Homes for today and tomorrow vie for award

Three takes on modern living in Leicestershire villages are in contention for the Small Residential category of the 2016 ProCon Leicestershire property and construction awards.

Competing are three very different style of family homes in South Kilworth, Gaulby and Foxton.

The category, sponsored by Infrastructure Investments, is one of six in this year’s ProCon Awards. The ProCon Awards’ overall sponsors are Unique Window Systems, Westleigh Partnerships, Salus Approved Inspectors and Spearing Waite. The Leicester Mercury is the Awards’ media partner.

The Small Residential Scheme of the Year finalists are:

Hemploe View, South Kilworth, submitted by Diamond Wood and Shaw

Hemploe View is a unique, bespoke home with panoramic views towards the Hemploe Hills. It uses good quality, natural materials and incorporates a number of sustainable energy systems.

Replacing an existing house, the design created a building which relates more comfortably to the landscape and is appropriate to its setting in terms of mass and volume.

Hemploe View has a two storey bedroom wing containing the master bedroom suite at first floor level, with access to a south facing balcony, and an attached single storey wing with open plan kitchen, dining and living spaces.

The Lilies, Gaulby, submitted by MDA Consulting

The Lilies is a bespoke five-double bedroom family house in the village of Gaulby.

It was designed to be a grand, traditional looking house blending in with the nearby houses.

The three-storey home includes an office and gym and there is also a garage with a first floor, designed to imitate the main house with buff brick, slate roof and dormers.

Vicarage Drive, Foxton, submitted by Keyplan Developments

Fox Lodge is a contemporary eco-house built in 20 weeks at the heart of the Leicestershire conservation village of Foxton.

Externally the house had to be carefully designed to prevent overlooking and maintain mutual privacy between the new and adjacent properties. The barn conversion appearance on two sides embraces the traditional style of the period residencies.

By way of contrast the other contemporary elevations showcase its eco-house character, providing ample natural light via full length glazing and has a fibreglass decked balcony.

James Boyle, director of the award’s sponsor Infrastructure Investments, said: “We’re proud to be sponsoring ProCon’s residential awards, which celebrate the achievements of the developers, architects and contractors who are making dwellings that people like living in now and will like long into the future.

“The creation of new housing should bring out the best in design and construction, so these finalists deserve our congratulations and we look forward to celebrating with the winners at the ProCon Awards ceremony.”

The winner will be announced at the November ceremony at Leicester’s King Power Stadium.

The other five awards are:

• Regeneration Project of the Year, sponsored by Cambridge & Counties Bank
• Large Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Infrastructure Investments
• Small Non-residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors
• Large Non-residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors
• Sustainable Development of the Year, sponsored by EME Installations