The best construction projects in Leicestershire were named winners of the 2019 ProCon Leicestershire Awards.
Homes for students and a family, an architect’s own offices, a special needs school and a bridge all won awards during the ceremony at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
Three corporate sponsors backed the Awards: Galliford Try Partnerships, Salus Approved Inspectors and Unique Window Systems.
During the ceremony a Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Roy Coley, managing director of Leicester-based Sowden Group.
Roy, who joined the building trade at 16, bought the contractor Sowden & Co in 1978 and went on to set up the developer Sowden Group in the 1990s.
Sowden Group has developed office space, retail, warehousing and residential projects across Leicestershire and beyond.
Politician and TV and radio star Gyles Brandreth hosted the event for 620 people and conducted the raffle in aid of Leicester General Hospital’s Neurological Rehabilitation Unit.
Mark Heggs of the University of Leicester, an avid supporter of ProCon, is fundraising for the unit, via the Leicester Hospitals Charity, after its staff helped him recover from his stroke at the age of 53.
There were also special prizes for innovation awarded to The Willows housing development in Husbands Bosworth and Holy Trinity Church in Leicester.
ProCon chair Pam Allardice, of the construction law firm Allardice Associates, said: “Congratulations to all the wonderful winners in the 17th year of our ProCon Awards.
“Our thanks go to everyone who entered, judged and sponsored this celebration of the talent and ambition in our industry.”
The winning projects:
Small Residential Scheme of the Year: Clipsham House, Gaulby
Clipsham House is a new building designed to respect its setting in the rural conservation village of Gaulby.
It uses a vernacular architecture and traditional materials of red brick and dark slate roofing.
David Nisbet, partner at Pick Everard, said: “I am delighted to receive the ProCon Small Residential Award for Clipsham House.
"As an architect and owner this has been a personal journey to realise a long held ambition, and to receive recognition from ProCon is testament to my excellent team and dedicated contractor.”
Large Residential Scheme of the Year: Loughborough University Student Village
A new active campus and student village in the heart of the Loughborough University includes 617 bedrooms and an Elite Athletes Centre.
The project included 20 adjustable climatic bedrooms, able to simulate altitudes of up to 5,000 metres for high performance training.
Peter Goldsworthy, projects portfolio manager at Loughborough University, said: “We are delighted to be named winners of this award.
"It represents the culmination of the collaborative working that has taken place between the University, the design team and the main contractor from inception through to completion.”
Small Non-Residential Scheme of the Year: Waterfront House, Enderby
Waterfront House is the new 8,000 sq ft home of Stephen George + Partners and embodies the practice’s design ethos, business values and vision for the future.
As a shop window for a commercial architectural practice, the building demonstrates not only quality design and environmental awareness but also serves as an exemplar of the architecture that the practice delivers.
Michael Barker, senior partner at Stephen George + Partners, said: “We are delighted that Waterfront House has won the ProCon Small Non-Residential Scheme of the Year Award.
"Designed and delivered by SGP, the new office showcases our capabilities in design and sustainability to create a light and vibrant new workspace for our employees.”
Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year: Dorothy Goodman Special Needs School, Hinckley
The new building for Dorothy Goodman Special Needs School was designed to bring large amounts of natural daylight deep into its heart.
The use of three ‘roof cones’ and a range of rooflights, plus a sensory courtyard, help make the special school bright and airy for its pupils who have a wide variety of special educational needs and disabilities.
Andrew Thomas, managing director of Grayling Thomas Architects, said: “We are delighted to receive this ProCon Award for the Best Large Non Residential project in 2019.
"The building design is a testament to the hard work and perseverance of our team who worked hand in hand with the inspirational staff and students over a four year period to raise the funding for the project and also create something different.”
Regeneration Scheme of the Year: Everards Meadows – Phase 1A
Everards Meadows Phase 1A is part of Everards Brewery’s relocation strategy to create a viable and vibrant destination.
The multi-phased strategy will transform an area of the Soar Valley floodplain to the south of the Brewery’s former site at Castle Acres.
Richard Charman, operations director of Kier Construction, said: “We are delighted that the hard work and dedication of the whole team delivering Everards Meadows has been recognised with this regeneration award.
"This has been a truly outstanding collaborative team effort by all involved and delivers a lasting legacy for Leicestershire.”
Infrastructure Project of the Year: Birstall Footbridge
The 50 metre long footbridge across the busy A6 at Birstall has provided a safe and convenient crossing for children from the Hallam Fields housing development to get to school at The Cedars Academy.
The large structure also enables commuters and shoppers to get to the Park & Ride site for buses to and from Leicester.
Dan Danaher, managing director of Danaher & Walsh, said: “We’re very grateful to Jelson Homes for appointing us to undertake this exciting, local project, which we know is going to make a positive long-term impact on the local community, both in terms of safety and connectivity.
"We believe that the finished bridge has become a local landmark, whilst blending sympathetically into its environment.”
Architectural Image of the Year: Highcross Stairs
Jerry Wesley, of JWP, said: “I am delighted to be selected as the winner of this year’s Architectural Image of the Year.
"This category of photography particularly resonates with me as I have been a professional photographer of the built environment for more than 25 years.
"There is an obvious synergy between the work I have done during my career as a photographer, and the work that Procon continues to do in the building and construction industry.”
