Thames Valley Property Awards 2024: winners announced
The Thames Valley Property Awards 2024 culminated with its traditional annual gala celebration and crowning of winners across 12 award categories. For its 11th event, the region’s largest property showcase saw an impressive line-up of finalists drawn from an extensive list of entries.
Welcoming guests to host venue Ascot Racecourse, Richard Thompson, Chief Executive at event organiser The Business Magazine, said: “These awards celebrate the best of commercial and residential property in the Thames Valley. They bring together developers, agents, planners, consultants, property lawyers and dealmakers to recognise the achievers – firms and the individuals – who have stood out in the past 12 months.”
The event sponsors were Boyes Turner, IBB Law, Morgan Lovell, Haslams Surveyors LLP, Diales, Mac Mic Group and B P Collins. The supporting sponsors were measurable.energy and Rybull Group.
A strong independent panel adjudicated decisions on finalists nominated by sponsors. The independent judges were Andy Jansons, Managing Director at Jansons; Fiona Brownfoot, Director at Hicks Baker; Mel Magee, Managing Director at Carless + Adams; Kathy Pain, Professor of Real Estate Development at Henley Business School; and Chris Ryall, Co-Founder at Rybull Group.
Sharp-tongued comedian Simon Evans hosted the proceedings with his trademark curmudgeonly wit.
TVPA was proud to sponsor Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service for another year. The Maidenhead-based charity offers a children’s hospice service to families in the Berkshire area. On the night, the audience donated nearly £3,300 to the charity, with more expected to come from a silent auction held during the evening.
And the winners are…
Architectural Practice of the Year – sponsored by B P Collins LLP
Winner: Edgingtons Architects
“The market is still a little stop-start at the moment. There are lots of project opportunities but sometimes they stop after the feasibility stage. I think it will be a few months more before things smooth out a bit. We enjoy working with local authorities and a lot of our work is in the education sector. I can see that coming to the fore more. We’re confident about the future.” Richard Parsons, Director, Edgingtons Architects
Finalists are:
• A’Bear & Ball Architects
• Carless + Adams
• Spratley & Partners
• TPA Studio
Commercial Landlord of the Year – sponsored by IBB Law
Winner: Frasers Property UK
“We have had an extremely busy year, with lots of letting and positive comments from people viewing our properties. We aim to create the best working environments for companies, with a focus on features like landscaping and cafes to make our parks enjoyable places for people to work. We also offer great experiences by holding lots of events. We research our tenants to find out what they want us to do, which aids us in letting offices.” Helen Barnett, Senior Placemaking Manager, Chris Stevens, Senior Asset Manager, Frasers Property UK
Finalists:
• Arena
• Frasers Property UK
• Green Park, Mapletree
Commercial Property Agency of the Year – sponsored by Morgan Lovell
Winner: Hollis Hockley
“It's been a challenging year. The market hasn't quite returned to offices as quickly as we'd like and we've worked really hard to complete all the deals in front of us. I think the momentum is beginning to pick up with office demand moving in the right direction as companies go from three to four days a week for employees working in the office. As a business, we are growing from the ground up by employing young people, for example, from school and on apprenticeships, so ours is very much a homegrown success.” Elisabeth Gray, Surveyor, Freddie Chandler, Apprentice Surveyor, Rhodri Shaw, Partner, Hollis Hockley
Finalists:
• Campbell Gordon
• Chandler Garvey
• Colliers
• Cushman & Wakefield
• Haslams Surveyors LLP
• JLL
• Page Hardy Harris
Commercial Development of the Year – sponsored by Boyes Turner
Winner: Plus X Innovation – Oktra
“One of the biggest challenges for us on this project was the logistics. We already had an existing hub in Hayes that we moved to Slough – 200 square metres of specialised workspace facilities. Our model is to support start-up and scale-up businesses and the project is going better than expected. At Plus X Innovation, we also offer state-of-the-art manufacturing and production facilities that these types of businesses can't easily find elsewhere.” Joanna Gournari, Workspace Project Manager, Plus X Innovation
Finalists:
• Building 1 at ARC Uxbridge - Advanced Research Cluster
• Grosvenor House - Arena
• The Berkshire Vet - Francis Construction
Property Deal of the Year – sponsored by Haslams Surveyors LLP
Winner: Mapletree (Green Park) letting to Wood
“Wood Group recently moved into 120,000 square feet of offices and their reaction has been great. A fortnight ago they took 40,000 square feet at another building in Green Park, which really shows they are enjoying the experience here. This was a unique deal that included funding and delivering Wood Group’s fit-out of the offices. It was a turnkey solution where we took on the risk and management time of the fit-out, so they didn’t have to.” Henry Harrison, Senior Manager Asset Manager, Mapletree (Green Park)
Finalists:
• Elivia Homes acquisition of Headley Court site
• Plus X Innovation partnership with AshbyCapital
Sustainable Development of the Year – sponsored by Diales
Winner: Maxis, Bracknell – Frasers Property UK
“One of the first questions that quite a few potential occupiers ask us is about sustainability. It is really important to Frasers across all of our portfolios. We are looking to de-gas and reduce our carbon emissions. Maxis is one of our most sustainable properties. Its features include green roofs. We also give occupiers feedback on their electricity use to help them reduce their costs and improve their ESG credentials.” Helen Barnett, Senior Placemaking Manager, Frasers Property UK
Finalists:
• Building 1 ARC Uxbridge - Advanced Research Cluster
• Grovelands Park, Winnersh - Edgingtons Architects
• The Paddocks, Bramley - Castlethorpe Homes
Housebuilder of the Year – sponsored by Boyes Turner
Winner: Castlethorpe Homes
“Our ethos focuses on making the small things add up. After all, housebuilding is about creating something that people want. Over the years, housebuilders have taken out the details. We try to go back the other way and add in the details that customers want. As a smaller-sized company, we have to be more involved in the local communities where we work – our aim is to leave something behind that is better than before.” Chris Warner, Managing Director, Castlethorpe Homes
Finalists:
• Antler Homes
• Berkeley Homes
• Elivia Homes
• Rectory Homes
• Shanly Homes
Workplace Design of the Year – sponsored by IBB Law
Winner: Area - TD SYNNEX
“It was a really big change and a bold move for TD Synnex. They went from one-to-one desks in a traditional office with no breakout or collaboration spaces. We completely turned this on its head and had to work to pretty tight timescales to achieve it. We had to make sure we were being realistic in what we were putting in – that it was going to be usable space which would help them get people back into the office. We have created space they didn’t have before, including a staff canteen, a mothers room and a wellbeing room.” Safia Parker, Interior Designer, Gary Chandler, CEO, Fourfront Group
Finalists:
• Area - Lenovo
• Arena – Grosvenor House
• Co-Space
• Hicks Baker
• Morgan Lovell – Sage UK
Regeneration Project of the Year – sponsored by Diales
Winner: Horlicks Quarter – Berkeley Homes
“We started Horlicks Quarter in 2020 and have built about 500 of the total of 1,400 homes. We have delivered about 200 affordable homes. One of the challenges of the old factory was getting a scheme that worked with its five-metre iron columns. The building is a jewel in our crown and a landmark we wanted to respect. Residents benefit from a rooftop garden, cinema and gym. We have just welcomed two businesses into the quarter.” Elkie Russell, Managing Director, Berkeley Homes
Finalists:
• Building 1 ARC Uxbridge - Advanced Research Cluster
• Grosvenor House – Arena
Property Law Firm of the Year – sponsored by Haslams Surveyors LLP
Winner: Herrington Carmichael
“The last 12 months have been very positive for the firm. We are vibrant and growing. We moved to a new head office and our team there is growing. We are optimistic about the property market. We feel development is going to come back really strongly in the next 12 months and are set for that.” Tim Hardesty, Partner in the Real Estate team, Herrington Carmichael
Finalists:
• Blandy & Blandy
• Boyes Turner
• BP Collins LLP
• IBB Law
Residential Development of the Year – sponsored by B P Collins LLP
Winner: The Crescent, Thame – Rectory Homes
“The town council wanted something contemporary and we reached out to an architectural firm that had a vision for a crescent that just worked. The planners loved it, although you just don’t build crescents these days. The first phase, which includes the crescent and parkland, is complete. It’s a unique development, where you can walk out of your door and be in the centre of town in a couple of minutes. As housebuilders, we need to create glorious environments.” Simon Vickers, Chairman and Owner, Rectory Homes
Finalists:
• Crosby House, Bourne End - Bijou Living
• Eastcote, Winkfield Row - Antler Homes
• Magna Gardens, Purley on Thames - Shanly Homes
• Station Hill – Lincoln MGT
• The Paddocks, Bramley - Castlethorpe Homes
• Tun House, Uffington - A’Bear & Ball Architects
Young Property Person of the Year – sponsored by Morgan Lovell
Winner: Elliott Brookes – B P Collins LLP
“I started at B P Collins as a work experience student just 10 years’ ago and thanks to the firm’s commitment to training and mentorship, I became the head of its Property Disputes practice last year. For me, working in the property sector is all about the people, whether that’s helping clients through what can be one of the most challenging times of their personal or professional lives, or working with my colleagues. Looking to the future, I’m excited about mentoring the next generation of property lawyers while continuing to solve our clients’ problems as swiftly and as cost-effectively as possible,” Elliott Brookes, Head of Property Disputes at B P Collins LLP
Finalists:
• Megan Eighteen – Propertymark
• Natasha Gandhi – TPA Studio
• Rebecca Habgood de Burgh – Herrington Carmichael
• Maddi Mills – Berkeley Homes
• Angus Nicol – Curve Workplaces
