THE winners in the annual Scottish Property Awards were announced at a ‘packed out’ event in Glasgow last night.
The ceremony returned to being in-person following last year’s Covid restrictions-prompted virtual event, with over 650 guests being welcomed to the accompanying dinner and celebration.
The awards made 18 presentations to commercial and public property and developments in retail, office and care homes were crowned at the Scottish property industry’s largest awards competition.
The ‘ultimate award’ of the night, Property Company of the Year, was presented to national developer, HFD Group in recognition of the growth shown in the last 12 months including the successful delivery of 177 Bothwell Street in Glasgow, a grade A sustainable office in key strategic location which includes roof top running track and terrace.
177 Bothwell Street was also named commercial development of the year. With 100% of the energy used at the office development coming from an identified, local renewable supply, the fully electric, zero-emissions building has committed to achieving an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) A score of less than eight – 45% more energy-efficient than a standard A-rated building. The building is also the first Scottish property to commit to attaining the new SmartScore accreditation for smart buildings and has achieved a ‘Platinum’ WiredScore certification, a standard recognising best-in-class connectivity.
William Hill, CEO of HFD Group, said, “Over the past three decades, HFD Group has evolved significantly, and we are proud to be positioned at the heart of the Scottish property landscape. We are committed to delivering projects with a positive impact on the communities we operate in, as well as the environment. Sustainability is not new for us – we delivered Scotland’s first ‘A’ rated EPC building back in 2008 – but we are continuing to go one step further in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment, for instance with dedicated renewable energy sources across the portfolio.”
Meanwhile, James Barrack, founder of Knight Property Group, scooped the ‘ultimate individual award’ for Business Leadership. Mr Barrack was commended for his contribution to Scottish real estate, business and local communities.
In an acceptance speech he commented, “I would never have thought 35 years ago when my father and I started Knight Property Group that one day I would be presented with this award. I am truly touched and hugely honoured. The property industry is truly a great place to work. There are always lots of ups and downs, good days and bad days and its certainly not all plain sailing. We need to take calculated risks and that’s why it’s important to surround yourselves with the right team.”
Other winners included Edinburgh’s St James Quarter which received a one-off award for Outstanding Contribution to Excellence in Development. The £1 billion project, led by Nuveen Real Estate, spans 1.7 million sq ft on a world heritage site and includes retail, shops, offices and residential.
The Deal of the Year category was selected by the judging panel from a shortlist of five significant transactions noted for complexity, size, risk and value. The award was presented to Drum Property Group for their pre-Let to Student Loans Company at Buchanan Wharf.
The independent judging panel of 20 industry experts and professionals assessed and deliberated over 60 entries in 16 categories this year.
Alan Robertson, chair of the judging panel, commented, “On behalf of the judging panel, I congratulate all the finalists and winners in the 9th annual Scottish Property Awards. Reflecting on the judging this year, the process has again been very rewarding as, despite the many restrictions in place throughout the last twelve months, there is a very satisfying strength and depth in Scottish commercial real estate. I would like to express thanks to the judging panel for their time, consideration and advice in reviewing and debating the merits of each entry.”
