereimpressed by Harper Downie’sconsistency of architecturalthinking, providing roomy spaces,excellent finishes, ample storageand plenty of balconies with viewsof Smithfield Market, St Paul’s andthe Barbican Estate gardens.

Prices from £710,000 for anapartment measuring over 500ft²appears reasonable for Zone 1.Carefully determined extras, suchas the Blake Tower logo set intocutlery drawers, Terrazzo countersand clever pull-out cupboards inkitchens, generous built-inwardrobes and ‘old-school’ togglelight switches, summon up thepost-war Barbican vibe.

Service charges seem fair at£5/ft² per annum, as Barbican

residents get access to privategardens, the library, art gallery,theatre, cinema and gym. There’s no parking, but owners can rent an underground space onsite for £1,600 a year, and there’s sufficient cycle storage.

The ultimate accolade is that the judges wanted to move inimmediately, summing up theexcellence of this gold-standardproject.

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Best Apartment Scheme

Best Apartment Scheme

SILVERThe Iron Foundry at TheGeneral, BristolCity & CountryIn contrast to the existing Grade II listed buildings of the former hospital, the IronFoundry presents unashamedcontemporary architecturewithin the development. Theposition of the new building notonly takes advantage of viewstowards the Bathurst Basin but also generously opens up views back towards theEdwardian architecture of theoriginal hospital.

The strength of architecturaldesign flows into the buildingthrough the common spaces, witha lift and stair core flooded withnatural light and supplementedwith well-chosen light fittings andbespoke artwork. The samestrong design ethos continuesinto the 16 generously sizedapartments with their cleanminimalist interiors andsubstantial outside terraces.

The kitchens and bathrooms arelarge and well-designed and it’s apleasure to see a developer usinga colour other than white within thebase specification for the painted

doors and skirting. The cool lightgrey worked well with the overallpalette of materials and gave afeeling that the interiors had beenas considered as the externalappearance.

A two-bedroom apartment,easily the size of most developer’sthree-bedroom apartments, comeswith secure basement parkingincluded within the £750,000 pricetag. Although the developmentdoesn’t offer additional onsitefacilities, this is easily excused, asits location is just a short walk fromBristol City centre.

BRONZE Vista, Battersea, London,SW8Berkeley Central LondonLocated minutes away fromChelsea Bridge, on QueenstownRoad, the majority of Vista’s

residents enjoy uninterruptedviews across the trees of theneighbouring Grade II listedBattersea Park.

Designed by Scott Brownrigg,the strong architectural form hasbeen well planned to provide ahigh proportion of dual-aspectunits, which benefit from expansivewest-facing terraces towards thepark and additionally generouswinter gardens with views facingeast over the railway trackstowards the iconic Batterseapower station. The stepping formalong Queenstown Road not onlyreduces the apparent mass of the building facing the park, butalso creates the opportunity for multiple penthouse-typeapartments with an infinity-styleplanted edge treatment.

Prices for a one-bedroomapartment start at £890,000 andare finished to the high standardsthat Berkeley Homes consistentlydelivers. The judges particularlyliked the quality and design of the fitted wardrobes and theinclusion of dimmable lights in the bathrooms.

The £5/ft² service chargeseems good value for the onsitefacilities, which include a 24-hourconcierge, plunge pool withjacuzzi, sauna and a resident’sgym, which also benefits from anoutside terrace overlooking thesunken landscaped gardens.

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GOLD Bewdley, Alderley Edge,CheshireHuntsmereBewdley is a home with plenty ofpersonality. Entertaining takescentre stage from the momentyou enter the gated driveway thatwinds up through parklandlandscaping to the house, wherethe entrance hall has an 11mhigh ceiling adorned by ahandcrafted light featurecompleted in situ by the designer.

Set over seven split levels withglimpses through to neighbouringfloors adding to the cohesivenessof the design, Bewdley spans11,000ft² and not one of them is wasted.

The lower ground floor ‘partyroom’ has a 105” curved TV, aprofessionally equipped bar anda full DJ deck while the indoorpool has a depth of 2.4m andmulti-folding doors onto thegarden. There’s also a fullyequipped gym, steam room andexperience shower.

Upstairs there are six distinctivebedroom suites including themaster suite, which features twosubstantial dressing rooms fittedwith library-style storage morethan 4m high.

The extensive open-plan kitchenhas a minimalist design housingbanks of appliances and multi-

folding doors lead out to animpressive covered terrace with a vaulted roof for seamlessindoor/outdoor living. Audio visualis as you’d expect for such a topflight home, with high securityfeatures to match.

Bewdley is light, bright andfinished by Huntsmere to nearperfection. The design displays a lightness of touch and anunderlying mastery of the use of space across its manydifferent levels.

GOLDCamp End Manor, St George’s Hill,Weybridge, SurreyWerner CapitalCamp End Manor captures theessence of Regency elegance onthe highest plot on St George’sHill. Standing in 1.4 acres withviews that stretch for miles, thissubstantial home of 15,000ft²revels in its setting and maximises

views in every direction from thecore of the property.

Here, an elliptical floatingstaircase, finished in Frenchlimestone and attached only atfloor and ceiling levels, swirls up to the first floor and down to the basement leisure suite.Exclusively designed andengineered for Camp End Manor,it was constructed on a supportingbrick structure, which wassubsequently removed, resulting in an engineering wonder that isaesthetically stunning.

Alternatively, the eight-personlift with limestone floor can whiskguests down to the lower groundfloor, which features a well-equipped bar, gym and a cinemaroom, along with a 12m pool withan oculus roof window for naturallight, hammam spa, sauna andchanging rooms. There are alsotwo staff suites.

On the first floor are fivebedroom suites including a guestsuite with its own sitting room and the grand master suite, which spans the entire southernelevation.

Ceilings of 3.5m to all the mainrooms add a distinct sense ofgrandeur to the interior furnishedby Linley Interior Design. Classicalarchitectural style and modernengineering combine to create amagnificent property of elegance,style and class.

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Best Luxury House

Best Luxury House

SILVERKings Lodge, Oxshott,SurreyAspire Luxury Properties Kings Lodge successfully blends traditional materials andcraftsmanship with contemporarydesign throughout its 11,000ft².

The 8ft entrance doors in darkstained oak provide the first senseof something special, and open to reveal an oval reception hall with a floor of Greek marble andglimpses through to a 14-seaterdining room and the gardenbeyond. The landscaping wasdesigned and planted beforeconstruction took place andfeatures an outdoor 14m poolbordered by a covered yoga deck and a summer house for the air-conditioned gym andchanging rooms.

Attention to detail is noticeableat every turn, such as the diningroom parquet floor design inspiredby Versailles, bespoke skirting andarchitraves in proportion to the3.3m high ceilings, and Control4automation, which does away withwall panels and is set up forGoogle voice activation. There are practical banks of storageunits in the boot room, a secondcloakroom and a fabulous utility

room which doubles as a prepkitchen. The vast kitchen, by Turner& Foye, was designed around thedeep marble worktop reclaimedfrom a chateau in northern France.

The master bedroom suiteacross the back of the house isserved by twin dressing roomsand en suites with original andunpredictable styling thatcomplements this outstandingnew home.

BRONZEHurlingham, Beaconsfield,BuckinghamshireOakeveHurlingham is unashamedly aluxury family home. Styled after a manor house, the propertyfeatures stone mullions designedby Oakeve and its stone

manufacturer for a traditionalfinish combined with the latestthermal insulation.

The interior is fresh, vibrant andlight with a natural warmth fromextensive use of oak. Oakeve’sdirectly employed joiners craftedthe oak wall panelling onsite,which is offset by a striking interior design and speciallycommissioned artwork.

Chandeliers in glass andchampagne silver grace thereception hall and landing whilethe dining room and cinema are finished with Murano glasschandeliers. Air conditioning to themain south-facing rooms, all first-floor bedrooms and the top floormedia room provides year-roundcomfort. Outside, an entertainingarea has its own fireplace andspeakers and pleached photiniasprovide year-round screening.

Giant book-matched slabs ofmarble cover the kitchen’s centralisland unit, beyond which is thebreakfast area and open-planfamily room, naturally lit by astretch of multi-folding doors and a lantern roof light. The door to asecond staircase leads from thekitchen to the first-floor landing,reminiscent of eras gone by whileadding modern functionality to this luxurious and contemporaryfamily home.

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ASPIRE LUXURY PROPERTIES LIMITED

GOLDGrange Hall, Stoke Newington, London, N16Cubitt GreystockBuilt in 1837, this former schoollater served as a church hall, asocial hall, a snooker house anda warehouse for electrical fittings,before being converted by CubittGreystock into nine houses.

The conversion carefullycombines contemporary design,building technology, new andtraditional styling and materials tocreate impeccably thought out,practical and individual homesthat are peppered with originalfeatures. In the conversion, stonedetailing within the facade was carefully repaired and theform of the original dormerwindows was maintained butreinterpreted using a modern,high-performance system.

Meticulous renovations suchas this require an architect’s eye,attention to detail and problemsolving at every step. Whilehistoric fabric is respected andretained wherever possible, new work is celebrated so thebuilding is still readable, despitethe vertical division of the internalvolumes to create three floors ofcontemporary living space.

The new homes are intriguing,light filled, spacious and highlyflexible, with successful usemade of pocket doors to aidcirculation and create anuncluttered plan. Suiting today’schanging living patterns and theflexibility demanded by modernlife, some include mezzaninedecks, terraces and dramatictop-floor living areas where thesloping ceilings are lined with theoriginal timber boards.

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Best Renovation

SILVERAnstey Hall Barns,Trumpington, Cambridge HillWith a site dating back to Saxon times, Anstey Hall Barns isa collection of four new buildsand eight carefully renovatedhistoric barns, two of which areGrade II listed. This was noordinary barn conversion: BIM(building information modelling),drone and laser-point scanningtechnologies enabled thebuildings to be renovatedefficiently and precisely.

Historic fabric has beenpainstakingly retained andintegrated with the new workthrough a high degree ofarchitectural precision andquality. The resultant mix of oldand new is clearly readable but nonetheless striking andunfussy, with the design ensuringelements of surprise. In thelargest of the barns, pods havebeen introduced to maintain theinternal volume; alongside is adouble-sided long burner and acontemporary kitchen with amezzanine study platform above.

The careful use of materialsplays a big part in the scheme’s

success. Traditional and moderncomplement one another, withtimber, bricks, pantiles, slates andlime mortars combined with largeglazed screens, grey zinc roofingand aluminium rainwater goods.Internally, effective use has beenmade of plywood and CLT (cross-laminated timber). Importantly, thesense of place is still agriculturalwith the original farmyard spaces uncluttered by plantedlandscaping or excessive fencing.

BRONZESt Osyth Priory, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex City & Country Comprising 16 separate Grade I,II* and II listed buildings setwithin a Grade II registered park

and garden, St Osyth Priorywould be a daunting prospect formany housebuilders but City &Country has embraced thechallenge with great skill andtenacity. The initial renovationwork has focused on the Bailiff’sCottage and the Toll Barn, twoGrade II* listed buildings datingfrom the 13th century (andoverhauled in the 16th century),which were in a terrible state ofdilapidation.

The hugely complex renovationjob was carefully executed toretain existing fabric whilemaximising the use of spacethrough a clever design thatretains a sense of the originalvolumes. The detailing andcraftsmanship is of textbookquality with one of the biggesttests the repair of the cottage’srare scissor truss roof. Essentialto all of this was an understandingof how old buildings work, theneed for breathability and for thestructure to be readable. Honestyto materials was vital, with limemortars and plasters usedthroughout.

An innate sense of what workspermeates the project: the newstaircase steps are formed oflarge solid oak blocks, a formthat replicates stone stairs but ismore befitting a humble building.

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Best Renovation

Best Development

GOLD Bath Riverside, Bath Crest NicholsonRegenerationBath Riverside is an ambitiousregeneration scheme on a 44-acre site bordering the River Avon that had lain derelictfor over 25 years. When fullycompleted, it will comprise over2,000 new homes along withmuch-needed communityfacilities including a new school,an energy centre, riverside parks,restaurants and a new publicwalkway abutting the river.

The properties that make upBath Riverside are varied, withapartment buildings, Georgian-inspired terraces and individualvillas, all cleverly designed to beindividual in character and yetcomplementary to one another.The inherent elegance andsoftness of touch that has beenachieved owes much of itssuccess to the simple, clean lines of the buildings and this isreinforced by the consistency in thebuilding palette, with Bath Stoneused across the development.

You could be forgiven forthinking that this development isall about the urban design, but ithas also delivered contemporary,

classic interiors with excitingcommunal spaces within theapartment buildings and light andairy interiors in the townhousesand apartments.

Externally, the landscaping that links the buildings and formsthe new public and privaterelationship with the river isunderstated. It has beendesigned to create not one largespace but a series of spaces, not only linking the buildings butalso creating individual pocketswhere residents can sit. Theplanting has a light touch, with anemphasis on the natural; peachtrees have been fanned to createnatural dividers.

There is an attention to detailand quality which runs through allaspects of this project that it is acredit to all of those who have

been involved conceiving anddelivering this project, which isset within one of the country’smost sensitive cities.

SILVER Roussillon Park,Chichester, West SussexPlaces for PeopleOn the northern outskirts of thebeautiful and historic town ofChichester lies Roussillon Park, adevelopment of more than 250new homes on the site of a formerbarracks that was once home tothe Royal Sussex Regiment andthe Royal Military Police.

The final phase of 56 dwellingscombines distinctive architecturewith well-laid-out green spaces,giving both a sense of place andof wellbeing. It also balancesstarter homes, family houses andapartments, within the context ofdelivering varied forms of tenure,with properties ranging in size fromone to four bedrooms. It is an idealmix that has met with strong localdemand and popularity. Terracesof two and three storeys are wellmannered, crisply designed and detailed, and give a feel ofquality that references both thepast use of the site and manyvernacular features of this area ofWest Sussex.

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Plans are thoughtful andprecise, work well and providegood quality accommodation. It is very difficult to fault thisscheme and Places for People isto be congratulated on itsachievement.

SILVER190 Strand, Westminster,London, WC2RSt Edward

There is no doubt that thisdevelopment is the epitome ofstyle, elegance and luxury. Thedesign and choice of materials not only make their own statementof what this development is allabout but also fit sympatheticallyto the surroundings, which include some historic landmarksof central London. Portland stone and decorative stainlesssteel sit comfortably in contextand the elevational treatment isvery refined.

Internally, the scheme echoes allof these features, from the double-height entrance hall to stunninginteriors. It comprises a range of216 luxury suites, apartments,townhouses and penthousesacross six buildings. It also boasts swimming pool, sauna and gym. With a five-star, hotel-style concierge service available

24 hours a day, residents are able to pick up anything, from apedicure to an umbrella on theirway out should it dare to rain. Noworries on that score either, withthe in-house virtual golf courseand private cinema room meaningthere is almost no need to gooutside. Those that do will find the best of London living and thecapital’s famed theatre district righton their doorstep. 190 Strand reallyoffers the best of both worlds.

BRONZEThe Place, Sale,ManchesterAltin Homes

The Place is a bespokedevelopment of 24 contemporaryhomes that has transformed atwo-acre brownfield site formerlyoccupied by a car park, councilresource centre and a singledetached house. The developmentmixes six different house types,

each of which uses the samestrong architectural features andlanguage creating a strikingdevelopment with a strong senseof place and identity. The bold,steep roofs and strong verticalwindow configurations echo someof the Victorian homes thatsurround the site while firmlyrooting the development within thehere and now.

All of the properties are spread over three floors, with thepurchasers having a choice ofinternal arrangements and externalfeatures. The large, tall windowscreate naturally light interiors, withsome of the windows spanning anumber of floors.

As you would expect, theinterior is of a high quality, with luxury fitted kitchens and premium sanitaryware.Underfloor heating is standard on the open-plan ground floorsand the staircases feature glassbalustrading, which is a small, butimpressive variation to the norm.In this instance the developer hasalso chosen to fit oversized doors,adding to the overall feeling ofspace and openness.

This is a well-thought-out piece of urban design with aninteresting and comfortingbalance of traditional andcontemporary design features,creating a strong sense of placeand community so often lackingin modern housing layouts.

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Best Development

Best Partnership Scheme

GOLDWoodberry Down,Finsbury Park, London, N4Berkeley Homes, HackneyCouncil, Genesis, WDCO& MHDTWoodberry Down at ManorHouse is one of the capital’slargest regeneration projects; it isalso one of the finest. Developedby Berkeley Homes, HackneyCouncil, Genesis HA andWoodberry Down CommunityOrganisation, it will see 1,890dwellings replaced by more than5,500 mixed-tenure homes. Todate, the partners have delivered1,443 tenure-blind homes – 707private sale and 736 affordable –all of them of the highest quality.

There is an impressive roll-call ofarchitects, including Fletcher Priest,Rolfe Judd and Hawkins Brown,whose mixture of towers offerhomes enjoying balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows and open-planlayouts 10% over Parker Morrisstandards. All have views over thereservoirs and country park as wellas to the Olympic Stadium, CanaryWharf and The Shard.

The scale of the towers perfectlymatches that of the parkland of the11-hectare urban oasis createdaround the restored East Reservoir.This landscaping has already wona Green Flag as one of the UK’sbest outdoor recreational areas. Of

particular note is WoodberryWetlands, a café and naturereserve that was opened last yearby Sir David Attenborough.

Overall, the relationship betweenhousing and landscaping creates asense of place, while the newschool and neighbourhood centreunderline the sense of community.This is no accident; the involvementof the award-winning Manor HouseTrust has been key, driving forwardboth social and economicregeneration. Upskilling is a keyobjective – employing residents inconstruction and apprenticeshipsand setting up new businesses.

Woodberry Down, which hastransformed a run-down estate intoa thriving community, is an objectlesson in every respect, fromstunning housing set in a beautifullandscape to social sustainabilityunderpinned by constantcommunication between thepartners. Such is the quality, thatthe scheme could be mistaken fora luxury development. A triumph.

GOLDLexicon, Islington,London, EC1VMount Anvil, ClarionHousing GroupLexicon, by Mount Anvil andClarion Housing Group, couldalso be mistaken for a best luxurydevelopment entrant. Designed

by a prestigious architecturalpartnership of Squire & Partnersand SOM, and distinguished byits elegant, rhomboid 36-storeyglass tower, this development of307 tenure-blind apartments,35% of which are affordable,transforms this City Road site.

Apart from the architecturalquality of the sleek tower and twoadjacent canalside blocks, thereare also improvements to thepublic realm, including a newplaza, shops and cafes, openingup and landscaping the formerlyclosed basin to provide access.The commitment to the publicrealm is further emphasised byfunded maintenance of the citybasin to provide safe public use.

While the elevations and publicenvironment immediately impress,perhaps even more striking are theinteriors of the apartments,particularly in the tower, where thefloor-to-ceiling windows providestunning views and the open-planinteriors are of exceptional quality.Specifications are high quality,including energy systems poweredby closed-loop ground source heatpump systems and app-controlledsmart blinds, which automaticallylower to avoid heat gain.

You would expect such qualityhomes in Islington, one of London’smost expensive areas, to be costly,but here 37 social rented homeshave been allocated, while 70

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shared ownership apartments allowpurchase from just 25% of marketvalue. This scheme ticks the boxesand is a credit to its developers.

SILVEROakfield Village,Kingsbrook, Aylesbury,BuckinghamshireBarratt Homes, DavidWilson Homes and theRSPBOakfield Village comprises 492homes, phase one of Kingsbrook,a 2,450-home planned urbanextension by Barratt and DavidWilson Homes. The layout of thedevelopment, the streetscapesand aesthetics, and the housetypes are all attractive and aboveaverage for schemes of this type.However, what makes Kingsbrookimportant and worthy of award isits embrace of sustainability andenhancement of the naturalenvironment by its uniquepartnership with the RSPB.

It is still not widely appreciatedhow residential developmentprovides, through gardens, a morediverse habitat for flora and faunathan a monoculture of agriculture.By using the RSPB’s expertise, the developers have retained,enhanced and created wetland,grassland and woodland habitats.The housing is set in 250 acres ofgreen infrastructure, planted with

native species, with wildflowermeadows and wildflower verges.Sustainable drainage is providedwith rainwater being channelledinto surface rills and swales, whichprovide additional green corridorsfor small animals as well ashabitats for birds. The concept ofgreen corridors is extended to thegardens with ‘hedgehog highways’created by holes in the fences.

Many houses have swift and batboxes and owners are providedwith welcome packs encouragingthem to plant their gardens tosupport wildlife habitats and to useplants attractive to butterflies andbees. None of the above are ‘add-ons’ but central to the ethosof this development, an ethoswhich serves as a model for thehousebuilding industry to promote.

BRONZEActon Gardens, Acton,London W3CountrysideProperties & L&QActon Gardens is a£800m-plusregeneration projectin West London – ajoint venture betweenCountrysideProperties andhousing associationL&Q, working withEaling Council.

This Acton housing estate wasall high-rise ugliness and crime inthe 60s and 70s. Somethingneeded to be done and it is, with aregeneration masterplan across 52acres and 21 development phases.The final number of homes will be more than 2,500, with 50%affordable. Some developers arecriticised for hit and run schemes;taking the sales and leaving townwith little regard for legacy. WellActon Gardens was first agreed in2011 and overall completion isprojected for around 2026, so thedevelopers have fully embraced thecommunity as its long-term partner.

The statistics speak forthemselves, with most residents ofthe notorious estate, one of thelargest council-built estates inLondon, keen to flee before workstarted, but now the overwhelmingmajority want to stay, with thechance to move into a new-buildproperty, with a mix of tenures onoffer. There is plenty of architecturalinnovation and design detail amidthe sheer scale of the project and itis designed with security in mind.

The partnership extends to local community groups, activelyengaged with the evolution ofActon Gardens, which will includenew schools, healthcare, shopsand community centre. Anexcellent example of urbanregeneration partnership in action.

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Best Partnership Scheme

Best Luxury Development

GOLDDollar Bay, Canary Wharf,London, E14Mount AnvilThe adage ‘location, location,location’ is admittedly a factor atDollar Bay, but it is what MountAnvil and its architects have donewith the development that meritsits Gold accolade. The crystal-likeform of the Dollar Bay 31-storeytower rises like a beacon at the foot of the South Dock inCanary Wharf. The Docklandsdevelopment, a monument to unrestrained capitalism,scarcely controlled by planningrestrictions, might trouble thepolitically correct, but countlessarchitectural awards over theyears suggest that someloosening of the planners’ gripmight be advantageous. AndDollar Bay is no exception. Withits sculpted form, by architectsSimpsonHaugh, it is a notableaddition to the public realm,which it further enhances bycreating more public space withseating and a cafe in addition toits outdoor garden areas.

Within the tower, which contains125 bright and spacious open-plan homes with unhindered

views, more transitional space is provided by winter gardens,naturally ventilated by glassLouvres. Oriented to the west andeast, and narrowed to the northand south to reduce temperaturedifferentials, further climate controlis provided by a unique dock-water comfort cooling solution.This is the first time London dockshave been used to cool aresidential development –reducing living costs by 39%.Unrestrained in their luxury andspace standards, and withincomparable views, theapartments are crowned by a3,000ft² three-bedroompenthouse, arranged over fourstoreys and including gallery andjacuzzi terraces and an extensivewinter garden. The epitome of luxury.

SILVERThe Villas, Bath Riverside,BathCrest NicholsonRegenerationAs a UNESCO World HeritageCentre, it is axiomatic that anynew development in Bath shouldrespect the city’s architecturalheritage and be of the highest

quality; criteria on which CrestNicholson has fully delivered inits Bath Riverside development.

The Villas, the penultimatephase, comprises a collection of eight townhouses within anenclave of contemporary four-storey terraced houses by theaward-winning architect AlisonBrooks. The character of thisvillage within a village isestablished by the crescent formof the blocks, the use of thetraditional Bath stone, and by the characteristic faceted roofs,which are almost an AlisonBrooks trademark. Powder-coatedto blend tonally with the honeycoloured stone, these copperroofs present a contemporarytwist to an architecture thatreflects the tradition of Bath’shistory and culture.

Within, the houses demonstrateanother characteristic of Brooks’architectural palette – bringinglight into the house through well-placed, oversized windowsand roof lights. Stepping into aspacious entrance hall, floodedwith light from the staircaselantern, you can access the study,cloakroom and garage and,through glazed double doors, theopen-plan kitchen/family room.

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This not only has two largewindows plus French doors ontoa terrace overlooking the river, butalso a two-storey space allowingeven more light to penetrate. Thewhole of the first floor is givenover to two living rooms, the oneat the rear with a stunning voidarea to the family room below.The front living/entertaining roomalso has French windows on to alarge first-floor terrace for outdoorliving that runs the depth of thehouse. The second floor providesthree bedrooms, one with an ensuite, and family bathroom. Themagnificent master bedroom,extensive dressing room and ensuite with both bath and walk-inshower occupy the whole of thetop floor, which has, in additionyet another balcony with views tothe Bath’s hills.

These houses are completelycontemporary while respecting,and adding to, Bath’s historicarchitectural heritage.

BRONZEThe Crescents, CaerAmon, Cramond,EdinburghAMA HomesAMA Homes’ architect for The Crescents development,

Richard Murphy, winner of theRIBA/Channel 4 House of theYear award, is known for hisinnovative architecture, and here at Cramond he doesn’tdisappoint.

The two crescents of eightterraced houses each perfectlymirror each other, sitting eachside of the entrance road to theCaer Amon development. Eachcrescent is made up of six four-bedroom and two five-bedroomhomes, set around a centrallandscaped courtyard, whichprovides parking for residents.Additional parking is provided intwo private gated car parks setbehind each crescent.

The contemporary aesthetic of the development features slate monopitch roofs abovepredominantly white renderwalls. At first-floor level,above sill level, a band ofstained hardwood horizontalboarding emphasises the oversailing roof. The use of milled aluminiumgutters, hopper-heads anddrainpipes illustrates thehigh quality of the externaldetailing.

The quality of the fitmentsthroughout the houses isexceptional. From fitted

wardrobes to kitchen worktops,everything is a joy to look at, touchand use. Heating, lighting andintegral reception systems aresophisticated, and solar panels onthe flat roofs plus high levels ofinsulation mean that these homeseasily meet EPC band B ratingsfor low running costs and lowlevels of CO² emissions.

However, above all, it is thequality of the layouts and internalspaces which impress and makethis development worthy of anaward. All four optional plans have a common theme: enteringthrough a vestibule with plenty ofstorage space, each house has acentral hall, flooded with light froma ceiling lantern. The hall serves acloakroom, a fourth bedroom withen suite at the front, and open-planliving and family rooms andkitchens at the rear, garden side ofthe house, the garden beingaccessed by sliding doors fromthese rooms. Upstairs, either threeor four bedrooms with one en suiteand a family bathroom completethe generous accommodation.These are great family houses:unpretentious but well plannedand generously specified to thesmallest detail; good to live in andwith a unique sense of place.

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Best Luxury Development

Best Mixed Use Development

GOLDOne Tower Bridge,London, SE1Berkeley HomesLocated next to Tower Bridge and opposite the UNESCO WorldHeritage Site of the Tower ofLondon, One Tower Bridge is a residential-led mixed-usedevelopment. While somedevelopments claim their mixed-use credentials through the meritof including a ground-floorconvenience store, few can boastthe well-conceived and integrateduses at One Tower Bridge.

The impressive 900-seattheatre will add a cultural activitythat works well with the alreadyestablished restaurant offer and the boutique five-star LaLit hotel located within thelisted former site of St Olave’sGrammar School. The Ivyrestaurant will soon be joined byThe Coal Shed, a Brighton-basedsteak restaurant, Rosa’s ThaiCafé, and Gunpowder, serving‘home-style’ Indian dishes, as well as other offers that are new to the UK.

One Tower Bridgecomprises over80,000ft² of retail,leisure and culturalspace in addition to420 highly specifiednew apartments. Thedevelopment issurrounded bypedestrian-friendlypublic realm, includingthe riverfront walkwayand landscapedpiazzas. The judgesloved the newpedestrian routelinking Tooley Street tothe River Thames, withits controversiallynarrow proportionsand focal axis onTower Bridge.

It is the sheer quality of thedevelopment and the tenacity ofthe Berkeley Homes to attract theright level of retailers, restaurantsand businesses that the judgeswere most impressed with. As a result the area has become avibrant new destination for Londonas well as a pleasant and peacefulhome for residents.

SILVERQuartermile, EdinburghQuartermile DevelopmentsFormally home to Edinburgh’sGeneral Hospital, this area hasundergone a huge regenerationover the past decade resulting in a new mixed-use destinationfor the city.

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At the heart of the developmentis a public square, which isanimated by restaurants, barsand occasionally open-air events.The retail operators work welltogether and it’s pleasing to see a local Edinburgh operator,Söderberg, expand into morethan one of the retail units. Theaccess routes into the square arelined by the commercial officesand other niche leisure activitiessuch as the yoga studio and gym.

The commercial office spaceis supported by the MarriottResidence, which offers businessaccommodation throughserviced apartments.

Particularly striking is the mix ofthe original Victorian hospitalbuildings and excellent newbuildings finished in glass andsteel and designed by Foster &Partners. A good mix of retail,leisure and office space and theaddition of footfall from theadjoining university creates aparticularly vibrant feel to thedevelopment.

The residential units, both those converted from the originalbuildings and new blocks, havebeen finished to an extremely high standard. At present, thedevelopment benefits from theoutlook over the adjoining

meadows but feels separatedbecause of a perimeter fence. Anexisting gateway remains locked,but hopefully, over time, theresidents will see the advantagesof allowing access and increasingthe pedestrian permeability acrossthe development.

BRONZE Bristol Harbourside,Bristol Crest NicholsonRegenerationPreviously this site was both agas works and part of Bristoldocks. When the docks declinedthe area became largely derelictdespite its location in the heart of the city. Imaginativeplanning has created a directvista (a pedestrian street) straight through thedevelopment from theBristol Millennium Squareto the floating harbour,this is further intersectedby another newpedestrian street thatforms a direct link to thecity centre.

The development is wellestablished and providesa good mix of residential,office, leisure and retail

space. Almost 880 residentialunits, of which 116 are affordable,are at the core of the developmentalong with office space creating3,000 jobs. Convenience storesand restaurants, including localstart-ups, Steak of the Art andFriska are a draw to both residentsand employees from the offices,ensuring a vibrant and busy urbancentre throughout the day andearly evening. A casino adds tothe variety and extends the lifeand activity into the night.

The retail and leisure space isspread in pockets around thedevelopment with one openingonto a new marina area in thefloating harbour. This provides anew pleasant social public spaceaccessed from the main centre viaa natural park-like walkway. Themajority of the retail is focused inthe central area and a strongemphasis on health and fitnessretail has grown naturally, partlydue to the location with openboulevards and new widedockside pavements.

Overall, Bristol Harboursideworks as a cohesive and trulymixed-use developmentregenerating a previouslyredundant parcel of land andfurther extending Bristol’s finewaterfront.

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Best Mixed Use Development

Best Retirement Development

GOLDAdlington House, Otley,West YorkshireAdlingtonThe views of The Chevin hillalone are enough to convincesomeone to retire to this prettypart of West Yorkshire, withAdlington House beside thebanks of the River Wharfe in themarket town of Otley.

The scheme by developerAdlington, part of the GladmanGroup, is 48 apartments and fits seamlessly into its localenvironment, right down to thestone on the buildings from

the Bank Top Quarry down theroad in Bingley.

The River Wharfe is awonderful neighbour, but it bringswith it flooding fears, allayed byAdlington by digging deeperfoundations and installing aspecialist flooding basement. Infact, the work that has gone intothe build and infrastructure isindicative of the thought andattention to detail and owners’needs that permeates the entirescheme, with Adlington Houseoperated and managed bycharity Methodist Homes.

The entry is replete withglowing testimonials from

residents. Chat tothem over lunch in therestaurant or in thehomeowners’ loungeand the happyambience of thebuilding is tangible –a clear and deepcommunity spirit.

There is 24-houronsite healthcare,

as well as a varied programme of social activities, a spa and ahairdressing salon.

There is integrity in every facetof the development, with sitemanager Simon Pallent, amultiple NHBC Pride in the Jobwinner, even producing acomprehensive constructionhistory document. A worthy goldfor a company “committed toreducing isolation and lonelinesswithin the ageing population…and promoting and enhancingretirement living”. AdlingtonHouse certainly does that.

SILVERWoodside Square,Muswell Hill, London, N10HillHill is no stranger to winningawards. It won Housebuilder of the Year in 2015 and nearlyscooped Best MediumHousebuilder last year, takinghome silver.

Now it is being recognised for

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its retirement scheme, WoodsideSquare, a mixed-tenure,intergenerational developmentnear Highgate village in northLondon.

The development covers six acres and comprises 159properties including townhouses,and one-, two-, three-bedroomapartments and duplexes. Some103 properties are designated forover 55s.

Woodside Square has the feelof a self-contained communityfeaturing a mixture of architecturalstyles including listed buildingsand modern apartment blocks.

Construction of the retirementapartments is around a series oflandscaped courtyards; eachblock has a lift and there are nolong gloomy corridors. There are no flashy facilities either:there are gardens, a secureunderground car park, a guestsuite and a common house with akitchen which can be hired byowners for special events. Thismeans that service charges arekept low, enabling those who arepaying an affordable rent orbought through shared ownershipto manage them.

Apartments, which can also bebought outright, are spaciouswith dual-aspect windows,

balconies or patio gardens and plenty of storage, the latterbeing a rarity in many retirementdevelopments. Kitchens are well designed; some open-plan,others not. Some include quirkydesign features such as slantingceilings and roof lights.

Woodside Square is close toexcellent transport links and is thethird development Hill has built inconjunction with Hanover Housing,not-for-profit providers of affordablehousing for older people.

BRONZEBowes Lyon Court,Poundbury, DorsetMcCarthy & StoneMcCarthy & Stone has beenbuilding homes for the past 44years. However, its RetirementLiving Plusdevelopment inPoundbury breaks themould in terms of itstypical housing stock.

The stunningheritage facade ofBowes Lyon Court, for one thing,resonates more with the Prince of Wales-inspiredarchitecture in this

Dorset village than the characterof McCarthy & Stone’s existingportfolio.

Furthermore, this is a Platinum development from thehousebuilder, offering a step up from its basic model, with lots of extra facilities more likely to be found in a high-endretirement village.

There is a restaurant, owner’slounge and onsite care as well asa guest suite and landscapedgardens. The 63 assisted-livingapartments are compact yetspacious and clearly designed forolder retirees (you have to be over70 to live here) wanting a bit ofstyle and comfort in their old age.

Bowes Lyon Court could notbe in a better location too:walking distance from Waitroseand the town’s cafes, restaurants,shops and post office.

Entrusted by the Duchy ofCornwall to develop thisprestigious site, McCarthy &Stone has certainly raised itsgame to become worthy of thehonour. Its Platinum collection,which is fitting in a town speckledwith regal stardust (there is astatue of the Queen Mother infront of the development),acknowledges that high quality,spacious living and good facilitiesneed not cost the earth.

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Best Retirement Development

Best Sustainable Development

GOLDElephant Park, Elephant &Castle, London, SE17LendleaseThe urban regeneration projectbeing undertaken by Lendleaseat Elephant Park is delivering2,500 homes, 11 acres of new community space, plusenergy-efficient living in centralLondon. The homes are built to aminimum level 4 of the formerCode for Sustainable Homes; 15 of them are level 5 andPassivhaus certified. Elephant

Park is the only UK projectparticipating in the C40 CitiesClimate Positive DevelopmentProgram, an initiative shaping thefuture of sustainable living.

Residents have access toelectric car charging ports, bike storage and gardens forproducing homegrown produce.Homes are connected to anenergy hub providing net-zerocarbon heat and hot water. Greenroofs and PVs top the buildingswhile cross laminated timber,much of it fabricated offsite, isbeing used in construction.

This may readlike a tick-boxexercise but thetrue sustainablenature and quality of thedevelopment isclearly visiblethroughoutElephant Park.

From the high standard of theinteresting brickwork to thethoughtful and inviting communityspaces, the scheme pushes theboundaries and has an ethos that works environmentally andsocially, even delivering skills andtraining with the aim of helping thearea thrive in the future.

SILVERElmsbrook, Bicester,OxfordshireFabrica by A2DominionThe initial phase of North WestBicester, the UK’s first eco-townof 6,000 homes, Elmsbrookcomprises 393 properties. Thescheme is the first true zerocarbon development of its sizeand one of just 16 projectsworldwide to have beenawarded BioRegional’s OnePlanet Community status. Cycleand walking routes encourage

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healthier lifestyles with 40% ofthe 52-acre developmentdesignated to green space.Because of the innovativeapproach at Elmsbrook,Bicester became one of tenNHS Healthy Towns in 2016.

All the homes meet level 5 ofthe Code for Sustainable Homesand carbon used in constructionhas been reduced by 30% withzero waste to landfill. Followingfabric-first principles, the homesare constructed using a timberframe structural insulted panelsystem that has helped increaseair tightness and energyefficiency. Solar panels are fittedto every rooftop, averaging 34m²per property, generating capacitycapable of powering 528 homes.A combined heat and powerplant supplies heat and hot water

to all homes through a districtheating system.

Elmsbrook embraces bigpicture, real world sustainability.Boundaries are being pushed,lessons learnt and newtechnologies embraced whilecommunity engagement isdedicated to ensuring thatsustainability works for all.

BRONZESilverlake, Warmwell,Dorset Habitat First GroupWith over 650 acres of lakes,heathlands, waterways andwoodlands on a site thatencompasses a former quarryand World War II airfield,Silverlake is a development ofsustainable holiday homes. The

first phase, Beaumont Village,comprises 31 properties that embrace contemporaryarchitecture, local materials and high standards of energyefficiency. The scheme’s overalldesign is carefully shaped by thesite’s topography, ecology and itswatercourses, ensuring that thenatural setting and biodiversitytake priority.

Silverlake has a great sense ofplace and community, helped bythe outstanding detailing of thearchitecture and landscapingand the wide palette of materials,which avoid a uniform approach.Construction is with structuralinsulated panels, some homeshave green roofs, and expansiveglazing ensures plentiful naturallight within. Heating is providedvia air source heat pumps andunderfloor heating systems andgreywater is recycled.

The homes within the carefullymanaged community cannot be used as permanentresidences but can be let toother holidaymakers. A range of leisure facilities, including aspa, are provided and thedevelopment is expected toboost the local economy byalmost £4m a year, as well ascreating a significant number ofnew jobs for local people.

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Best Sustainable Development

GOLDRoyal Arsenal Riverside,Woolwich, London, SE18Berkeley Homes EastThamesSweeping along a kilometre ofthe Thames, Royal ArsenalRiverside has resuscitated aderelict area in a significanthistorical site. What is mostimpressive, however, is how thelocal economy has also enjoyeda revival. People have lived andworked on the site since the Iron Age, and for almost 300years Royal Arsenal was a major employer and backbone of the local economy. Thisentrepreneurial spirit has beenrestored to Royal ArsenalRiverside. For a growing numberof residents, the developmentisn’t just their home – it’s alsotheir livelihood. Six resident-ledindependent businesses nowexist on the site, and with a16,500m² creative hub in thepipeline, many more are likely to follow.

Derelict since 1980, the site isnow home to a museum, a varietyof eateries, a farmers’ market andeven an onsite brewery. A luxuryspa is in the works. Berkeleyhasn’t just created homes; thedevelopment feels like anexclusive brand. It has also beenadmirably picky about whichbrands are allowed to take upretail space.

Berkeley is carefully cultivatinga mixed community, with 25% of

the proposed homes beingaffordable and 165 senior livinghomes. A discount market salescheme is available to residentsof the borough. The homes onoffer match the luxury lifestyle thedevelopment promises. Berkeleywas instrumental in bringingCrossrail to Woolwich, makingthe development among the bestconnected in London. Thedeveloper can safely boast it hasput the area back on the map.

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Best Regeneration Scheme

Best Regeneration Scheme

SILVERProspect Place,Framlingham, SuffolkHopkins HomesProspect Place is a veryimpressive development of adifficult site, which had anawkward shape and a plethora ofprevious uses, including largeseed warehouses and othervarious light industrial buildings.

As one has come to expectfrom Hopkins Homes, thedeveloper has really paid attentionto architectural detail, using qualitymaterials and a vast number ofhouse types in order to give thescheme an established look inkeeping with the local area, whichaccording to local planners has“an overwhelming need” for new homes.

The 99 homes here range fromone to four bedrooms, enabling the site to appeal to a wide range of buyers, including first-timehomeowners, families and retired

downsizers. Thehomes take inspirationfrom the original site’sVictorian and railwayheritage, usingpredominantly redbrick, butincorporating detailssuch as windowquoins, columnedporches and penticeboards. Nearingcompletion, themajority of thedevelopment,although still new, feels establishedalready, and a fittingtransformation of a sitethat had been unusedfor many years.

SILVERRoyal Albert Wharf, RoyalDocks, London, E16Notting Hill HousingBuilt on an underusedbrownfield site in a sparselypopulated area of east London,the Royal Albert Wharf isuniquely peaceful. Bordered by water on three sides, this part of the wider Docklandsregeneration feels like a floatingvillage. The bespoke brickwork

knits seamlessly into the area,making the development feel at home in its historicalsurroundings.

The new community is alreadyforging a strong sense of identity.Local artists proudly showcasetheir work from several thousandsquare feet of studio space,rented by The Bow Arts Trust;pop-up cafes, engineered in aprofessional kitchen let by theGreenwich Co-OperativeDevelopment Agency, are aregular feature; yoga classes, afilm club, and weekend craft clubfor children add to the newneighbourhood’s charms.

The flats are generously sizedwith floor-to-ceiling windows andspacious balconies. The layoutsare particularly impressive, withclearly defined dining areas andunparalleled views. Launchedwith a range of tenures, thedeveloper has taken care toensure the homes remainaccessible to Londoners, withHelp to Buy and SharedOwnership schemes availableand priority given to those fromthe area. With Canary Wharf just 20 minutes away, thedevelopment isn’t as remote as itfeels and offers superb value forwaterside living.

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BRONZEMaida, Aldershot,HampshireBellway South LondonPart of the huge regeneration offormer Ministry of Defence landin Aldershot, Maida is one phaseof the Wellesley development, by master developer Grainger.Maida consists of a mix ofapartments and houses,featuring an unusually highproportion of three-, four- andfive-bedroom homes suitable for families. These have largelybeen bought by local buyers asthey represent property typespreviously lacking in this market.The homes are well designedand spacious, with 10 housetypes providing a nice mix ofelevations and proportions andcreating an established feel tothe new development.

The broader Wellesleydevelopment – named after the Duke of Wellington, whoseenormous statue stands nearby – will eventually featurewoodland, parks and naturetrails; shops and play areas; aneighbourhood centre and twoprimary schools; and sportsfacilities and allotments.

BRONZEMount’s Bay Lodge,Penzance, Cornwall Churchill RetirementLivingA long overdue development ata prominent former gasworkssite on the town’s harbour front,Churchill has grasped the nettleand built on a site that had beenan eyesore for decades. Thescheme was a tricky build dueto the constraints of the site,with remediation work neededalong with some significantshoring up of a very steep wallat the back of the plot.

With the resultingdevelopment, Churchill hasprovided 51 one-and two-bedroom units, many with seaviews, representing much-needed retirement housing inarea where the average age is significantly higher than the national average. Thedevelopment features aresidents’ lounge, which isalready proving popular withresidents, as the social hub ofthe scheme, and its positionmeans all the town’s mainamenities are within walkingdistance, as are the train andbus stations.

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Best Regeneration Scheme

GOLD The Penthouse, DollarBay, Canary Wharf,London, E14Mount AnvilThis is probably the bestpenthouse judges have seen inmany years and Mount Anvil hasto be complimented on its visionfor Dollar Bay. There is no doubt that the wonderful design, risinglike the perfect cut on a faceteddiamond, is really the pinnacle of an outstanding architecturaldesign by Ian SimpsonArchitects. Set in a location, whichtakes full advantage of the viewsstretching to the Shard at the frontof the building with the Dome andthe Thames at the rear.

Suna Interior Design’sspecification is complemented byinterior designer Daniel Hopwood’svision of the buyer who will live inthis four-storey penthouse. The aimof this upside-down penthouse,where the bedrooms are on theground floor and the party room ison the top floor, is to maximise thewow factor of the views by havingtriple-height windows from theparty pad on the fourth floor, whichis complete with plunge pool,dining and lounge area.

Suna has cleverly incorporatedluxury natural finishes into thepenthouse, while Hopwood hascombined bespoke furniture withhigh street pieces to make themost of the budget. Throughoutthe apartment, the use of colour – for example, the clevercombination of reupholsteredFrench dining chairs in an electricblue combined with PhilippeStarck’s Ghost chairs – creates a memorable image and gives this gold winner the wow factor, befitting of its location andneighbours in the glitteringfinancial centre of Canary Wharf.

GOLDGabriel Square, St AlbansMeyer HomesA stunning development. Thedevelopers have taken everycare to consider the end user tothe last detail and the result is agloriously practical and well-thought-out living space.

It is a brave interior designerwho can use the colour palette ofemerald with élan, especially in ashowhome, which has to appealto a variety of potential buyers.The skillful designer from Conran& Partners has carefully used this

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Best Interior Design

Best Interior Design

fashion hit of the seasonthroughout the home, combiningcurrent trends directly from the high street. The stamp ofConran and Partners can be seen through the design andunlike the interior designer who guards their secret list ofsuppliers, the look couldprobably be achieved simply by visiting the Conran store inWest London. The modernist,clean living style complementsthe development perfectly.

The interior design isconsidered and punctuated with a number of statement items ofon-trend, mid-century pieces of furniture, which have beencommissioned specifically for the property. The dressing table in the master suite is a work of art. Beautifullyhandcrafted, the sculptural

piece by Thomas Bullimore,rightly takes centre stage. Afabulously designed property with every detail considered andbalanced beautifully.

SILVER Knowle Hill Park CountryEstate, Cobham, SurreyMillgate HomesKnowle Hill Park by MillgateHomes starts with theadvantage of being in a superband very expensive part ofSurrey. In the 45-acre locationthere are detached houses that will appeal to Chelseafootballers, as the trainingground is right next-door. Themagnificent Palladian mansionhas been reimaged by AscotDesign to create 22 new-buildapartments for high-net-worth

purchasers. The majority of theapartments have been snappedup by downsizers from theenormous mansions in the area.

If you buy one of theapartments, you are loaned aBentley for the day to get yourshopping and a whole range ofother perks. You also get awonderful 3,000ft² apartmentwhere Alexander James hascreated six-star interiors for thelucky buyers to whom the £2m-plus price is a drop in the ocean.

The design is luxurious. Ahuge hall leads into an amazing,mammoth room and AlexanderJames has overcome the designissues of the 48ft x 28ft superroom by creating zones thatblend together seamlesslymaintaining the wow factor of thetitanic room. The kitchen with the bespoke carpentry has theinformal dining, while the 3m-long Macassar ebony diningtable that glows with the reflectedlight from the chandeliers willmore than impress the friends atthe golf club.

Alexander James has made fulluse of layering of fabrics usingvelvets, linen and silk to create an award-winning apartment withpersonality. Naturally all theappliances are from Sub-Zero &Wolf, confirming nothing but thebest for these apartments.

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Best Exterior Design

GOLDRiverlight, Battersea,London, SW11St JamesRiverlight, designed by architectsRogers Stirk Harbour + Partners,brings the successful conceptand aesthetic of Neo Bankside toNine Elms in Battersea.

This large housing scheme hasbeen broken down into a series ofsix pavilions, orientated south tonorth to allow light and viewsacross the site, while reducing the mass of the building viewedfrom the river. The height of thepavilions steps down across thesite, creating a transition from thescale of Battersea Power Stationdevelopments to one side, andhousing to the other.

The individual buildings arearticulated with structure andservices exposed on the exterior.This gives the buildings a delicacyand complexity that furtherreduces the appearance of mass,and allows the buildings to sitharmoniously in their context in thissensitive location near the riverand the power station. Thisstrategy also allows for clean,open interior layouts unobstructedby structure, while panoramic

external lifts give residents adramatic vista of the river.

Triangular inset balconies toevery unit cleverly bring bothnorthern river views and southlight into the single aspectapartments to the long sides ofthe pavilions. These angled viewsalso help to maintain privacybetween units.

A generous 75% of the site has been given over to publiclandscaped space, all of which isentirely pedestrianised, with carand bicycle parks all underground.

These open landscapes will create a new destination inLondon, with allocations ofground-level units in the pavilionsto commercial use providing retailand amenity provisions for theresidents, making this an enviableplace to live.

St James should becommended for the highstandards delivered with thisproject, and the commitment tocreating not just excellent housingbut a high-quality new publicspace in London.

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SILVERLombard Wharf, Battersea,London, SW11Barratt LondonLombard Wharf, designed byPatel Taylor architects, is a singletower of apartments adjacent toCremorne Bridge on the Thames

The simple concept ofundulating ribbon balconies givesthis scheme a strong identity and a clean sculptural aesthetic.The balconies are particularlyeffective when viewed from nearby, the deep overhangssheltering the inset glazing, andthe shifting forms of the balconyribbons creating a sculptural andmodulating solidity that belies the heavily glazed fenestration of the apartments.

These deep balconies have asensible environmental purpose,shading glass in summer whileallowing lower winter sun topenetrate the living spaces.

There will be a large publicspace around the new building,comprising 65% of the site area. Inaddition, the landscaping will allowa more direct route for the ThamesPath, incorporating the opening up of the Cremorne Bridge Arch,making a positive contribution to

public accessto the Thames.Commercialspace to theground floorwill create amixed-useenvironment,providingamenity usesto residentsand creatingstreet life atground level

Overall, the scheme makes a positivecontribution to the London skylineand the public realm, with asimple and effective façadearticulation that delivers a senseof form and place.

BRONZEThe Lighthouse,Silverlake, Warmwell,Dorset Habitat First GroupThis new house, designed byJerry Tate architects, is part ofSilverlake, an estate of holidayhomes in Dorset.

While this development for asingle unit is very small scale incomparison to the other winningschemes, thejudges felt thatthese was asensitivity todesign andcontext both inthe projectand in the sitemasterplanthatwarrantiedrecognition.

Themasterplanconcept

allows buyers to choose from 11different house types for each plotas a custom build. This will createa community of buildings varyingin design and aesthetics, but each reflecting the aspirations of their occupiers, and the judges felt the developers shouldbe commended for this open-minded, user-first approach todelivering housing. The resultantdevelopment will not have ahomogenous uniformity – it’satmosphere and sense of placewill arise from its natural variety.

The Lighthouse itself has anunderstated aesthetic of traditionalweathering materials, in a formevocative of a barn conversion,that, while simple, will blend wellinto its context over time. While the interiors are relatively private, a wrap-around balcony allowsoccupiers to enjoy views over thelake and surrounding countryside.

The house has been built tovery high Passivhaus standards,giving the building topenvironmental credentials.

Overall, the scheme provides agood combination of a sensitivityto its rural context, while providingcontemporary living space andsustainable housing that shouldstand the test of time.

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Best Exterior Design

Best Public Realm

GOLDHeritage Walk and KewBridge West, Brentford,London, TW8St JamesHousebuilders should not justset out to build homes, butcommunities. Placemaking is anart, as much as a science – adifficult path to tread, for youcannot impose community onan area, it has to be a naturalreaction to both the private and public realm. St Jamescontinues to lead the way inpublic realm, forging identitiesaround its schemes, and thisdevelopment, designed byStockwool and AssaelArchitecture, built in two phasesover six years on the site of anold Thames Water filter bed, isanother fine example of its work.

St James has paid duehomage to the industrial heritageof the site through a mix ofpreservation, restoration and new additions.

There is a linear park runningfrom the entrance to Kew BridgeWest on to Heritage Walk and the London Museum of Steamand Water, with the well-usedpark decorated with a variety of specially commissioned

artwork, as well as seating areas, including fun animal-shaped seats for the kids, withthe landscaping delivered bylandscape architects Gillespies.

The innovative use of public art includes a speciallycommissioned poem by AliceOswald that runs, woven in steel,along the walkway. There aredelightful touches everywhere

amid the public realm, including a text trail with text fragmentscarved into slabs and boulders.

The piece de resistance isprobably the Big Table, which isexactly that – an oak table bysculptor and furniture makerAlison Crowther and a focal pointat the heart of Kew Bridge West.A seat at the big table – the toptable – for St James.

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WhatHouse? Awards Judges

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JOHN ASSAELJohn is chairman and co-founder ofaward-winning

Assael Architecture. Johnspecialises in residentially ledmixed-use projects, with a particular interest in theregeneration of urban brownfieldsites and conservation of listedand historic buildings.

He has been a judge for the RIBA Regional Awards,WhatHouse? Awards and WANAwards and continues to searchfor and reward examples of gooddesign, year-on-year. His otherpassions lie in being an exemplaremployer, promoting theprofession and supporting thefuture generation of architects.John is a nationally electedmember of the RIBA Council and the ARB, the profession’sregulator, and a trustee of theArchitects Benevolent Society.

RUPERT BATESRupert, one of theleading propertyjournalists in the

country, is editorial director ofShow House and What HouseDigital and is a co-founder of thebusiness, having covered the new homes industry andpresented the WhatHouse?Awards for over 25 years,

Rupert has appeared regularlyon national television and radio,giving his views on the housingmarket and has chaired andfacilitated many industry eventsboth at home and abroad. He

also writes the property column for The Field magazine.

Alongside his magazine andonline journalism, Rupert wrote for The Telegraph for 20 years and has covered five Rugby World Cups.

RORY BERGINRory’s role is todevelop excellence in sustainable and

innovative design, enablingmultidisciplinary designconsultancy HTA to achieve itsobjective of leading the field insustainable placemaking. He hasan impact on many of HTA’sprojects, overseeing the practice’simplementation of sustainabledesign and the use of appropriatesustainability tools. He leads ateam of sustainability consultantsadvising clients and certifyingprojects in the commonly usedsustainable design standards.Rory and his team are responsiblefor the sustainability consultancyon some of the UK’s highestprofile housing projects. Herepresents HTA at conferencesregularly and is on the AdvisoryBoard of the Active HouseAlliance.

BRIDGET CORDYWith over 20 years’experience of sellingand marketing

property, Bridget has workedalongside many of the country’stop developers. A graduate of theChartered Institute of Marketing,her career started as a trainee

negotiator in Surrey followed bythe roller-coaster markets ofLondon’s Docklands during thelate 1980s, where she got thetaste for new homes. This led her to gain a broad experience in new homes agency beforejoining the developer side of thebusiness. After six years atdirector level with Charles Churchand then Centex, Bridget is now a freelance property writerand a regular columnist for ShowHouse magazine.

JAKE EDGLEYJake founded EdgleyDesign in 2004 – anarchitecture and

development practice based inClerkenwell, and focused on craftand innovation in architecture.

The practice has built manycontemporary private houses,residential and mixed-useschemes, mostly in and aroundLondon. The practice has beenwidely published and has wonnumerous awards.

Jake also has extensivedevelopment experience andruns a parallel developmentcompany that builds high-qualityresidential and mixed-useschemes, based on a simplestrategy of creating value throughdesign quality.

SIMON GRAHAMSimon is director ofBlue Sky, a freelancehousing consultancy

established in 1995. He hasworked in the residential

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WhatHouse? Awards Judges

property industry for over 25 years, including holdingsenior sales, marketingcommunications and corporatestrategy posts with housingassociations and a privatedevelopment company. Simon specialises in research,marketing and public affairsprojects. His clients includemany of the largest housingassociations in the country, tradebodies and a range of publicand private sector organisations.He is also a trained journalistand has written a monthlycolumn for Show House since1995, focusing on governmentpolicy, the housing market andsocial housing issues.

STANLEY HAINESStanley studiedarchitecture at theWelsh School, Cardiff,

qualifying in 1977 and is nowsenior partner of Haines PhillipsArchitects based in centralLondon. He has been involvedwith housing design throughouthis career and has been awarded numerous RIBA, CivicTrust and local awards andcommendations for his housingwork. His practice specialises in all aspects of housing and undertakes projects for housing associations, volume housebuilders, smallerdevelopers as well as retirementhousing specialists. Stanley isformerly an assessor for the CivicTrust and a design assessor forHertfordshire County Council.

JO HAMILTONJo has been an interiordesigner for more than 20 years and in

that time has earned a reputationfor delivering exceptional, high-endfinishes.

She is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading interiordesigners, noted for her confidentgrasp of colour, intelligent use ofspace and luxury aesthetic.

Jo is a skilled communicatorwith clients and contractors alike,while her long-term resident interiordesigner role for Grand Designshas added to her standing as anaccomplished public speaker.

She runs interior design coursesfor all skill levels, from novice toprofessional and also offers aproperty search service.

ROGER HUNT An award-winningwriter, blogger andlong-standing Show

House contributor, Roger is anexpert on sustainability, buildingmaterials and construction. He is the co-author of the recentlypublished New Design for OldBuildings from RIBA Publishing as well as the bestselling Old House Handbook and thecompanion volume Old HouseEco Handbook, published inassociation with the Society for theProtection of Ancient Buildings. His other books include RuralBritain: Then & Now, and Villagesof England. Roger also lecturesregularly on retrofitting andrepairing old buildings.

ISLAMACFARLANEIsla is editor ofshowhouse.co.uk. She

has worked on magazines andwebsites across the UK, southIndia and the UAE covering topicsranging from business andbanking to the property andconstruction. Isla moved to Dubaiin 2008 as the editor of PrivateEquity and Hedge Funds MiddleEast. She spent the next fewyears producing business andfinancial content across a varietyof platforms including websites,magazines, e-newsletters, books,events, broadcast and contractpublishing. She has reported onproperty, construction andfinancial markets across Europe,the Middle East, Africa and South-East Asia.

CHERYLMARKOSKYCheryl is a freelancejournalist, specialising

in property and lifestyle print anddigital material. Currently, she’swriting regularly for The SundayTimes, MoveTo London, MoveToTown & Country, Abode 2 and Tempus magazine, as wellas for magazines and otherpublications in the West Indies.Cheryl splits her time betweenLondon, Wiltshire and theCaribbean and has been aWhatHouse? judge for nearly 20 years. Her new homes lovesinclude thoughtful design withreferences to the locality, andproper storage.

WhatHouse? Awards Judges

54

GEORGEOLDHAMGeorge is a graduateof Manchester

University where he was awardedthe Manchester Society ofArchitects Student Medal. Heenjoyed a 25-year career in thepublic sector, becoming cityarchitect of Newcastle upon Tyne,winning several national design,energy and conservation awards.In 1989, he became chiefarchitect for BarrattDevelopments, later setting upOldham Associates, combiningpractice with teaching design atthe universities of Newcastle andHumberside. On accepting the post of degree programme director of professional practice atNewcastle, he became a full-timeacademic before returning topractice in 2003. His maininterest, apart from serving onRIBA Council, is golf coursedesign, having written two bookson the subject.

KEITH OSBORNEKeith is the editor of WhatHouse.com. With a background in

finance, he has been involved inthe new homes industry for over15 years, contributing to thewebsite, Show House andHomes Overseas magazine over that time, and was formerlyon the judging panel for theHomes Overseas Awards. He has also provided articles andcopy for numerous property

companies and websites in theUK and overseas, both in theconsumer and business-to-business sectors.

HARRY PATICASHarry is an architectwith a passion for and expertise in

sensitive deep retrofitting of both historic and modernbuildings. He has practical, onsite experience, from his ownphased deep-retrofit project in Honor Oak, London, andprofessional experience ofnumerous completed projects.

Harry is a co-director of ArborealArchitecture, and co-founder of the15-40 low energy architecturecollective. He is a member of theSustainable Traditional BuildingsAssociation panel of experts, co-chair of the Technical WorkingGroup for the UK Centre forMoisture in Buildings and anexternal examiner on the MScEnergy Retrofit Technology atDublin Institute of Technology.Harry lectures on deep retrofit andlow-energy projects.

MICHAEL PHAREMichael is principal ofOPUS Architectureand Design, which

he formed 25 years ago. Hespecialises in high-qualityresidential projects, workingclosely with developers andindividual clients on a wide rangeof projects, from small studios tosubstantial country houses. Hiswork has been regularly featured

in national property magazines. In addition to practising as anarchitect, Michael is a director of a property investment anddevelopment company.

GEORGE SELLGeorge is a freelancejournalist, editor andcopywriter with more

than a decade’s experience ofcovering the UK residentialproperty market for consumerand business-to-businesspublications. George is a formereditor of both WhatHouse? andShow House and remains aregular contributor to ShowHouse. He writes about UK andoverseas property for a widerange of magazines, newspapersand websites.

JANE SLADEJane Slade is theformer property editorof the Sunday Express

and founder of Retiremove, adedicated property and lifestylewebsite for people seeking a newlife and new home after retirement.

As a journalist and commentatorshe is highly regarded as aretirement property expert andoften invited to sit on panels and participate in conferencedebates. She is passionate about this market sector and is ambitious to expand theRetiremove website further. Janealso writes for several nationalnewspapers and magazinesincluding The Daily Mail, Expressonline and The Times.

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WhatHouse? Awards Judges

MARTIN TAYLORMartin is an interiordesigner with 25 years experience

reorganising space, primarily for private clients in the residential market.

Initially trained as a theatre set designer, Martin began hisworking career as an in-houseinterior designer for twoarchitectural practices, beforestarting his own company in 2000.

He specialises in creatingadditional space, both within the envelope of the existingbuilding, but also through thedesign and construction ofextensions and basements. Hehas a wealth of experience, andhuge interest, in working onperiod and listed buildings. He’salways keen to ensure that theirhistorical qualities are retainedwhile being developed intoproperties suitable for today’scontemporary living.

TRICIA TOPPINGTricia has over twodecades of propertybusiness and

marketing experience. Tricia is the founder of Carlyle

Consultants, a communicationsconsultancy focusing on luxuryproducts, prime London and international propertydestinations, with clients in allsectors. Carlyle Consultantsadvises its clients using strategiccommunication methods andtraditional as well as modernmarketing tools to position

them at the heart of their targetaudience.

Tricia also created her blog,Luxury Topping, through her love of property, interior design,jewellery, art and fashion. LuxuryTopping focuses on ‘the businessof luxury’ and shines the spotlighton the trends and the people whowork to create wonderful objectsthat we admire, desire and buy.

CAROLYNTREVORCarolyn is director of Trevor Lahiff

Architects alongside herhusband Patrick. Their practice,founded in 1995, specialises inone-off, high-end residentialprojects for both private clientsand developers. TLA’s bespokehouses and interiors areinformed and stylish, attributed toCarolyn’s extensive experienceworking as both architect andinterior designer. The studio has previously won the UK &International Property DesignAward for the best newresidential development and theDesign & Architecture awardsfrom Design et al. Projects rangefrom extensions, to large-scalerefurbishments and to new buildand refurbishments of countryhouses in the UK and abroad.

PASCAL WENSINKPascal, director ofEPR Architects,studied architecture

at Kingston Polytechnic andSouth Bank University with a

six-month placement at DelftTechnical University in theNetherlands. While studying, he joined a design studio in theEast End of London, convertingindustrial and warehousebuildings into live/work units,bars and restaurants. Pascalthen became a freelancearchitect, converting andadapting private homes in andaround north London beforejoining EPR Architects. Hisprojects range from bespoke,one-off houses to large, mixed-use developments and inner cityurban initiatives.

MATT WHITEMatt establishedMATT Architecture in2012. The studio is

based in Leicester Square andenjoys a London-focusedreputation for designing award-winning projects thatunlock the potential of the most complex and constrainedsites – with intelligent, generousand, frankly, opportunisticarchitecture. Projects includeone-off houses in the UK andEurope as well as regenerationand redevelopment work. Matt’sresidential experience includesmulti-unit central Londonschemes for Candy & Candy aswell as his own house, No.23,which won the Daily Telegraph’sResidential Design andInnovative Home award in 2013.His own new house in Sussexhas featured on Channel 4’sGrand Designs.

WHAT HOUSE Daniel Hill, Managing DirectorAs the website and digital proposition behind theWhatHouse? brand, we are delighted to sponsor the housebuildingindustry’s biggest event.

It has been a year of exciting expansion for Whathouse.com. We launched our programmatic trading desk, which is helping torevolutionise the way housebuilders, housing associations and new buildsuppliers find and interact with their customers and making best use offirst party data to deliver highly targeted and cost-effective leads.

Our website is also underpinned by regular news and features,keeping visitors informed of what is happening in the new build marketwith the best homebuying advice.

2018 promises even more compelling digital interaction with ourclients. We have launched our Cost-Per-Click (CPC) model onWhatHouse.com, while our team also provides creative, Pay-Per-Click(PPC), search and social media for housebuilders, adding value to yoursales and marketing operations.

WhatHouse.com has a unique pedigree and heritage in the new homessector and is proving to be a digital pioneer too, with cutting edge technologyto drive new homes sales in an increasingly competitive online space.

We would like to thank everybody who has entered the most prestigiousaccolades in British housebuilding and congratulations to all the winners. Welook forward to working with you in 2018, which promises to be anotherpivotal year for the industry.

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Sponsor message

RocaSian Lane, national sales manager(developers)As a market-leading bathroom manufacturer, we are delighted to be a headline sponsor of theWhatHouse? Awards for the 13th year running.

When making important purchasing decisions such as buying a newhome, consumers want to be reassured and have confidence they areinvesting in quality products and solutions that complement theirlifestyle. This is where the Roca brand truly stands out.

Being a forward-thinking, innovative manufacturer, we constantlydevelop our products and solutions in line with new technologies.Sustainability and stylish design is at the heart of everything we do and weare committed to offering the best solutions for bathroom spaces, helpingto push the boundaries of bathroom design.

At Roca, we understand the need to make new developments unique togain a competitive advantage in market conditions where design andquality is paramount. That’s why we offer housebuilders a wide range ofchoice for their projects, giving designers the freedom to be creative whileproviding solutions to achieve water-saving and sustainability targets. Wehave been successfully manufacturing our own brassware for over 60 yearsand currently offer a vast range of contemporary styles across various pricepoints, from entry to luxury. Wall-hung and back-to-wall WCs have risen inpopularity with developers, and we also offer a wide range of installationsystems, for easy installation of WCs, as well as basins and bidets.

Our new Inspira bathroom collection, perfect for those housebuilderslooking to stand out, is based on three design lines – Round, Soft andSquare – which, as well as providing design solutions on their own, alsowork in harmony with each other when combined.

We hope you enjoyed the event and thank you for your continued support.

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Sponsor message

Nolte KüchenRichard Pedgrift, senior consultantWhen we celebrate the achievements of thehousebuilding industry at the WhatHouse? Awardswe should also raise a glass to Nolte Küchen. Thisyear marks the company’s 10th anniversary as

sponsors of these prestigious Awards, and I would like to thank theAwards for bringing together the construction industry and theirsuppliers in such a sophisticated, inspiring event that we aredelighted to be a part of.

As one of Germany’s major kitchen brands, we pride ourselves inquality, diversity and excellent value for money. Together with our partnerBK Nolte Contracts we have established Nolte Küchen in the UK as areliable supplier, proving flexible in the more recent past with a refinedproduct offering to more closely reflect the market conditions post-Brexit.

Our comprehensive portfolio not only allows architects and designers tomeet individual requirements, but also to cover various styles and trends.Recent additions include a range of doors and extras for the ‘industrial’ look,allowing our partners to flexibly design kitchens on various budget levels.

Recognising the creativity that brings our product alive, we look forwardto new projects and fruitful developments in 2018.

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Sponsor message

KITCHENS

Appliance Plus + Mike Beech, national contract manager We are very proud to be sponsoring the WhatHouse?Awards for the fourth year running. Supportingresidential developers is incredibly important toAppliance Plus+. This growing sector is a major

focus for us, which is why we are extremely pleased to be part of thisevent recognising the leading talent in the industry.

To reflect our genuine commitment, we have developed our AppliancePlus + proposition. Our dedicated service, shared values, strong portfolioof brands including Grundig, Beko, Blomberg and Leisure, and range ofinnovative and sustainable solutions for residential developers, positionsus as a collaborative partner for new developments. We’ve grown ouroffering significantly over the past few years, and are garnering newbusiness every day. Our proposition satisfies appliance needs for all typesof residential development projects. We win awards for our energy-efficient factories and work closely with the Energy Saving Trust to verifyour products and position ourselves as champions in this area.

We also provide a dedicated service from purchase through to aftersales.We offer a range of two-, three- and five-year warranties as standard,ensuring residential developers can leave a property with the peace of mindthat they have delivered the best possible quality and aftercare for the buyer.

We wish all the finalists every success in the Awards.

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Sponsor message

JabliteRichard Lee, managing director Before we launched our innovative All-in-One ThermalFloor system at the WhatHouse? Awards last year, wewere warned that housebuilders and ground workers– the people who would actually be installing our

system – are slow to change and don’t like new products or suppliers.Well, I am here to tell you that is not the case. When presented with our

Jablite system that offers speedier, safer installations and a great thermalperformance, a lot of people wanted to give it a go.

Our customer focus and determination to deliver world-class customerservice has undoubtedly kept them on board. However, the key point is – asis demonstrated in every one of these Awards – that housebuilders wantinnovation and are driven to deliver excellence and value.

Jablite is very proud to be a sponsor of these prestigious Awards, whichshowcase the absolute best of the best in the housebuilding sector.Congratulations to all the winners. Please get in touch with us; you areexactly the kind of customers that Jablite wants to work with. We want tosupply you with not only the best products and customer service availabletoday, but also to provide you with solutions and future options that we willdevelop just for you.

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Sponsor message

LaufenAlan Dodds, managing directorLaufen is delighted to be a headline sponsor of theprestigious WhatHouse? Awards and wishes heartycongratulations to this year’s winners. It is fantasticto see so many developers taking pride in what they

do and striving to be the best of the best.Laufen is a proud sponsor of the WhatHouse? Awards, which are a

highly respected symbol of prestige and excellence throughout thehousebuilding industry.

In 2017, the demands placed on housebuilders in the UK have neverbeen greater. Buyers quite rightly expect a high standard of finish inreturn for their investment. With the bathroom now seen as a place ofsanctuary and relaxation rather than a purely practical space, Laufensupplies quality fixtures and fittings to the housebuilding industry. Thesesolutions enable developers to tap into the latest trends in interior designwhile delivering a space that is as functional as it is beautiful. Bathroomshelp to sell houses and the Laufen brand enables housebuilders to leadthe field and set the highest of standards for the rest to follow.

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Sponsor message

New i.d InteriorsDaniel Caplan, CEONew i.d Interiors is a specialist interior designcompany predominantly dealing with interiordesign of new build property throughout UK.

Our design team has a wealth of knowledge andyears of experience in delivering projects from concept to completion,creating effective solutions for show homes and private client interiors.We are renowned for having a deep understanding of the project briefand delivering to specification, and our expert team of nine fullyqualified interior designers is also able to advise and offer guidancefor tailored interiors solutions. Our excellent attention to detail andability to cater to the desired style and budget without compromisingon quality and service is what sets us apart. New i.d combinesinspirational creative interior design with our professional installationservices, seeing residential and commercial clients through every stepof the design process.

We are thrilled to be one of the main sponsors of the WhatHouse?Awards this year. Contributing and taking part in this prestigious eventis of tremendous value to us and the WhatHouse? Awards is of greatimportance in the industry.

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Sponsor message

New Homes LawCharlotte Bentall, business developmentdirectorThe staff at New Homes Law are committed to doing their utmost to provide a high-levelconveyancing service to prospective purchasers

of new-build properties. We have worked tirelessly to try to understand what it is that buyers of

new-build properties expect during their purchase transactions and tounderstand the transaction from the developers’ perspective.

It is this knowledge and understanding that has allowed New HomesLaw to grow into a recognised specialist new-build conveyancingcompany and provide an unrivalled service to our clients.

Good communication and sincere, honest professionalism haveenabled us to build strong relationships with our clients and we will workcontinually to ensure the ethics we have built our company on remain.

New Homes Law is very happy to be a sponsor of the prestigiousWhatHouse? Awards this year and we are very much looking forward toseeing both familiar and unfamiliar faces at the event.

The WhatHouse? Awards are a fantastic opportunity for companieslike ours to expand their branding, so if you are attending the Awards thisyear, why not come over and say hello to New Homes Law. You areguaranteed a very warm welcome.

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Sponsor message

IbstockDarren Bowkett, Operations director –Ibstock Brick & managing director –Ibstock Kevington

Ibstock Brick, part of Ibstock plc, is the UK’s largestbrickmaker, with 19 factories nationwide and almost 200 years ofexperience. Our bricks are at the heart of construction, helping to createhomes, places and spaces across the country.

We are delighted to support the WhatHouse? Awards and its goal ofhelping to ensure that the housebuilding industry gets the recognition itdeserves for its major contribution to enriching the country’s builtenvironment and economy as a whole.

Ibstock Brick is committed to supporting the housebuilding industry. Tothis end, we have invested in the most modern brickmaking technologiesincluding £54m in a new, state-of-the-art brickworks nearing completion atour Ibstock site. This will ensure that we can continue to offer high-qualityproducts to meet the growing demand of our customers.

We also appreciate the importance of being able to offer a wide range ofbricks to meet local vernacular and planning considerations. Our network offactories across the country means that our range is unmatched for itsvariety of colour, size and manufacturing techniques, thus ensuring that eventhe most demanding requirements can be met. In addition, IbstockKevington is the country’s only nationwide brick special shape and brickworkcomponent manufacturer. We have developed products such asprefabricated arches, FastStack chimneys and our Nexus brick facedsupport systems to improve quality and save build time onsite.

Ibstock plc is a building family of exceptional brands that includesmanufacturers of concrete roof tiles, concrete stone masonry substitutes,concrete fencing, pre-stressed concrete products and concrete rail products.

We all wish you an enjoyable and successful What House? Awards.

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Sponsor message

SHOW HOUSE JOBSStewart Black, Business DevelopmentManagerShow House Jobs (showhouse.co.uk/jobs),launched this year, is a natural extension to the best-known trade brand in UK housebuilding and, from

the same Globespan Media stable, we are proud to sponsor theWhatHouse? Awards.

We are purely focused on housebuilding and the new build supplychain with a strategy to build long-term relationships, working directingwith hiring companies.

As we know and cover editorially on a daily basis at showhouse.co.uk andmonthly in the housebuilding’s leading trade title Show House magazine, theindustry is faced with a massive skills shortage, exacerbated by the need tobuild new homes in huge numbers to meet demand.

Show House Jobs targets vacancies from apprentices to chief executives,promoting opportunities within the industry, as well as using our cutting edgeprogrammatic advertising platform to reach the right target audience andfind the best candidate.

We send weekly newsletters to our engaged database, promoting jobs,as well as featuring careers advice and industry news and features. Wealso send daily job alert emails, engaging with candidates and motivatingthem to apply for suitable jobs.

Current clients include Redrow, Persimmon, Avant Homes,Ballymore, Hill, L&Q, Churchill Retirement Living, Hopkins Homes,Knight Frank, Lendlease and Larkfleet Homes.

We congratulate all the winners of the 2017 WhatHouse? Awards andlook forward to helping you all with your recruitment needs in 2018, aswell as promoting the huge opportunities the industry offers.

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Sponsor message

N&CRichard Hill, sales directorN&C is the UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of wet rooms, tiles and showers to the UKhousebuilding industry and is very pleased to besponsoring the WhatHouse? Awards for a fourth year.

Wet rooms have become a key area for adding value to new homes.Today’s design-conscious consumer aspires to own a wet room, whichoffers housebuilders the opportunity of additional margin as theconsumer perceives the cost of a wet room to be substantial. The realityis very different; N&C already supplies some of the UK’s largest andsmallest housebuilders a warranted, British-manufactured Total WetRoom Solution for little more than the cost of the standard en suiteshower tray and enclosure.

Well over 100 housebuilders specify N&C tiles from the company’sMode or Synergy collections. N&C offers hundreds of on-trend tileranges including an extensive range of coordinating porcelain tiles forexternal use in place of traditional patio paving.

N&C has been manufacturing and distributing wet rooms to the UKbuilding industry for decades. We are recognised as the authority in wetroom systems, chairing the UK Technical Wet Room committee. Ourinternationally proven, warranted wet room systems offers housebuilder’stotal peace of mind alongside the latest in design-led innovation.

N&C owns four state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and hasdistribution centres throughout England, Scotland and Wales offering anext-day delivery service using our private fleet of low emission vehiclesto any address, including direct to site.

Our 140 years of manufacturing and distribution experience coupledwith a highly competitive offer and unique market-leading innovationmake N&C the perfect tile and wet room partner.

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Sponsor message

Warwick EstatesCraig Stevens, managing directorWarwick Estates are a multi-award-winningresidential property management company. In 2017we celebrated our 10-year anniversary by signing upour 1,000th development under management.

We also invested a further £400,000 improving our bespoke softwaresystem to ensure that it remains more sophisticated and nimble than ourcompetitors’ off-the-shelf solutions. It is this state-of-art technology andold fashioned customer service (still no computerised telephone system– just lovely people picking up the phone) that makes us best placed tohelp our developer clients look after their customers and infrastructure.Our software now easily allows us to white label our services, so thathomeowners can be served by their own development’s name ratherthan ours, which greatly increases the buy-in between the two partiesand reduces the costs involved in running the development.

We are proud to be sponsoring the WhatHouse? Awards for the fourthyear in a row; it’s always a great day and we enjoy seeing many of ourdeveloper partners being rewarded for their hard work and innovation.

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Sponsor message

Q Assure Build Clare M Thomas, managing directorThe WhatHouse? Awards is a highly respectedsymbol of excellence in the housebuilding industryand Q is delighted to become a headline sponsor ofthis prestigious event.

The Q Policy brings a fresh approach to the structural warranty market,promoting high quality construction and quality underwriting.

We have a wealth of experience and expertise, meaning that Q’s warrantyservices put customers first, attracting developers who want to offer thehighest quality customer journey, and maintain a clear focus on thetechnical aspects of construction. Our team works with developers, buildersand contractors to support site teams during the construction phase to helpget their new and converted homes right first time. The growing network ofquality developers Q works with is key to our success. Our clients want tobuild quality homes and promote their brand reputation, so we go the extramile to provide support and advice throughout the whole constructionprocess, visiting site a minimum of eight times per plot.

And this is all backed by a Lloyd’s underwriter, providing A-ratedinsurance to give your customers peace of mind. The Q Policy is a qualitywarranty for quality properties.

With figures showing a 21% growth in the number of new homes built inthe first quarter of this year, it’s a really exciting time for the housebuildingindustry. The WhatHouse? Awards is an incredible celebration of this and is testament to the success and hard work of the many excellenthousebuilders across the UK. We are delighted to be part of such anaspirational event, recognising the quality in our industry.

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Sponsor message

TCLSimon Cashmore, chief executiveTCL are leading providers of ‘outside space’services to residential housebuilders throughoutthe UK and were recently named in the LondonStock Exchange report ‘1000 Companies to Inspire

Europe’. We are delighted to be supporting the WhatHouse? Awardsfor the fourth successive year.

TCL Group, one of whose companies holds a Royal Warrant, has over 30 years’ experience supporting residential housebuildersthroughout the entire construction cycle in relation to provision of‘outside space’-related services. From sales area, plot design andinstallation through to public open space installations, TCL has all yourrequirements covered.

TCL offers landscape consultancy, architecture, installation andgrounds maintenance services to many UK leading housebuilders withservices provided by directly employed and highly trained colleagues.

With dedicated focus on sales area installations, TCL provides an end-to-end service, designing and installing the entire sales complex includingthe landscape, railings, signage and lighting. Our complete servicemeans we can remove the hassle of coordinating multiple suppliers andensure your sales area opens on time, every time.

Playforce, TCL’s specialist play area business, provides design andinstallation services to support housebuilders make best use of landdesignated for play provision. With a focus on design, site aesthetics,acoustic suppression and play equipment that blends with thedevelopment and fits with the adopting local authority, every effort ismade ensure that LAPs/LEAPs provide a reason to select property onyour development.

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Sponsor message

Jackson-StopsBen Babington, director, residentialdevelopmentJackson-Stops is delighted to be sponsoring TheWhatHouse? Awards again in 2017. Not only are welooking forward to playing a central role in this great

day of celebration for our industry, but it is the first major event where weare showcasing our new corporate branding.

Our new brand is an expression of the characteristics that form ourvalues. These values differentiate us in life and in business, help us maintaina clear advantage and fully equip us to deliver our promises. Our team isgrounded by authenticity, agility and astuteness.

Our land and new homes department continues to thrive and evolve inresponse to prevailing market conditions. Our mission remains to be aleading land and new homes agency, offering efficient, effective andinnovative marketing campaigns and delivering service excellence todevelopers and purchasers.

We are always mindful that our clients have increasingly highexpectations of the added value that their agents need to offer. For thisreason, it remains our vision that we will always deliver an irreplaceableservice in an increasingly digital world.

We wish all our clients the very best of luck at the WhatHouse? Awardsthis year.

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Sponsor message

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info@tglsearch.com

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Surrey: 01344 845 040

Thomas GrayIan Gray, managing directorThe team at Thomas Gray would like to extend theircongratulations to all of those who have beennominated and recognised as best in class at thisyear’s event.

As always, it is a privilege to be one of the main sponsors of the Awardsand gives us a chance to see so many clients and candidates with whom wehave developed an excellent business relationship.

This has been another year of evolvement at Thomas Gray, as wecontinue to add key people to the business at all levels. We have developedan algorithm-based technology platform, which forms the basis of our newdivision, Workplace Solutions. Workplace Solutions works in tandem withboth our established Contingency business and Executive Search arm,which has introduced some of the leading names in housebuilding, such asPhillip Lyons to Countryside Properties as chief executive, housebuilding.

One of the aims of this new operation is to address diversity inrecruitment and tackle the skill shortage but, moreover, capture and pre-select professionals from aligned sectors, who are unaware of theirworth and portable skillset, through programmatic marketing, trade andsocial media advertising and PR.

We have already had a high takeup from our established client base andwould welcome the chance to meet with you to expand upon the uniqueapplication together with introducing you to our new head of division.

Over the last year, the business has put additional structure andprocess in place ahead of the Data Protection Act next May and haselevated Matt Revett to the post of operations director at our HQ in Surreyafter four years with the firm.

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Sponsor message

Green LightingAnthony Ottway, managing directorGreen Lighting has always had a strong connectionwith the housebuilders of the UK, working closelyalongside them for over a decade. By consistentlyexceeding the expectations of our customers and

supplying quality products that surpass the requirements of buildingregulations, we have been able to build and maintain strong bonds withdevelopers nationwide.

Green Lighting’s main drive is to deliver the best service possible to ourcustomers. As a forward-thinking company, we are continuously updatingour ranges of LED products, including downlights, lanterns and anabundance of new decorative lighting, as well as offering services such asthe Queen’s Award-winning Green Lighting Deal, which includes our uniquefirst-year labour support service.

Our latest innovation is the introduction of our Online Developer Portal.Offering a service designed to help developers specify and procureproducts by allowing easy, 24-hour access to all our product information,including datasheets, technical files and BIM models. This enables productspecification to become more streamlined process and allows for the sale ofadditional extras for end users to be simple and easy.

We are proud to be able to show our commitment to the housebuildingindustry, promoting ourselves and our unique qualities as a company.

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