The Winerack residential development on Ipswich waterfront has won a prestigious award while Ingleton Wood, which project managed the £30m scheme, is celebrating a hat-trick of titles.
In a major endorsement of the region’s growing reputation for quality architecture, The Winerack won the Best High Volume New Housing Development Award at the virtual Local Authority Building Control (LABC) East Anglia Business Excellence Awards 2020.
The Winerack was a relic of the 2008 recession, towering over Ipswich waterfront unfinished for almost a decade before property developer John Howard, director of Ipswich Wharf Developments, bought the semi-constructed site. Construction of the 150 apartments began in January 2018 and completed in December 2019.
Mr Howard said: “We are delighted to have won the prestigious award alongside Ingleton Wood and R G Carter. We handpicked the team to develop The Winerack and they proved to be the right choices, completing the project not only on time but on budget.
“Sales are progressing very well, giving the waterfront and the wider Ipswich area confidence to move forward and kickstart other projects to boost our local economic recovery and growth.”
Ingleton Wood, which provided full architectural, building services engineering, planning, project management, and quantity surveying services for The Winerack, is celebrating winning the award in conjunction with R G Carter and Ipswich Wharf Developments.
David Cresswell, partner at Ingleton Wood, which has offices across the East of England including Colchester, Cambridge and Norwich, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won a hat-trick of awards at the LABC East Anglia Business Excellence Awards 2020.
“The projects span a diverse range of specialisms and sectors – showcasing the quality and breadth of our multi-disciplinary and architectural teams as well as our proven track record of working in close partnership with clients to deliver their needs in time and on budget.
“This fantastic news should also serve as a welcome boost to everyone involved in these successful landmark projects across Suffolk and Essex.”
Ingleton Wood also shared success with Orbit Homes and Wellington Construction after the Bluebells affordable housing development in Reydon near Southwold won the Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development Award.
The homes, centred around a new village green, are a mixture of affordable rented (17) and shared ownership (six) and were built on a so-called ‘Exceptions Site’, meaning priority given to people who have a connection with Reydon and local parishes.
Paul Pitcher, Managing Director of Wellington Construction, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and serves as a great credit to our partnership work with Ingleton Wood, Orbit Homes, and everyone else involved in the Bluebells project.”
Ray Winney, Orbit Homes construction director in the East of England, said: “I am delighted that Orbit, in partnership with Wellington, have been announced as the winners of this prestigious LABC Regional Award. Since 2013, Orbit have built over 12,000 new affordable homes with our partners, ensuring each development provides quality housing that people can be proud to call home.
“As one of the UK’s largest providers of good quality affordable homes, winning the award for Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development reinforces Orbit’s commitment to building thriving communities where people are proud to live. Well done to everyone involved, this is an outstanding achievement.”
Meanwhile, Ingleton Wood also shared the Best Change of Use of an Existing Building Award after project managing a £9.5million redevelopment of Brentwood Town Hall with Brentwood Borough Council and Farrans Construction.
The LABC Regional Building Excellence Awards are the largest business to business awards in the UK. The virtual ceremony showcased quality in all types of building projects, outstanding companies, and partnerships and individuals that go the extra mile.
Lorna Stimpson, chief executive of the LABC, said: “I firmly believe that one of the best ways to see more good work is to praise building excellence and publicly acknowledge companies, designers, site managers and trades people who go the extra mile because of the pride they have in their work.”
Ingleton Wood is one of the largest property and construction consultancies covering Central England, East Anglia, London and the South East, with offices in Colchester, Norwich, Cambridge, Billericay, Oxford and London. Its services include architecture, building surveying, building services engineering, planning, interior design, civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, project management and health and safety.