The winners of the 16th annual Michelmores Property Awards have been announced, celebrating outstanding property and construction projects in Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Dorset and Cornwall, across ten categories.
Tate St Ives was awarded the accolade of Building of the Year, after undergoing a complete refurbishment of the existing galleries and a four storey extension providing a new gallery, conservation and learning spaces and office accommodation. It reopened to the public in October 2017 and now accommodates a quarter of a million visitors each year which is a fantastic economic boost for Cornwall.
Another Cornish success was winning Education Project of the Year for the development of Callywith College. A landmark campus for Bodmin and the whole of Cornwall, this state-of-the-art further educational facility includes recreational areas, such as a 3G sports pitch, and which is accessible to the local community.
In Plymouth two projects stood out for their regeneration of previously derelict and deprived areas. The judges were particularly impressed with the Nelson Project which won the Alternative Property Investment Project of the Year. This Plymouth City Council flagship ‘Plan for Homes’ development comprises of 24 high quality homes, 12 dedicated to military veterans, six to people with learning difficulties and six as general need affordable accommodation. The most outstanding element was the rehabilitation programme of military veterans who built the development and have now gained construction skills.
Winner of the Residential Project of the Year (36 Units and Over), was formerly a fortified MOD estate which was closed to the public. Mountwise is now a thriving community of 250 high quality homes with a further 59 apartments, surrounding a cricket pitch and has an on-site café, retail space and several office spaces in the centre of Plymouth.
Bristol benefitted from two exceptional, though very different, developments. Winning Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year, Aerospace Bristol, the nine-acre site on Filton Airfield, covers over 100 years of aviation history and combines two First World War Grade II listed hangars with a fantastic new building that houses the last flown Concorde. This has become a great visitor attraction to the area.
Meanwhile, the restoration of a Grade II listed terrace and the repurposing of a 1970’s extension overlooking the floating harbour in the Redcliffe Conservation Area in Bristol took home the award for Residential Project of the Year (35 Units and Under). The restored facade is now a significant landmark in Bristol.
National College for Nuclear, Southern Hub, Cannington was awarded Project of the Year (over £5m). This cutting edge nuclear training facility based in Cannington, includes a virtual reality environment, a reactor simulator and training rooms, sports facilities and student accommodation. The new facilities will develop the UK’s nuclear curriculum while creating career opportunities and delivering economic growth in the South.
The John Laurence Special Contribution Award, which spotlights outstanding property and construction professionals in the region, was awarded to Plymouth-based Ian Potts of Architects Design Group for his significant contribution to the property landscape of the South West.
Other winning projects for 2018 include,
Lloyd’s Lounge in Exeter awarded Project of the Year (under £5m), and Higher Mill at Buckfast Abbey, awarded Heritage Project of the Year.
Emma Honey, Head of Real Estate at Michelmores, said: “Once again, the standard of entries we received for this year’s Property Awards was outstanding. From a cutting edge nuclear training facility in Somerset to a residential development that rehabilitated military veterans through a self-build training programme in construction skills, the range and breadth of projects has been fantastic and has demonstrated the excellence of the property and construction sector in our region. My congratulations go to all of our winners and to all those shortlisted.”
The winners were announced at an Awards Dinner on Thursday 7 June at the University of Exeter, hosted by comedian and actor Josh Widdecombe.
The 2018 Michelmores Property Awards winning projects in full:
Project of the Year (under £5m), supported by Grenadier Estates
Lloyd’s Lounge, Exeter – submitted by Morgan Sindall
Project of the Year (over £5m), sponsored by LHC Architecture + Urbanism
National College for Nuclear, Southern Hub, Cannington – submitted by Midas Group
Education Project of the Year, sponsored by TClarke
Callywith College, submitted by Kier Construction
Leisure & Tourism Project of the Year, sponsored by JLL
Aerospace Bristol, submitted by Kier Construction and Hydrock
Heritage Project of the Year, sponsored by Attention Media
Higher Mill, Buckfast Abbey, submitted by Form Design Group
Alternative Property Investment Project of the Year, sponsored by Midas Group
The Nelson Project, Plymouth, submitted by Form Design Group
Residential Project of the Year (36 Units and Over), sponsored by Kier Construction
Mount Wise, Plymouth, submitted by Ward Williams Associates
Residential Project of the Year (35 Units and Under), sponsored by Natwest
Redcliffe Parade, Bristol, submitted by Alec French Architects
Building of the Year, sponsored by Girling Jones
Tate St Ives, submitted by BAM Construct UK
The John Laurence Special Contribution Award, supported by The Michelmores Charity of the Year, The Amber Foundation, who help homeless, unemployed young people move on to positive, independent futures.
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