More than 900 senior representatives from across the home building sector attended the event in Edinburgh on Friday 17 May, which was hosted by comedian, podcaster and writer Jen Brister.

Three of Scotland’s home builders took headline Home Builder of the Year awards on the day, with winners in six additional categories also announced, including a special recognition for McTaggart Construction’s managing director Janice Russell for outstanding leadership in home building.

CALA Homes was announced as large Home Builder of the Year for a second year running, with previous winners Whiteburn Projects awarded top SME and Kingdom Housing Association crowned Home Builder of the Year (Affordable Housing Provider).

Tricia Hill, development director at the Kingdom Group, said: “Being named Home Builder of the Year for our work delivering affordable housing is fantastic and I’m very proud of my colleagues across the Kingdom Group who work hard every day to deliver affordable homes that genuinely change lives.

“Working closely with our developer partners allows us to provide much-needed affordable homes that meet a range of housing needs and since the declaration of the housing emergency, delivering new homes has never been more important. Our ambition at Kingdom is to deliver as many new homes as possible and we are continuously looking for innovative ways to do that and, ultimately, grow the Group as a force for good in the communities we serve.”

Welcoming the award, Kingdom Group chief executive Tom Barclay added: “At Kingdom, we know the positive impact high-quality affordable housing has on people’s lives. Having a safe, secure home is a great foundation for a great life, but the work we do is about so much more than bricks and mortar. I’m proud that our wraparound services help our customers and communities thrive, supporting our mission to provide more than a home.”

Also on the night, Taylor Wimpey East Scotland scooped Large Development of the Year for its Bankfield Brae development in Edinburgh.

Bankfield Brae is a brownfield site that forms part of the Craigmillar Urban Design Framework and the master plan for Greendykes South. The 169 homes, a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes, as well as one and two-bedroom apartments.

Pauline Mills, technical director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have won this year’s Development of the Year – Large category at the Homes for Scotland Awards. It is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of our whole business unit team in the east of Scotland to deliver our brilliant development at Bankfield Brae in Edinburgh.

“These awards are competitive, and entries are highly scrutinised by a judging panel that has a depth of industry experience, so to have won this recognition is incredible both for our internal team and, of course, our homeowners who have chosen Bankfield Brae as their new home.”

Meanwhile, Campion Homes’ Primrose Street development in Alloa was named Development of the Year (medium).

Delivered for Kingdom Housing Association, the development, which was part of the town centre regeneration plans, was recognised for its exceptional quality and positive impact.

Located in the heart of Alloa, the Primrose Street development comprises 60 amenity and wheelchair-friendly apartments, with a mixture of one and two-bedroom homes suitable for up to four people.

Work on started in July 2020 on the site of a former Co-op Store, car park and waste ground. The site’s transformation into a vibrant residential area has significantly contributed to the regeneration of the town centre, enhancing the local community and environment.

The new homes provide energy-efficient living spaces that meet the Housing for Varying Needs standards, Secured by Design Gold standards, and the Association’s own high design standards.

Welcoming the award, Dougie Herd, joint managing director at Campion Homes, said: “Primrose Street really is a stand-out project for Campion. This development was delivered through a fantastic collaboration with Kingdom Housing Association and Clackmannanshire Council. Both organisations were key in supporting us to create homes which will fully cater to the specific needs of residents. To be recognised as Development of the Year (medium) is a great validation for the hard work of our team and our partners.

“Advice from Architect Design Scotland and care and dementia experts was integral to the design, ensuring the development included dementia-friendly elements and mobility scooter charging points. The Primrose Street development stands as a beacon of innovation and community-focused design, setting a benchmark for future town centre regeneration projects.”

Tricia Hill, development director at the Kingdom Group, added: “I’m thrilled that our development at Primrose Street, Alloa won the Medium Development of the Year award. At Kingdom our new build development programme allows us to make a real difference, delivering affordable homes that meet a range of housing needs.

“Since the declaration of the housing emergency, delivering new homes has never been more important. We know that working closely with partners like Campion Homes we can do more and achieve more for our customers and our communities. Building in unique design features, such as the dementia-friendly elements at Primrose Place that allow customers to live independently in their own homes for longer, is something that we will continue to support in the future.”

The headline awards were decided by an independent judging panel following site visits and senior management interviews, with the panel probing on areas such as company ethos and approach, innovation and development, customer satisfaction, health and safety indicators and the way in which the organisation supports the key objective of positioning home building as a force for good.

Chair of the independent judging panel David Knight, former managing director at Avant Homes, said: “With this representing my final year in tenure as Chair, I have been honoured to be a part of the judging process for what I believe are the most robust awards in their field, with 2024 representing another high calibre of entrants.

“This year focused on how Homes for Scotland (HFS) members are meeting the housing needs of everyone living (or who wishes to live) in Scotland and the judges kept this at the forefront of their minds throughout a rigorous judging process. We again had the honour of visiting all shortlisted sites and attending interviews with senior management representatives where we witnessed the high standards and passion of those who bring these wide-ranging developments, processes and practices to life.

“On behalf of the 2024 judging panel, I wish to acknowledge the efforts of all those who entered this year’s programme and congratulate those shortlisted and taking home awards.”

The winners in full included:

Development of the year Large (100+ units)
Sponsored by openreach

Winner:

• Taylor Wimpey East Scotland Bankfield Brae, Edinburgh

Finalists:

• Barratt East Scotland Baltic Street, Leith
• CALA Homes (East) Waterfront Plaza, Leith
• CALA Homes (West) Jordanhill Park, Glasgow
• CCG (Scotland) & Home Group The Meat Market, Glasgow
• Keepmoat NorthBridge, Glasgow

Development of the year Medium (26-99 units)
Sponsored by AC Land Regeneration

Winner:

• Campion Homes & Kingdom Housing Association Primrose Street, Alloa

Commendations:

• Eildon Housing Association Poynder Apartments, Kelso
• The JR Group Carrick Street, Ayr

Finalists:

• Campion Homes & Kingdom Housing Association Gauldry, Fife
• CCG (Scotland) Dundashill Plot 3, Glasgow
• Headon S1 St Andrews West Ltd St Andrews West – N6 Phase 1, St Andrews
• McTaggart Construction & North Ayrshire Council Harbourside, Irvine
• Robertson Homes Thorn View, Glasgow

Development of the Year Small (up to 25 units)

Winner:

• Whiteburn Projects Viewforth, Kirkcaldy

Finalists:

• CCG Homes Calderwood Lodge, Glasgow
• Lar Housing Trust Ford’s Road, Edinburgh

Supporting Organisation of the Year

Winner:

• Perceptive Communicators

Finalists:

• Pixel
• Rettie & Co.

People | Place | Planet

Winners:

• CCG (Scotland)
• Whiteburn Projects

Outstanding Leadership in Home Building

• Janice Russell, McTaggart Construction

Home Builder of the Year – Large

• CALA Homes

Home Builder of the Year – SME

• Whiteburn Projects

Home Builder of the Year – Affordable Housing Provider

• Kingdom Housing Association