From the last word in luxury to perfect family houses, affordable apartments for first-time buyers and inspirational homes which are pushing the boundaries of green technology, the best homes of the year have been honoured in the Evening Standard’s 2023 New Homes Awards.
Dozens of gongs honouring excellence in house-building were handed out in a ceremony at The Dorchester hotel on Park Lane last Friday.
Our winners are regenerating rundown swathes of the capital, creating new architectural landmarks and making spaces perfect for Londoners of all ages.
Here we take a closer look at our London property champions.
A foothold on the property ladder
Buying a first home is incredibly challenging for would-be buyers stuck in the rental trap.
Not only do they need to raise a deposit and find a mortgage, but they also have to make hard choices about what to buy and where.
Regeneration zones have a habit of producing outperforming house-price growth, and the redevelopment of south-east London’s Thamesmead estate — which was the setting for the film A Clockwork Orange — is giving a dystopian horror story a bright new final chapter.
In time 20,000 new homes will be built on this site, which is close to Abbey Wood’s Elizabeth line rail service. And proposals to extend the Docklands Light Railway to the area are being considered too.
The first phase of the development is Southmere, and our judges loved the well-designed layout and spacious balconies at Crane Court. Prices start at £113,750 for a 25 per cent share of a two-bedroom flat with a full market value of £455,000 (peabodynewhomes.co.uk/developments/southmere).
Now that Help to Buy is a thing of the past, the main assistance on offer for priced-out first-time buyers is shared ownership.
Our top choice of shared-ownership scheme was the brilliantly located Square Roots Kingston development, right on the edge of Richmond Park and close to the centre of Kingston upon Thames (squareroots.co.uk).
Our judges were wowed by a specification and finish that they believe most private developers would be proud to deliver, and buyers appeared to agree.
All but two of the properties have been sold, with just a two-bedroom flat (£136,250 for a 25 per cent share) and a three-bedroom apartment (£169,375 for a 25 per cent share) left.
Pushing the boundaries
They look beautiful, are run with environmentally friendly efficiency, and are cleverly designed to complement modern lifestyles.
The winners of our next tranche of awards give us a glimpse of how the homes of the future will look.
Our eco-living award was won by a small development of rental flats which replaced an underused car park.
These smart, Scandi-style timber-clad homes in Stratford were built off-site, reducing construction time, and are powered with a mixture of air source heat pumps and solar panels.
They were designed by Edward Williams Architects (edwardwilliamsarchitects.com).
One-off architect-designed homes allow owners to create bespoke properties, and the best London home category in our awards was snapped up by a clever renovation and extension of a family-owned period house in Park Avenue South, Hornsey.
The project, which was completed earlier this year, cost a reasonable £2,200 per square metre (around £205 per square foot).
Its combination of plentiful storage, free-flowing living spaces, a new roof terrace and beautiful bedrooms won the award for Paul Archer Design (paularcherdesign.co.uk).
Luxury living
Our judges were also won over by the sleek styling and wow factor of a lavish penthouse apartment at One Park Drive in Canary Wharf, which won the award for best apartment of the year.
Its double-height windows frame amazing skyline views, and its concrete spiral staircases add a sculptural feature. Price tag? £9.25m (residential.canarywharf.com/one-park-drive).
For sheer opulence, the winner of our best luxury home award was The Marlborough Penthouse at One St John’s Wood, by Regal London, which has the unique selling point of a roof terrace overlooking Lord’s cricket ground. Completed at the start of this year, the entire building is now sold out, including this £8m penthouse (onestjohnswood.co.uk).
Britain’s ageing population means that older buyers are an important demographic for housebuilders to serve, and our judges named Riverstone Fulham, a high-end, highly serviced development aimed at affluent seniors, best retirement development.
Its residents enjoy amenities including a private cinema, spa, swimming pool and golf simulator, which made our judges look forward to retiring like never before. Prices at the site, set at the north side of Wandsworth Bridge, start at £860,000 (riverstoneliving.com).
Creating new neighbourhoods
For centuries the Leamouth Peninsula has been one of London’s secret locations. This small headland, set at the point where the River Lea and River Thames meet, was known only to the smattering of impoverished dockers and factory workers who lived there.
Over the past few years, however, the peninsula has been transformed into a brand new neighbourhood, with water on three sides. Access to nearby Canning Town is via a new bridge.
Goodluck Hope is the second major development on the site, and the winner of this year’s award for best large development.
As well as 804 homes, the project will add to the existing amenities on the peninsula, with an exceptional range of facilities including co-working space, an indoor pool, a gym, a private cinema and an outdoor deck with stunning views.
Prices start at £550,000 for a one-bedroom flat, and £699,000 for a two-bedroom flat (goodluckhope.com).
Best of the best
Developers routinely provide affordable housing as a condition of being granted planning permission, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Occasionally, however, a firm decides to go the extra mile. When tasked with offering affordable homes in return for being allowed to build the upscale Triptych Bankside building, developer JTRE teamed up with United St Saviour’s Charity to build and operate a modern almshouse.
This development, Appleby Blue, provides low-cost rental accommodation for local residents aged 65-plus in the heart of Bermondsey.
Not only was it the joint winner of the best retirement development award, but it was also presented with the Grand Prix, given each year to the most outstanding project across all categories.
Everything about this scheme screams quality, from the choice of architect — the Stirling Prize-winning Witherford Watson Mann — to the 57 spacious, self-contained homes.
Shared amenities include a community kitchen, a courtyard garden and space for on-site events such as film screenings and dance classes. The homes are reserved for low-income seniors who will pay subsidised rents and enjoy long-term security.
Our judges believe the innovative design of Appleby Blue will not simply give residents a roof over their heads, but will also hugely improve the quality of their lives by creating a thriving and supportive community.
More information on the Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2024 will be announced shortly.
