Property Awards 2009 - A Review of Winners

The What House? Awards have celebrated the best in the New Homes industry for 28 years. These Property Awards reward successes in New Build Property; awards also given for prime developments. The ceremony was hosted at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on 20th November 2009.

For example here is an outline of winners from a recent Property Awards ceremony.

In the Best Development category, the Gold Award was awarded to City and Country Group for the Galleries in Brentwood, Essex.

This outstanding conversion is a Grade II Listed Victorian building, formerly a sanatorium building. It was converted into 168 one, two and three-bedroom houses and apartments, set out within ten acres of gardens. With interesting reintroductions of original courtyards and sympathetic development work staying true to the original style and structure of the building, no two properties are the same, each having bespoke features.

The apartments and houses all have a modern twist in terms of interior design, and a brilliant blend of the old and the new. Fittings and finishes are also of an excellent quality, with exemplary attention to detail throughout the development, both internally and externally.

The Best Development Silver Award went to Stone Homes Ltd for Peacock Gap in Morpeth, Northumberland for three luxury stone-built new build properties. Awards also went to St James Urban Living for their contemporary development of a formerly derelict site at Grosvenor Docks, Chelsea Embankment.

The Gold Best Luxury House Award was given to Millwood Designer Homes for Tyburn House in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. This stunning country house development offered superb attention to detail, including a copy of the oak staircase costing 㿨,000, imperial measurement brick work and oak panelling. The house also boasts a service lift, dog shower and an airtight wine cellar. With five bedrooms and one-bedroom guest accommodation, a tennis court and 56 acres of private grounds, this development blends modern living with historical architecture with ease.

The Silver Best Luxury House Award was given to Huntsmere Ltd for five-bedroomed Ravensood in Prestbury, Cheshire, and the Bronze Luxury House Award was offered to Octagon for Old Avenue in St. George's Hill, Surrey.

The Gold Best Apartment Scheme Award went to Ask Life for Abito at Salford Quays in Manchester, a stunning development of 284 studio apartments and six two-bedroomed apartments. These affordable housing units are designed with easy living in mind, and enough space is given to create a light and airy feel. The Property Awards also acknowledged intelligent space-saving detail and fittings such as TV points, integral lighting and hidden hinges that give the units a sense of space, as well as a full-width balcony and glass wall that is installed with each studio unit. There is also intelligent building lighting and a community area courtyard.

The Silver Best Apartment Scheme Award went to United House Developments and Londonewcastle for their Wenlock Building in Islington, London, and the Bronze Award was awarded to St James Urban Living at Grosvenor Waterside in Chelsea in London.

The Gold Housing Award for Best Sustainable Development went to London & Quadrant Housing Trust for One Vale Street, Lambeth in London in a former brownfield site.

Achieving Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, this development demonstrated excellent new-build property specifications. Efficient design and structure included extra wide cavities for insulation and triple-glazed windows. A low-carbon communal boiler system was set up to heat all of the homes, so that individual boilers were not required for each property. The Housing Awards also recognised the ecological environment that has also been integrated with open space and nesting boxes.

The Silver Best Sustainable Development Award went to Croudace Homes in Partnership for Privett Green in Hampshire, and the Bronze Award went to Mar City Developments for Key Gardens in West Bromwich.