The best new construction projects in Leicestershire and Rutland have been named as winners at the 2024 ProCon Leicestershire Awards.
Country homes, town flats and a cinema are among the winners across six different categories, with the first Rising Star award going to a young quantity surveyor.
ProCon chairman Umesh Desai said: "Congratulations to all our winners and finalists. Their achievements have greatly improved the built environment in our counties and everyone involved can be very proud of their achievements."
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The 21st ProCon Leicestershire Awards' overall sponsors are Salus (Building Control and Fire Safety Consultants) and Unique Window Systems. BusinessLive is the awards' media partner.
The winners are listed here and scroll down for more details about the projects:
Small Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Lovell Partnerships
The Coach House, Hallaton, submitted by Corporate Architecture
Medium Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Lovell Partnerships
Woodwell and Meadow Barn, Market Overton, submitted by Distinctive Developments Group and DDGL Construction
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Large Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by MORRO Partnerships
The Wharf - Waterside Village, Loughborough, submitted by HSSP and Solus Homes
Rising Star of the Year, sponsored by Keepmoat Homes
Alice Stewardson, nominated by Danaher & Walsh
Small Non-Residential Scheme of the Year
Tokio Marine HCC Staff Courtyard, Rearsby, submitted by Goodrich Cutler Associates
Medium to Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Procure Partnerships Framework
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Phoenix Independent Cinema and Art Centre Expansion, Leicester, submitted by Phoenix Leicester Arts Centre
More than 600 people attended the ceremony, during which a raffle was held with proceeds going to the local homelessness charity One Roof Leicester.
Stuart Power and Paul Meadows, directors at Salus (Building Control & Fire Safety Consultants), said: "At Salus, we're celebrating the 21st ProCon Awards in a year when we are also celebrating our own 21st anniversary. We have been supporting ProCon for most of this milestone.
"We are proud and pleased to once more be a corporate sponsor of this prodigious celebration of our industry."
Sunil Patel, director at Unique Window Systems, said: "We have been enthusiastic supporters of the ProCon Awards for many years and are delighted that Unique Window Systems is once again a proud sponsor of this prestigious showcase.
"Every year the ProCon Awards provide a wonderful opportunity for our industry to celebrate the many innovative and high-quality projects that improve the built environment we all share. We salute another excellent group of finalists and winning projects in 2024."
The other shortlisted finalists were:
Small Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Lovell Partnerships
- The Gatehouse, Market Bosworth, submitted by Hayward Architects
- Lime Barns, Breedon on the Hill, submitted by David Granger Architectural Design
Medium Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Lovell Partnerships
- Chater Valley View, North Luffenham, submitted by Kaybee Developments
- The Elms, Newton Harcourt, submitted by MTE Leicester
Large Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by MORRO Partnerships
- The Saxons, Leicester, submitted by MDA Consulting
- The Villers, Whetstone, submitted by Lovell Partnerships
Rising Star of the Year, sponsored by Keepmoat Homes
- Claudia Carroll, nominated by Danaher & Walsh
- Adam Dodd, nominated by Willmott Dixon Construction
Small Non-residential Scheme of the Year
- Leicester College Engineering Block, Leicester, submitted by Stepnell, Moss Architecture Interiors, MDA Consulting and Leicester College
- Tap and Run Pub, Upper Broughton, submitted by Gateley Smithers Purslow
Medium to Large Non-residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Procure Partnerships Framework and Compliance Chain
- Dock 3-5, Space City, Leicester, submitted by Brackley Property Developments and Leicester City Council
- New Modular Ward, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, submitted by Actiform
Full details about the Awards are at
Additional information about the projects and quotes from the winners can be found below:
Small Residential Scheme of the Year: The Coach House, Hallaton
A large, two-storey, grade-II Listed stable block in Hallaton has been converted into an impressive four-bedroom dwelling for family living. The original large red brick building dates to 1842 and was formerly used as stables and housing for the coaches of the residents of Hallaton Grange.
Malcolm Foulkes-Arnold, founder of Corporate Architecture, said: "On behalf of our client and ourselves, we are delighted to be declared winners.
"This has been a lovely project to work on, breathing life and purpose into a tired, old building and creating a beautiful home within this historic village.
"Procon Awards are particularly special as they come from our industry peers and their validation and support of our achievements is much appreciated. ProCon is highly respected and works hard to promote success and collaboration in construction.
"We continue to believe that it is teamwork that gets success and we are fortunate to have strong collaborative partnerships with some of the best in the business here in Leicestershire and Rutland.
"Thank you to all who played their part in this win, especially Nigel Merry from Merrywood Bespoke Interiors."
Medium Residential Scheme of the Year: Woodwell and Meadow Barn, Market Overton
Woodwell and Meadow Barn replaced a dilapidated modern steel barn with two traditional Rutland farmstead homes.
The L-shaped structures provide a courtyard feel and feature single and two-storey designs, ground-to-eaves glass openings and oak framing reminiscent of traditional threshing barns.
Richard Evans, director at Distinctive Developments Group, said: "Winning the ProCon Award is a huge honour for the Distinctive Developments team. This project truly reflects our passion for blending traditional design with sustainability.
"Turning a steel barn into two beautiful farmstead homes, we've used local materials and eco-friendly features to create homes that fit perfectly into the Rutland countryside while still offering modern luxury.
"We're so grateful to the ProCon judges for recognising our hard work and commitment to quality craftsmanship."
Large Residential Scheme of the Year: The Wharf - Waterside Village, Loughborough
The Wharf is a new build of 55 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments which is the phase three completion of Loughborough's Waterside Village.
It joins its historic sister building The Mill, which dates from 1889, and a modern sister building called The Gate at the gateway site near the town's railway station.
HSSP Architects said: "We are overjoyed to win a ProCon award for The Wharf.
"This new-build, 55 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartment complex joined its sister buildings The Mill and The Gate as the final phase of Waterside Village, a forward-thinking gateway hub into Loughborough that very much encourages sustainable living in all aspects of residents' lives.
"The wellbeing of residents is of prime importance which is reflected in the superb private leisure facilities and shared working and social spaces which include a glorious roof garden."
Rising Star of the Year: Alice Stewardson, Danaher & Walsh
Alice Stewardson joined Danaher & Walsh in September 2016 as a trainee quantity surveyor.
Her blend of academic excellence, leadership and commitment to industry advancement is described as making her a standout professional, poised to make a significant contribution in shaping the future of construction.
In her professional career, Alice has demonstrated exemplary leadership and technical expertise, mentoring placement students, engaging with local schools and promoting careers in construction at universities and national events.
She said: "I am immensely honoured and delighted to have received the Pam Allardice Rising Star Award. I am sincerely grateful to the judging panel for recognising me with this award.
"I owe a great deal of thanks to Danaher & Walsh for nominating me, for investing in my professional development and for the incredible opportunities I've had throughout my career with them so far.
"My journey with Danaher & Walsh has been fuelled by my dedication and passion for both this industry and the team I work with. I'm excited to continue helping inspire the next generation of young talent in construction."
Director Dan Danaher added: "All of us at Danaher & Walsh are incredibly proud to celebrate Alice for winning this fantastic award.
"Her standout professionalism and innovative ideas have made a significant impact on our business, setting new standards of excellence. This achievement is a true reflection of her talent and dedication.
"We're also delighted to have both Claudia and Alice recognised as finalists. Having two of our team members shortlisted is a testament to the talent we nurture and develop at Danaher & Walsh and we're committed to continuing this tradition of growth and excellence."
Small Non-Residential Scheme of the Year: Tokio Marine HCC Staff Courtyard, Rearsby
A redundant courtyard linking three separate office spaces has been reimagined as a flexible working and meeting space within a café type environment.
The existing office spaces leading from the courtyard have also been improved.
The introduction of additional daylight and the simplification of existing internal layouts provided a number of linked, open-plan spaces, offering a modern working environment.
Matt Harding, director at Goodrich Cutler, said: "We are delighted to have won this award and would like to take the opportunity to thank Martyn Ward, managing director of Tokio Marine, and Paul Gray, a surveyor with 3D Survey Scan, who acted as client's agent.
"The client team bought into the concept of the project very early on and supported its development and construction consistently throughout the project through to completion.
"We are very proud of the finished product and would like to thank the design team for their support and hard work and also the contractor, Danny Mulligan of Corvus Building Solutions, for his attention to detail and commitment to the project throughout."
Medium to Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year: Phoenix Independent Cinema and Art Centre Expansion, Leicester
The expansion and refurbishment of Leicestershire's independent cinema and art centre has enabled the growth of Phoenix's cultural, social and economic impact.
The project has also marked a step-change in financial resilience, with attendances now 36 per cent above 2022 levels.
Ali Sinclair, chairwoman of Phoenix trustees, said: "We are delighted to have won this award for our capital expansion project which has transformed Phoenix and will enable us to offer an enriched cultural programme, accommodate more visitors, increase our community engagement and develop more partnerships with organisations and businesses - all of which are key to underpinning Phoenix's future.
"We'd like to thank our delivery partners - architects Marchini Curran Associates, Willmott Dixon construction and project managers Focus Consultants - who worked closely with the Phoenix team to create an exemplary accessible public venue that will serve Leicester's diverse communities for many years to come."