Local housebuilder wins award for architectural design
Posted 01/05/2019
A local housebuilder has been awarded a top prize in the prestigious First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards. Higgins Homes took the title of the Best Architectural Design for The Reserve in Waltham Cross.
The First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards are some of the most acclaimed in the industry. Now in their 10th year, this year’s event took place on 26 April at The Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, London. There are 18 categories in total including the Best Architectural Design, which focussed on the design of a building that exceeds normal architectural standards and makes a substantial contribution to the local environment. The awards were presented by television presenter Jonnie Erwin host of Escape to the country.
Assessed by a panel of professional judges, the shortlisted entries were then shown on the First Time buyer Readers’ Award website for the public to cast the final vote. The Reserve was commended on a number of levels, and the judges praised its crisp, clean Scandinavian feel, which has its own distinctive appearance while giving an elegant and modern twist to the town’s character.
The judges and reader panel were impressed by the architectural attention to detail, which includes large windows and light filled rooms, spacious living areas, smart and well equipped kitchens, stylish bathrooms and ample storage facilities to create homes that are both beautiful and functional.
The contemporary development of three-, four- and five-bedroom houses on the boundary of Lea Valley Regional Park offers a stunning environment for residents and the wider community to enjoy with features such as wetland areas including ponds and swales. The judges noted that Higgins were mindful to create a sustainable urban drainage system and a diverse range of habitats to encourage biodiversity and to help wildlife to flourish.
“We are delighted that the combination of sustainability, innovation and high-quality construction at The Reserve has been recognised by the judges and readers at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards,” says Jeremy Marcus, Sales & Marketing Director at Higgins Homes. “The concept behind The Reserve was always to embrace the stunning location and to be bold in design to create a development where beautiful contemporary-style living worked hand in hand with functionality.”
This has been the second award for The Reserve based on its design in recent months. The developer joined a group of elite winners at the Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards, which celebrates schemes at the forefront of sustainable design and construction in Hertfordshire by both the industry and local authorities.
“The Reserve has not only been judged a number of times as an exemplar development of new housing, it has also been highly praised by customers who have told us that they love having the countryside on their doorstep, but not at the cost of a difficult and long commute,” says Jeremy Marcus. “The development is less than a ten-minute walk from Waltham Cross rail station, which is in Zone 7, and only a 26-minute train trip to Liverpool Street and just 21-minutes to Stratford.”
The multi-award winning development was not the only success of the night. Higgins Homes was also awarded Best Private Developer Of The Year 2019, thanks largely to their design-led approach to building.
