THE winners of the Scottish Home Awards of 2021 have been announced at an awards dinner in Glasgow.
Over 350 people gathered to celebrate the winners in the national competition which recognises excellence in the Scottish new build housing sector.
The Housebuilder of the Year (more than 100 units) Award was won by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes West Scotland, while Living by Robertson triumphed in the Housebuilder of the Year (less than 100 units) category for the second successive year.
Douglas McLeod, regional managing director for Barratt Scotland, said, “I am bursting with pride and admiration for our hard working team at Barratt and David Wilson. It has been a challenging couple of years for the housebuilding market as we’ve adapted to lockdown ways of working, making this win all the more special. We have worked tirelessly in these difficult times to create long-term employment opportunities whilst also repaying all furlough money to the government, as well as continuing to onboard new apprentices.
“The commitment from the entire team is unrivalled, which is why we continue to set the standard within our industry. I’m particularly proud of the community contribution award as we strive to give back to people living in the communities we help build. These small donations go a long way to making a real positive change to those most in need.”
Caledonia Housing Association won Housing Association of the Year, after impressing judges with a new hub structure and digital investment. The affordable homes provider also collected the award for Social Housing Developer of the Year.
Julie Cosgrove, chief executive at Caledonia Housing Association, said, “I am always proud of the contribution made by each and every member of the team and I am thrilled that their efforts have been recognised by the prestigious Scottish Home Awards. These awards are further proof that Caledonia Housing Association is continuing to make a positive impact on the lives of our tenants.
“To be nominated and win at any time is an achievement, but to do so when our operations were impacted by Covid-19 is a real testament to all of our dedicated staff who have worked tremendously hard to continue to make a difference.”
Renfrewshire Council also collected an award in the social housing space, with the local authority scooping the Affordable Housing Award Social Rent accolade for its development work at Johnstone Castle.
In Edinburgh, Craigmillar Town Centre collected the award for Regeneration of the Year by the City of Edinburgh Council and CCG Scotland. Cala Homes won the Large Housing Development of the Year for Waterfront Plaza in Leith and Queensberry Properties, the sister company of Cruden Homes, scooped Apartment Development of the Year for its riveride Bonnington Mill site, adjacent to the Water of Leith in Edinburgh.
Hazel Davies, sales and marketing director at Queensberry Properties, said, “We are absolutely delighted to take home the Apartment of the Year award. It is great to receive the recognition by industry experts and our peers for our approach in supporting the regeneration of communities at Bonnington Mill, which transformed a brownfield site into highly sought-after contemporary homes. This award is a reflection of our team’s dedication and expertise in delivering truly bespoke new homes.”
House of the Year went to the Everett Grand, by Robertson Homes in Jackton, East Kilbride, while Maryhill Locks Phase 4 collected the prize for Innovation in Design.
Invertay Homes won two awards for the firm’s Summerfield Avenue development in Dundee and in the Borders, Eskgrove Homes won Small Housing Development of the Year for Linton Bank in West Linton.
In the Residential Letting Team of the Year category, Western Lettings in Glasgow collected the prize for the first time after increasing managed property numbers by 24% over the year.
Artisan Real Estate’s showhome at Edinburgh’s Canonmills Garden scooped Showhome of the Year. The firm revealed that it was one of the first in the UK to invest in and open a showroom once the initial Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were relaxed in August 2020.
The company’s regional sales manager, Christie Turner, said, “The Canonmills Garden show home and marketing suite was conceived, created and delivered during one of the most challenging periods in recent years for the Scottish homebuilding industry. When it was launched during the easing of lockdown in August 2020, it made a powerful statement about the resilience of the local homebuilding market, and, as a result, became a popular destination for buyers looking to be inspired by the possibilities of post-lockdown living.
“It provided the perfect base to reintroduce the to reintroduce the human touch to the home sales process after months of lockdown.Once the show home was open to the public, we conducted guided tours following full safety procedures – which included cleaning the show home thoroughly after each tour. This allowed us to work a lot closer with customers on the ground and has so far included almost 700 individual tours all conducted in a safe and controlled environment.”
Andrew Cunningham, chair of the 2021 judging panel and MD at Ross & Liddell, said, “Ross + Liddell are very proud to support The Scottish Home Awards in its much needed celebration of success in the housebuilding industry. The ability to reward individuals and teams working within the private and public sector at a time which has been exceptionally difficult, is very pleasing. The detail in the entries reviewed reflects hard work and commitment within the housing sector in Scotland to succeed with quality and customer care. Congratulations to all the winners!”
The awards support ‘It’s Good 2 Give’ and the management of The Ripple Retreat a luxury residential retreat on the shores of Loch Venacher in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. The home is gifted to young cancer patients and their families for short stay holidays. £4,000 was raised for the charity as part of donations from entering businesses.
