The winners of the 2015 Michelmores Property Awards have been announced, celebrating ten outstanding property and construction projects across the region.
Torquay-based architects Kay Elliott were the big winners of the night, taking home the prize for ‘Building of the Year’ for its work on the town’s iconic Abbey Sands building – on the site of the former Palm Court Hotel which was destroyed by a fire in 2010. The firm also won the coveted ‘John Laurence Award for Professional Firm of the Year’, recognising its strong performance in the South West and beyond.
The Dawlish Emergency Project, to re-establish the railway line and sea wall destroyed after severe storms in February 2014, was awarded a ‘Special Infrastructure Prize’. The project team, comprising Network Rail, engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald and other contractors, successfully restored the railway line back to use in just eight weeks.
Holland Park, by Exeter-based Heritage Developments, was named ‘Residential Development of the Year 40 Units and Under’, for its collection of stylish, Zero Carbon homes. Meanwhile, Linden Homes’ Home @ Heartlands development near Pool, won ‘Residential Development Project of the Year 41 Units and Over’.
Two Plymouth-based projects were also recognised – including Help for Heroes Personnel Recovery Centre, Plymouth, submitted by Interserve Construction and Plymouth University’s Marine Station, submitted by Balfour Beatty.
Other winning projects include joint winners for ‘Heritage Project of the Year’ – Exeter Mathematics School, and Samuel Jones Smoke & Ale House. Whalesborough Farm, near Bude, Cornwall was awarded ‘Eco Project of the Year’.
Emma Honey, Head of Real Estate at Michelmores, said:
“This year we received the highest number of entries in the last five years of the competition − signaling a strengthening property and construction sector in the South West. The quality of the entries has been very impressive with tough competition in each category, so many congratulations to all the winners on their fantastic achievements.”
The Michelmores Property Awards − now in its 13th year, celebrates excellence in the property and construction industry, across the commercial and residential sectors in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. The Awards Dinner was hosted by comedian and writer Rory McGrath at Exeter’s Sandy Park Conference Centre, on 19 May.
Commercial Project of the Year with a Value Over £5million
Commercial Project of the Year with a Value Under £5million
The John Laurence Award for Professional Firm of the Year
Residential Project of the Year 41 Units and Over
Residential Project of the Year 40 Units and Under (but more than 6)
The Special Infrastructure Award
