BUILDER HOMEHOME BUILDER AWARDS AWARDS 2017 2017
BUILD BUILD Best Luxury Home Developer - South England - page 4
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Welcome to the Home Builder Awards 2017 Often, a house can struggle to feel like a home. The Home Builder Awards 2017, hosted by BUILD, are designed to acknowledge the firms and individuals who provide quality and comfortable living spaces for individuals all across the world. We believe that every aspect of home construction is crucial, therefore, we want to recognise those who are involved at every stage of the home building process.
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The Winners Are... 4. The Comer Group Best Luxury Home Developer - South England 8. Brett Ward Homes PTY LTD Best Luxury Residential Design/Build Firm & Excellence Award for Demolition & Rebuild Services - Queensland 9. Howarth Homes PLC Best Residential Builder & Developer - UK 10. KBI UK Ltd Best Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions Provider - North England 11. BKR Floorplans Best Residential Floorplan Company - UK 12. Leap Environmental Best Environmental & Geotechnical Consultancy - South England 13. Millenium Custom Homes, LLC Best Custom Home Builder 2017 - New Jersey 14. Bower Mapson Homes Limited Best Custom Home Builder - Wiltshire 15. Birmingham Drain Services Ltd Best Drainage Maintenance Company - Midlands 16. Century Roofing Limited Best Roofing Construction Company - Alberta 17. Landform Consultants Ltd Best Garden Design/Build Consultancy & BUILD Excellence Award for Private Garden Maintenance - South England 18. Stretch Ceilings Limited Best Ceiling Installation Company - South England 19. Oliver Wild Ltd Carpentry Contractor of the Year 2017 – UK 20. Truelove Property & Construction Ltd Best Residential Development Company - East Midlands 22. MAKOW ASSOCIATES ARCHITECT INC. Best Custom Home & Interior Design Firm - East Canada
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Company: The Comer Group Name: Brian Comer – Chairman of the Comer Group UK Email: caroline@comerhomes.co.uk Web Address: www.thecomergroup.com Address: The Comer Group UK Head Office, Royal Drive, London, N11 3FL Telephone: 020 8361 2424
Best Luxury Home Developer - South England
The Comer Group is one of the United Kingdom’s largest and most successful property companies with a global reach and a vast portfolio of projects including the building used as the façade for Hogwarts school in the Harry Potter films. We invited Chairman Brian Comer to talk us through how every member of his team aims to achieve excellence across the group and provide clients with the very highest level of service. stablished in 1984 by brother’s Brian and Luke Comer along with fellow director Mr. Thomas Donnellan, The Comer Group has since grown now encompasses 150 companies worldwide with projects in England, Belgium, Ireland, Germany and Uganda. The portfolio is self-managed to maximise the Group’s return on investment and efficiently run with invaluable expertise and knowledge. Its extensive development programme and investment interests include luxurious residential homes, office parks, retail parks, hotels and leisure facilities, retirement homes, equestrian property and farm land.
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The group has special expertise in creating homes of great charm, character and distinction. It identifies and acquires landmark buildings often with unique architecture and landscaped grounds that can be transformed into state-of-the-art living spaces while systematically restoring, preserving and enhancing the original structure. Brian outlines how the group’s leadership and workforce are all entirely focused on quality in order to deliver the very best results for every client the firm works with. “Given our background and knowledge of construction methods, The Comer Group directors have the expertise to take on challenging projects. Our team’s skills apply vision and style to achieve viable planning consents that maximise the potential of the company’s sites and ultimately produce developments of distinction. The ‘hands on’ management style of the directors avoids a complex corporate process and minimises potential delays so that the group can make the most of investment opportunities and realise a profitable financial return. Each project has its own character, we therefore then construct a development specific programme liaising with contractors’ to ensure that they are fully aware of timelines and approach methodology. “This approach is in line with our overall mission: To provide high quality and luxurious houses and apartments to the general public. As a company Comer Homes is renowned for the high quality of its residential and commercial developments and is an award winning developer of luxury homes, and by identifying suitable development sites considering location and if applicable listed building restrictions we are able to build upon this and as such build upon our success and continue to support our clients. We also have our own construction teams, specialising in both new build and
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conservation/restoration, as well as high quality contractors and a very high skilled labour force which ensures the quality of everything we do.” One of the firm’s recent projects was its work at Royal Connaught Park in Bushey, Hertfordshire, a stunning location which has been used by Hollywood and British filmmakers thanks to its close proximity to Elstree and Pinewood Studios, and the building was recently used in the Harry Potter films as the exterior setting for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A unique development of both refurbished and new build luxury apartments, town houses and detached houses set within a grade II listed building with over 100 acres of private mature parkland. A huge part of this scheme was the building of the state of the art leisure facilities. The opulent swimming pool is actually built under the great hall. The group’s construction Director, Tom Donnellan over saw the complex dig, installing new foundations some six meters plus below the original before restoring the original parquet flooring with the addition of a structural glass section. The result being a real tour de force for modern engineering in this listed historic setting. Another development which Brian is keen to discuss was Truro Place, located in Palmers Green, North London; a collection of luxury three and four-bedroom family homes and two bedroom apartments set within a private gated development. “Truro House, having been in the ownership of the same family for 100 years, had fallen in to serious disrepair. Initially the building would appear to be a 19th century Villa but closer inspection shows that it has undergone many stages of alteration in its time line and has an amalgam of styles and features possibly acquired from other buildings in the past. This makes the building not only incredibly interesting but also requires multiple restoration methods and techniques. Furthermore, insufficient foundations were used during the extension of Truro House historically, which put the building at significant risk of collapse. “In order to overcome these challenges, our team worked hard to devise a method of underpinning and structurally consolidating the building with
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the Local Authority conservation officers and Historic England to ensure that a sympathetic approach was agreed. Monthly reports were prepared by our in house historic building specialist, and issued to the conservation officers so that the work was properly monitored and recorded. Many of the damaged features were painstakingly recreated by our craftsman Joiners and Masons producing high quality like for like replacements for the feature staircases, leadwork, fireplaces and portico. Materials were carefully selected for appropriateness and longevity using modern materials to secure this wonderful, usable luxury building for its new steward for many years to come. Additionally, the design aspects of the new build blocks were presented to the local area conservation group to ensure the design was not in conflict with the historic listed building and worked within the greater setting.”
capacity in the short term but does undoubtedly give a quicker appreciation of any effects which the amended profile (due to the installation of new basements) can cause. Our technical teams are drawn from consultants with local expertise in managing the policies of local government and engineering oversight; which allows Comer Group to mesh seamlessly within whichever European sphere they operate.
Although based in London, The Comer Group are regularly developing throughout the South East of England, and therefore dealing with many regions, with each having its own benefits and issues. Brian discusses these in detail, explaining how his firm works to ensure that it is compliant wherever it works.
Ultimately, under the leadership of Brian and Luke Comer, the group has laid a very solid foundation to maximise forthcoming opportunities. Through astute planning and strategy, the group is confident of achieving its ambitious growth plans. Future success is eagerly anticipated as the group continues to implement its many development plans with inspiration, organisation, reputation and a highly experienced team. Brian concludes by expressing his optimism for the future as the group looks to undertake a number of exciting new developments and build upon its current success.
“Local Building Control regulations within Ireland are substantially more restrictive than the UK so, as for one of our recent projects, the Ballsbridge development, no interference with the phreatic surface and natural transient hydrology are allowed. In the UK, it is standard practice for de-watering to occur in hydrologically active basement constructions; choices are varied but can include stabilising the soil medium and reducing the permeability of the soil per se or setting in place (using sub-zero saline) a barrier vertical layer or even adjusting the phreatic profile by installing a series of draw off wells. “Ballsbridge had no such capacity with free flow into the basement dig out areas being required and then the emergent water being pumped out via the surface system. This can result in increases to costs and reduced working
“Alongside the challenges we face working across various regions, recent regulation changes regarding renewable energy, reduction in C02 emissions in the UK affect our design process, and as such we now work much harder at the design stage to ensure that the approach taken is appropriate to the development in question, whether it be energy centre design, renewables or even insulation or triple glazing specification.”
“Moving forward, we have a number of great projects on the horizon, many of which are already underway, which will provide us with a lot of great opportunities to enhance our current expertise and build our portfolio. These include our work at Carmel College, Wallingford, Oxfordshire and our development of the Royal Winchester House in Bracknell, which we are converting into 311 luxurious apartments set within a 19 storey building in the heart of the town centre. We are looking forward to completing these projects and showcasing the work we have done, as well as working with new clients in the future.”
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Company: Brett Ward Homes Pty Ltd Name: Brett Ward Email: brett@brettwardhomes.com.au Web Address: www.brettwardhomes.com.au Address: 2/8 Gateway Court, Coomera Telephone: 07 5500 3700
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Best Luxury Residential Design/Build Firm & Excellence Award for Demolition & Rebuild Services - Queensland
Brett Ward Homes is a home builder and designer which draws on the vast experience of Master Builder and Founder Brett Ward. We invited Brett to tell us more about the firm and the range of services it provides. rett Ward Homes is a boutique luxury home builder offering a wide range of services to meet any need. Brett, has been building superior properties on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane for over twenty years. The firm is able to provide a full design and construct service which can be tailored to meet the exact needs of each individual client.
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“Here at Brett Ward Homes we are committed to making our clients’ dreams of owning a luxury home a reality. Our specialist one on one service means we can help our clients navigate the design and build process, keep them informed every step of the way, and work within an agreed budget. Our efficient service and open communication ensure there are no misunderstandings or nasty surprises throughout your project. “We have a number of luxury home packages on offer from homes completed to lock-up stage to a finished “turn-key” home that can be moved into without waiting for extras like landscaping, driveways, letterboxes, clotheslines, swimming pools, screens, and blinds. Every luxury home is finished to the highest standard with quality materials which means your home continues to increase in value with each passing year.” Brett Ward Homes offers clients a very personal, customised service which ensures it meets their needs and that they feel supported throughout the project, as Brett emphasises. “Great communication with our clients is the means by which we differentiate ourselves from competitors. Our clients can log in to their project using their unique log in and keep track of the build. They are kept up to date through photographs and project reports. They can raise any questions via the system and we are able to respond quickly and efficiently. All correspondence is kept in the one location providing transparency for both ourselves and our clients.” Moving forward the firm is keen to diversify further and build upon its current success, as Brett concludes. “Looking ahead, whilst we are continuing to promote our Custom/Luxury home building, we are also planning to diversify in 2017 by entering into the First Home Buyer / Investor market with a subsidiary company, National Luxury Homes.
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“Ultimately, while our primary focus and talent lies with the construction of unique custom built homes we believe we also have the capacity to bring affordable luxury homes to everyday Australians.”
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Company: Howarth Homes Name: Linzie Howland Email: Linzie.howland@howarthhomes.co.uk Web Address: www.howarthhomes.co.uk Address: 54 Oxford Road, Uxbridge, UB9 4DN Telephone: 01895 454 888
Best Residential Builder & Developer - UK
Drawing on over 30 years’ experience in the property sector, Howarth Homes has an enviable reputation for constructing a broad range of high quality properties - each built to exceptional standards which are thoughtfully and creatively designed to present a contemporary, stylish specification and finish. We invited Linzie Howland to tell us more. stablished in 1988, Howarth Homes is a West London based developer specialising in delivering well priced, great value homes in superb locations, always close to exceptional transport links. Many of the companies buyers have small to medium sized portfolios as Howarth Home’s product is typically an excellent investment due to the firm’s focus on excellence, as Linzie emphasises.
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“Here at Howarth Homes, we have an eye for detail and are fanatical about delivering a product of the highest calibre, which is why every step of the process is personally overseen by our CEO and the senior management team. We view our purchasers as investment partners and sell, quite often, from plan and allow our buyers to sell on contracts. We believe that we are unique in this
approach and this probably explains why people buy from us time and time again.” Moving forward, Linzie believes that the firm’s ongoing success will be rooted in its continued focus on excellence. “Looking ahead, we intend to continue with the approach which has bought us success since our inception. We believe we have secured a strong position in our regional market with a strong and healthy reputation, and therefore we just want to grow and continue to expand but not lose sight of our MO; to deliver a great product and a good price, well positioned with superb transport links.”
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Best Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions Provider – North England
What is Flexipave? KBI Flexipave is a unique porous paving material that is hard but flexible. The material is the perfect way to meet SuDS requirements and rethink the way that rainwater is managed around properties. By eliminating standing water and attenuating runoff into sub-surface areas, Flexipave promotes the natural replenishment of aquifers and reduces the strain on storm-water drainage. Created in Florida, USA almost 20 years ago, Flexipave is now a trusted material within UK local authorities, construction companies, architects, arborists, and hundreds of homeowners.
KBI UK Ltd 01422 242880 www.kbiuk.co.uk info@kbiuk.co.uk Build Home Builder Awards 2017
@KBIUKLTD Search KBI Flexipave
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Company: BKR Floorplans Email: info@bkrfloorplans.co.uk Web Address: www.bkrfloorplans.co.uk/index.html Address: Sunnyhill House, 3-7 Sunnyhill Road, London, SW16 2UG Telephone: 0345 257 2023
Best Residential Floorplan Company - UK
BKR are a nationwide company providing residential and commercial floorplans and Leaseplans to the country’s leading property companies. However, BKR provide much more than just floorplans; during their 16 years in business, BKR have gone from producing simple floorplans for estate agents to drawing architectural plans, EPCs and providing expert witness statements in complex legal cases. If a query is property related, BKR will be able to help. KR’s aim is to provide all its client with accurate RICS compliant floor plans and ft² calculations. In order to achieve this, they regularly liaise with both the RICS and Trading Standards, thus ensuring that they are up-to-date with their current thinking and guidelines. Additionally, the liaison with Trading Standards ensures that BKR comply with the various relevant estate agents’ acts, so that any information they supply is not misleading.
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The firm’s portfolio of work includes residential floorplans, commercial floorplans, due-diligence, commercial EPCs, portfolio and management plans, collective enfranchisement plans, residential leaseplans, commercial leaseplans, elevations, residential EPCs, arbitration, planning applications, lettings floorplans, hotel plans, cinema plans, sections, sq. ft. arbitration, land transfer plans, and boundary changes plans. Recently, a major UK house builder built and sold 200 units off-plan in central London. They then commissioned BKR to measure all the units, in order to verify that the ft² on the built units matched those quoted on their brochure, thereby ensuring that they had accurately stated the ft² of each flat. This in turn meant that the selling price GBP/ft² was accurate and that no renegotiation with the purchaser was required; BKR verified that all properties were built to the ft² stated in the brochure.
requirements, and that they remain in constant contact so as to keep them appraised of the progress of the project. It makes little difference if this is on a single unit or a portfolio of hundreds of units. With all their experience BKR have drawn pretty much everything there is to draw; from studio flats, Napoleonic forts in the Solent, the Lillishall National Sports Centre, to blocks of student accommodation and portfolios for the country’s largest residential property companies. This experience is invaluable to the firm when dealing with clients, as it affords them the prior knowledge to assist with a wide array of queries or any problems that may arise. BKR’s aim on each and every project is to ensure total professionalism in their product offering, and want to give clients total trust in the integrity of their plans and the accuracy of their ft² calculations. Looking to the future, all involved at BKR acknowledge that there are a number of legislative and regulatory changes on the horizon, but they hope to retain a competitive advantage by keeping ahead of these and the impact that they will inevitably have on the industry. BKR are also continually replacing their measuring devices and their methodology to keep pace with new technology, which is helping to retain their competitive advantage in the market. The firm are very positive about their prospects post-Brexit; the housing market in the UK still needs to expand, and BKR have a positive vision of their role within this expansion.
BKR has also recently worked on a portfolio of 270 residential properties, spread throughout East Anglia. Throughout this process, BKR had to contact each tenant to arrange access within a specific timescale, which in turn meant that trying to coordinate appointments in the same locality was challenging; despite this, BKR completed the work to budget and on time. The firm are based in London, although they work nationwide. Specifically, the London new homes market is having to adapt to challenging market conditions; part of this challenge is some off-plan buyers are looking at possible reasons to withdraw from their purchase, which is one of the reasons contractors are carrying out due-diligence on the built units. Everyone involved at BKR understands that communication is the key to any successful project. It is important for the team to understand the client’s
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Company: Leap Environmental Ltd Name: Richard Brinkworth - Director Email: rb@leapenvironmental.com Web Address: www.leapenvironmental.com Address: Head Office: The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking Surrey, RH4 1XA Regional Offices in: Burgess Hill, Tunbridge Wells and Reading Telephone: 01306 646585
Best Environmental & Geotechnical Consultancy - South England
Leap Environmental Ltd is an environmentally conscious organisation, providing sustainable engineering solutions for the construction industry, local authority and land owners. The firm provide award winning site investigation, geotechnical design and contaminated land consultancy services for new development, land transactions, and corporate risk profiling from four offices in the South East of England. Richard Brinkworth, Director, told us more about the work of the firm and outlines a few of their most recent projects.
eap aims to provide services that are leading edge, efficient, accurate and punctual; these criteria assist in the process of producing a technical report. Richard notes that the team at Leap are conscious that technical reports are often difficult to access for non-technical readers, so their focus is on making sure that their recommendations are communicated effectively to all stakeholders in a particular project, whether they are funders, developers, regulators or contractors.
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“By using the very latest assessment and interpretation techniques alongside our vast professional experience and track record in the site investigation industry, we are able to make intelligent assessments of very complex issues, design cost effective, sustainable solutions, and validate the satisfactory implementation of those solutions in a client focussed and considered manner. Richard explains that the majority of Leap’s current workload is centred around the residential redevelopment of both Brownfield and Greenfield sites. “As the demand for housing increases, so does the pressure on increasing the amount of available land and developers are required to consider more and more difficult sites. Complexities can arise from both natural geological risks and from historic man-made (contamination) impacts, requiring a holistic consideration of development risk and an integrated approach to overcoming them. “We are currently working on a number of historic landfill sites, which present both geotechnical issues, from the historic working and filling of soils, and contamination risks, with human health and controlled water risk from the historic uncontrolled filling and subsequent degradation of deleterious materials. Emissions from such sites can impact surrounding
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properties and the environment, as well as affecting a new build placed on them. As such, they require detailed assessment and costing in order to ensure that they can be developed both safely and commercially. “Leap have recently assisted one national housebuilder in Kent with the appraisal and purchase of a site such as this from a local authority with a view to developing 230 new homes. The work for this included the consolidation of data from previous investigations, further intrusive works and risk assessments for land gas, soil and groundwater contamination, together with costed remedial options appraisals. “The range of exciting and interesting projects we are working on is helping us to attract and retain staff. We operate in a specialist niche market which has a national shortage of new and existing potential recruits. The work that our specialist teams complete is often both physically and mentally challenging. We invest a lot of time and effort into developing careers for engineers, geologists and environmental scientists, from training and development trips - such as our 2016 trip to Iceland - and continuing professional development courses and seminars, to internal knowledge sharing and innovation working groups. We also provide work experience for undergraduates and school leavers who are considering a career in our industry, as well as STEM training for schools.” Richard notes that the ever increasing demands for house building, particularly in the South East, coupled with the continued pressures to focus on Brownfield land means that demand for the high quality, cost effective services that Leap provides continues to increase. “Leap has grown from just two founder members in 2008, to 24 staff in 4 regional offices in Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Berkshire, and we continue to expand within each of those regions. In addition, we are planning to add new regions in coming years to continue our expansion to the North and West.”
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Company: Millennium Custom Homes, LLC Address: Phil A. Calinda Jr., 615 West Mount Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, New Jersey 07039 Phone: 973 486 6969 Fax: 973-206-2254 Email: pcalinda@millenniumcustomhomes.com Website: www.millenniumcustomhomes.com
Best Custom Home Builder 2017 - New Jersey
Millennium Custom Homes Millennium Custom Homes, LLC is a luxury homebuilder which specialises in offering custom designs which meet the needs of its clients. We invited Owner and President Phil Calinda to tell us more.
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or over 35 years Millennium Custom Homes has been building and remodelling homes across New Jersey, turning ordinary houses into one-of-a-kind dream homes which are individually tailored to the individual client’s exact specifications.
Phil, who has built more than 2,000 homes in the state of New Jersey throughout his 38-year career in the industry, believes that “At Millennium Custom Homes, every single feature of our developments is executed with precision and close attention to detail. We understand that the building or remodeling of your home is a serious investment. This is your home—this is where you eat, sleep, relax and make countless memories; your home needs to reflect your lifestyle and look beautiful while doing so. As a custom home builder, our job is to balance function and design so you can enjoy every aspect of your home from the moment you step through the front door or out into your backyard.”
offers over 80 classes and numerous professional certification exams which have allowed more than 225 students from across the country to improve and succeed in their field.” Looking ahead, the firm has a number of exciting plans including a synagogue and a full underground basketball court, as Phil concludes. “Moving forward we have a number of exciting projects, including our first synagogue, which will provide us with many great opportunities which we look forward to taking advantage of. We always choose the tough jobs as we know that this is how you build a strong reputation, and as such we will relish the chance to overcome new challenges in 2017 and beyond.”
As every client is different, they each have different ideas which Millennium works hard to incorporate, as Phil explains. “It’s because of that differentiation that people’s eye is different for quality. There is no perfect job and anything can happen, but it’s about giving clients what they want. Even if it’s something that may not be acceptable to me, but the customer likes it. At the end of the day, it’s all about what they want and what will make them happy. “For example, clients do not want dust in their house. So depending on the size of the project we bring in high speed fans to remove this so that the project is always ready to live in once we have left, as well as protecting the clients’ furniture.” Having worked in the New Jersey region for over three decades Phil is passionate about the local area and creating homes which members of the communities he serves can enjoy for a lifetime. “At Millennium we value the communities in which we live and work. We work to give back by sharing our professional expertise with others through leadership and participation in local schools and organizations. Since 2007, I have chaired the Education Committee of the Community Builders and Remodelers Association (CBRA) of NJ (now known as Metro). The CBRA
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Company: Bower Mapson Homes Limited Name: Peter Mapson Email: peter.mapson@bowermapson.co.uk Web Address: www.bowermapson.co.uk Address: 7 The Avenue, Stanton Fitzwarren, Wiltshire, SN6 7SE. Telephone: 01793 763587
Best Custom Home Builder - Wiltshire
Bower Mapson Homes Limited are an entirely independent, small and exclusive company, specialising in creating unique homes for the genuinely discerning. We invited Peter Mapson to tell us more.
ower Mapson Homes are a Wiltshire based home building specialist dedicated to creating housing developments that can be seen as a beneficial addition to the built heritage of that particular area. Peter outlines the firm’s approach and how its commitment to excellence is central to its current success.
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“As a locally based, locally operating independent company, we maintain a clear design led philosophy to ensure to the best of our ability that what we build beneficially adds to each particular locale’s built heritage. Our approach therefore is always to take a responsible view of designing our housing to both blend harmoniously with particular settings as well as seeking to bestow a genuine sense of identity and pride in the homes for the new owners. Put simply, we hope to create environments that will enhance the lifestyles of new residents and the indigenous population alike. “In order to differentiate ourselves in this competitive market, we do not build from a standard range of home designs, but instead we design each scheme afresh from a blank sheet of paper to ensure, to the best of our ability, we do justice to the particular location. Additionally, as we are an independent company not controlled by a larger parent, we can choose on a project by project basis to enhance our specification well above the level of competitors in the area.” Looking to the future, Bower Mapson Homes are keen to achieve even greater success and create even better developments, as Peter concludes. “Overall, we seek to learn from each development and take those lessons forward to future projects to hopefully continue to improve the quality of the homes we seek to provide. This will remain our ongoing aim over the months and years to come as we aim to build upon our current success.”
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Company: Birmingham Drain Services Ltd Name: Tony Buchanan Email: info@birminghamdrainservices.co.uk Web Address: www.birminghamdrainservices.co.uk Address: Unit 1, 1161 Chester Road, Birmingham, B24 0QY Telephone: 0121 270 2568
Best Drainage Maintenance Company - Midlands
Birmingham Drain Services Ltd is a modern, family run drainage and plumbing business, offering affordable and effective drainage services and solutions nationwide. The firm has steadily grown over the past eight years and has always ensured company health and safety is at the forefront of their business. We spoke to Tony Buchanan about the mission of the firm and how he ensures that the work they complete is kept at the highest possible standard. he overall mission of Birmingham Drain Services is to provide their customers with as much value and expertise as they can, guiding them through every part of a job as they progress towards a permanent solution to their drainage related issues, providing them with any support and reassurance they require along the way. Tony believes that the firm are successful in this by remaining personable, approachable and affordable and continually investing in training and equipment to ensure a successful end result.
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“Every job that we receive is always treated as a high priority job. Our dedicated scheduling team use their experience to triage a job on contact with the customer. A recent example of a stand out case is an order that was sent over as a non-emergency response, and was to be handled under normal time scales. On contacting the customer, it was revealed to us that they were elderly and had been without toilet facilities for over 48 hours and were manually disposing of their foul waste. We were able to prioritise the job, which resulted in us attending site and restoring their facilities within 90 minutes of receiving the works order from the client. “We believe that it is crucial to always provide excellent customer support throughout each individual job cycle, from start to finish. Our team believe in treating each customer as an individual regardless of the size of the job. Our key focus initially is to protect our working environment and ensure that the general public’s safety is always guaranteed. As a firm, we have continued our annual membership with a number of health and safety bodies, and have gained our full ISO Accreditation within the last year. “Our client base varies from private home owners needing a quick, effective and affordable resolution to a drainage issue that can sometimes be distressing and disruptive, through to large blue chip companies requesting our assistance in surveying large diameter pipework, Utility and Topographical surveys, large site cleaning/cleansing and also drainage repairs. Our company is constantly adapting to our ever evolving industry, we have recently relocated our operations, reporting, finance and excavation departments to a custom built premises which is close to our suppliers and major motorway links.”
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Company: Century Roofing LTD. Name: Rick Myers Email: service@centuryroofing.ca Web Address: www.centuryroofing.ca Address: 4204 10 Street NE, Calgary, Alberta Telephone: (403) 235-5457
Best Roofing Construction Company - Alberta
Century Roofing is a roofing and exterior/siding contractor that is based in Calgary, Alberta. With more than 37 years of experience in the industry, Rick Myers, Owner and General Manager is experienced in all aspects of roofing, and was happy to tell us more about why he believes the firm has enjoyed success.
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entury Roofing is a family-run business, with 3 generations currently operating in ownership. The firm’s staff boast a wealth of experience within the industry, and Rick is incredibly proud of them.
“We are successful due to our staff, consisting of our management team, project managers, exterior supervisors and support staff. Our Project Managers ensure that all of our crew members follow procedure, company policies and safety protocols to ensure that work is completed in a timely manner and at a competitive rate, with the result being a satisfied customer. “To further optimise our business processes, we use satellite imaging, work flow spreadsheets, and estimating programs complete with vendor web portals. Our Calgary roofing contractors believe you should get what you pay for, and that you shouldn’t have to call another roofer to fix the mistakes made by a previous roofing contractor; you should be able to rely on your contractor. We continue to excel at instilling this confidence into our customers. “As a firm, we have completed projects throughout Central and Southern Alberta and Eastern British Columbia. One of our most recent projects has been at Regal Park, a multi condo project. In this instance, we were presented with 72 buildings that needed to be re-sided and provided with eavestroughing. This presented us with various challenges, such as dealing with unit owners, parking difficulties, problem weather and working with the condo board. We also had to work effectively with an engineering consultant and act to solve all issues that were presented to us right away; whilst this was a challenge, but we were able to rise to it. “We have built solid relationships with our subcontractors and employees and we have established a reputation for integrity and commitment within the insurance community, earning a ‘preferred contractor’ designation which we are very proud of. We are backed by over 30 years’ experience and three generations of expertise. We take pride in providing exceptional service, coupled with honesty, integrity and loyalty to all our clients.”
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Company: Nya Nordiska Textiles GmbH Name: Remo Röntgen, Managing Director Email: marketing@nya.com Web Address: www.nya.com Address: An den Ratswiesen 4 | 29451 Dannenberg Germany Telephone: +49 5861 809 0
Best Garden Design/Build Consultancy & BUILD Excellence Award for Private Garden Maintenance - South England
Landform Consultants create quality landscapes throughout the UK, offering a range of specialist services in hard and soft landscaping for private gardens, public and commercial spaces. Recently we spoke to Office Manager, Kate Griffin and asked her to tell us more about the work of Landform Consultants.
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andform Consultants focus on working closely with their clients and leading garden designers to ensure the highest standards are maintained throughout the construction and planting stages of their projects, but also offer a first class garden maintenance
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“Moving forward, we intend to keep learning, growing and evolving as a company. One of the ways in which we are achieving this is through the use of social media. We are working with a PR company to ensure that we are using our social media platforms to their fullest potential. We also have a number of fantastic projects starting this year for our construction team, as our maintenance department continues to grow.”
“It’s always our aim to provide an outstanding quality finish, whether that is through design, construction or maintenance. We are generally running several projects at any one time and can face challenges big and small every week. Our vast experience working at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower show has certainly helped our operational process. When working at these shows there is no margin for error around timeline planning or health and safety matters; this experience then translates itself across into our other projects and makes us a stronger, more efficient team.” The mission of the company is simple: to excel across the board in all that they deliver, from the quality of their finish to their customer service, including time keeping and all factors in between. “An essential part of our business is keeping our staff happy; we are only ever as good as our teams on the ground or in the office. All our staff are provided with high quality kit, we provide a fleet of regularly serviced, high spec vans and work to keep our health and safety tip-top.” In line with this, communications between those on site and those in the office is a top priority, as Kate explains. “Our foremen have iPads out onsite to ensure they are receiving all the latest information for the project they are leading and are able to document the development, taking pictures and sending any useful information back to the office. We have also recently launched a partnership scheme whereby every member of staff is a ‘partner’ within Landform, which keeps moral high for all staff.”
Home Builder Awards 2017 Build
HB170018
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Company: Stretch Ceilings Limited Address: 23 Doman Road, Yorktown Industrial Estate, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3DF Phone: +44 (0)1276 681000 Fax: +44 (0)1276 406900 Email: sales@stretchceilings.co.uk Website: http://stretchceilings.co.uk
Best Ceiling Installation Company - South England
Stretch Ceilings Limited is a ceiling installation company providing clients around the UK with a range of innovative suspended ceiling systems. We profile the firm and explore the secrets behind its success.
world leader in Stretch Ceiling installations, Stretch Ceiling companies have been established since 1988, offering a wealth of knowledge, history and technical innovation from design assistance to installation managements, vastly experienced installers and after sales care.
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Stretch Ceilings are available in an extensive range of colour and finishes which require no paining or decoration, are hygienic, non-toxic and come with a 12-year Guarantee. The product is also 100% Recyclable. In addition, the firm offer a vast range which provides clients with a fantastic opportunity to create clean and cool or loud and colourful LED Lighting effects and
features, using the Stretch membrane for light diffusion. Overall, Stretch Management and their dedicated Stretchologists are keen to assist from an early stage of every ceiling or unique feature. Throughout the process Stretch will ensure that functionality and the material performance of the Stretch panels are developed and specified in the most suitable and complementing fashion to the surrounding environment, whilst also keeping the installation methods of paramount importance to provide a safe and clean installation service of made to measure individual and bespoke environments.
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Build Home Builder Awards 2017
HB170016
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Company: Oliver Wild Ltd Name: Oliver Wild Email: ollie@oliverwild.com Web Address: www.oliverwild.com Address: Unit A4, Alison Business Centre, Sheffield, S2 1AS Telephone: 07921317375
Carpentry Contractor of the Year 2017 – UK
Oliver Wild Ltd Oliver Wild Ltd is a well-established carpentry and joinery company located in Sheffield. Founder Oliver Wild talks us through the firm and the range of services it provides.
stablished in 2011 Oliver Wild Ltd strives to meet the demands of all its construction projects and has built up a wealth of experience and knowledge within the industry since inception. Oliver outlines the specific focuses on the firm and how it works to ensure clients receive the very best service possible.
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“Here at Oliver Wild Ltd, we specialise predominately in carpentry and joinery subcontracting as this is where our main skills and experience lie. As a leading carpentry and joinery subcontractor in the Sheffield area, we have successfully completed various contracts, from multi-million pound projects to more modest developments. “Whilst many joinery companies specialise in either first or second fix joinery, we have sourced the best skilled tradesmen which gives us the capability to oversee all of the carpentry involved in any construction project. We provide a comprehensive range of joinery services, including supply, manufacture and installation, tailored to meet the requirements of both residential and commercial customers. Our main focus as a company is the customer service that we provide to our clients. We believe in delivering the highest standard of customer care and as a result we have established a loyal customer base that returns to us again and again. A lot of our business comes from recommendations and referrals, something we are very proud of.” Another area that Oliver is particularly proud of is the firm’s latest projects, which include the installation of a selection of kitchens, a project which required excellent time management, as Oliver proudly explains. “Among our latest project is the installation of kitchens for the council in Queniborough. Our client required us to fit six kitchens a day which meant we had to resource to meet the demands of the customer. “One of the areas of this project of which we are particularly proud is how we have kept within the time frames and the budget set by the client and continue to receive fantastic feedback. We are also particularly proud of our Contracts Manager Jamie Booker who recently achieved his NVQ Level 7 in Construction Senior Management whilst working on the project.” Staff are another key aspect of the business which is central to its success, and as such Oliver feels privileged to have such dedicated and professional team working alongside him.
“The Oliver Wild management team have a full understanding of what is required to run successful projects from the main contractor’s perspective, I believe our approach to safety, quality, progress and customer service is far superior to any other subcontractor that I have worked with in my 27 years in the industry. Our specialties are providing full refurbishment packages and joinery subcontracting. “Our company has over 50 employees that have worked in the construction and joinery business for many years. Together their experience and expertise help us to deliver the highest standard of craftsmanship in carpentry and joinery in the industry. We have the best executives that believe in an onhand pro-employee approach which means that all the employees in our company are regarded as a part of the Oliver Wild family and that is why, all of them work with full commitment and dedication for the achievement of the company goal. We also believe in the potential of young and upcoming carpenters and joiners and offer them the training and work experience which enables them to provide innovative and committed work services to our clients. We are proud to say that one of our own apprentices, Thomas Trigg was shortlisted for the CCISY Young Apprentice of the Year award and represented our firm in the construction and refurbishment industry.” Overall, Oliver believes that the firm’s success over the years can be attributed to its dedicated team and commitment to excellence. “Since inception Oliver Wild Ltd has gone from strength to strength. We believe this is down to our experienced, skilled workforce that have achieved high quality results and in turn high customer satisfaction. As a company, we are committed to delivering the best possible customer service. Ensuring we serve our customers’ needs and expectations is paramount to us and as a company is our main goal. We pride ourselves on knowing our commitment to providing the highest level of customer service is one of the highest in the industry. That is why more than half of our business comes from repeat business and customer referrals. “As a company, we also take immense pride in our workmanship and comply with all and health and safety standards, and moving forward we will continue to adapt around this ever evolving market in order to provide our clients with the very highest standard of service.”
Home Builder Awards 2017 Build
HB170011
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Company: Truelove Property & Construction Name: Barrie Truelove (Director and Owner) Email: info@trueloveproperty.co.uk for general enquiries, Sales: Sophie Barrett- sophie.barrett@trueloveproperty.co.uk Web Address: www.trueloveproperty.co.uk Address: 4a Eastgate, Lincoln, LN2 1QA Telephone: 01522 526979
Best Residential Development Company - East Midlands
Truelove Property and Construction Ltd is a family run business, boasting 40 years’ experience in building new homes across Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The firm prides itself on creating quality properties with bespoke and distinctive finishes that are tailored to each customer, as Barrie Truelove, Director and Owner explains. ruelove Property and Construction Ltd aim to create quality, bespoke homes that are luxurious and modern, with a twist of the traditional. Barrie explains that the firm wants to create spacious properties which allow for lots of natural light, an attribute which is highly desired.
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“We achieve this by investing a lot of time and effort into the initial design stage, which is a collaborative approach between our in-house architects and our sales team. We also ensure we use five or more varying house types across each development, to ensure we create a distinctive look on each site. We don’t want all houses to be the same and boring! “As a firm, we are proud to employ high quality tradesmen, some of whom have been with the business for over 20 years; they know the high standards we expect to see and take great pride in their work. We also invest money in quality materials, which is important for the finished look of a property. “One of our most recent projects was a high end executive development, containing luxury detached bungalows and houses with up to five bedrooms. We believe that we have exceeded our own expectations on this project, and are very proud of the finished product. One of the key challenges we faced on this project was providing high quality properties at a good price. Also, by completing a small executive development in a well-established area, we needed to ensure that we were sympathetic to our surroundings and considerate of this when building, to ensure we could still produce what we wanted whilst also integrating well into the surrounding area and managing existing resident’s expectations.” “In order to be able to do this, we utilise a very thorough design process. In the initial design stage, we ensure that our projects will blend into the surrounding area, will not be overcrowded and will provide sufficient parking that accommodates for modern family living. We ensure there is consistent communication between the site and our office by holding regular progress meetings, organising a weekly site visit from the sales department to check on progress, and holding meetings with customers to understand their choices. All of this is held together by successful coordination of supplies and timelines, which leads to correct detailing throughout, thus ensuring delivery of the end product.”
Build Home Builder Awards 2017
Barrie is very proud of the work completed by his firm and notes that a number of Truelove’s ‘standard’ housing features are classed as extras by other firms. “We think about what makes a house functional, meaning our customers aren’t forced to spend lots on extras. This includes a number of convenient arrangements, such as power to garages and outside lighting, meaning our customers do not have to worry about this after moving in. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail, bespoke features and brick work in each house design, ensuring each of our properties are individually designed and several house types are included to suit their location. “Technology is playing an increasingly important role in our sector, and we are ensuring that we keep pace with this. Our in-house architects use the most recent and up to date software for the design and continual improvement of our homes, and we use social media and ad reach campaigns to maximise our exposure and keep up to date and current in the market place. We are now also beginning to use drones and 360 virtual tour technology on our sites for layouts, and also marketing purposes.” Truelove Property and Construction currently have active sites in North Lincolnshire, and Barrie explains that the aim of the firm is to get into the market in Hull, across the bridge. “With Hulls regeneration and the wind turbines, there is a huge need for housing in the area which will only keep growing, and we hope to be able to capitalise on this. We have found that employment in specific areas is a big influence on where and what we build; going forward, we want to be affordable and the “go to” company for new developments. “As we look to the future, we are focusing on extending our skills over to Nottinghamshire, with a gateway site on the outskirts of Nottingham City centre. This has direct links from the site straight into the heart of Nottingham, for the perfect commute. We also have several other well located sites in our upcoming plans, where we are looking to develop higher end sites, with properties valued at £500,000 and £1,000,000. We want to explore this market and continue to develop our skill set and profile in the industry.”
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HB170016
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Company: Makow Associates Architect Inc. Name: Stan Makow Email: stan@makowarchitects.com Web Address: www.makowarchitects.com Address: 3 Bridgman Avenue, Suite 201, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 3V4, Canada Telephone: 416-944-3510 Fax: 416-944-3512
Best Custom Home & Interior Design Firm - East Canada
Makow Associates Architects Makow Associates Architects combines a thriving practice designing custom homes with a full service practice designing senior’s residences. We invited CEO Stan Makow to tell us more about the firm and the range of projects it has undertaken over recent years. rawing on the vast industry experience of CEO Stan Makow and his dedicated team, Makow Associates Architect offers a range of solutions to meet the individual needs of its clients. Whatever the project, their approach is to thoroughly assess the needs and approach of the client for the individual project, and to craft a solution which suits their unique situation, as Stan explains.
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“At Makow Associates, our team of nine architects, designers, technologists and artists provide an interdisciplinary approach to building design, incorporating the very best features from across the creative landscape into stunning designs that will stand the test of time. We have a broad portfolio of work which ranges from unique custom homes and luxury retirement residences to condominiums, corporate offices and even religious buildings.” Over the years the firm has come to specialise in eldercare and retirement residences, incorporating its flair for design into every project, as Stan emphasises. “As the only retirement building in downtown Burlington, it was designed with ground floor retail space to fit with the commercial street on the corner lot. A stepped form with combined 14 and 9 storey towers was developed to break up the volume of the building, and to blend with the smaller scale of nearby urban fabric. Our development of a building which respected and reinforced the nearby urban fabric earned the project the support of the city during the approvals process. The resulting building has received praise from both its residents and from its neighbours. “In the Eldercare field, Makow Associates has developed a solid client base by listening to its clients and studying each project to provide unique and original design solutions. Spaces are designed to be multi-functional, non-institutional, and accessible. The firm’s long standing experience in providing sensitive designs that address people’s domestic needs has equipped it to provide high quality services for those with special requirements in a group living circumstance. Seniors who are self-sufficient require a normative environment that feels warm, familiar and comfortable from a residentialperspective, yet provides the necessary assistance, when required, for basic as well as social needs.” Within the custom home sector, the firm offer a wide range of designs, which
Build Home Builder Awards 2017
incorporate a number of styles including French, Georgian and Tudor style properties, as well as more modern designs and innovative neoclassical projects. Stan concludes by outlining the work his firm puts in to every custom design and how they are committed to ensuring that clients receive the very best outcome possible. “One of the most unique elements of our approach is the integration of interior design throughout the process, that ensures warm, elegant, and gracious interior spaces. Our firm, which has been following these principles for over thirty years, has a strong compliment of staff who have played an instrumental role in developing our methodology and who bring their years of experience with our approach to every project. At the same time, new and young staff members bring their fresh perspectives and abilities with the latest technologies to our team. New standards in environmental integrity are constantly being developed, and Makow Associates’ senior staff includes a LEED certified architect so that environmental sustainability is maximized wherever possible. “Makow Associates select materials and finishes that maintain the desired aesthetic in addition to being durable and easy to maintain. The beauty of a variety of natural materials connects the building to its users, while also serving to minimize a project’s environmental footprint. Technically, Makow’s buildings represent state of the art building techniques, with respect to energy conservation, building/thermal envelope detailing and sustainable design.”
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Home Builder Awards 2017 Build
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