Ayrshire Housing and Ferguslie Park development among winners at Scottish Home Awards

The landlord won Housing Association of the Year and Affordable Housing Development of the Year (under 100 units) at the ceremony.

The Scottish Home Awards recognise excellence in Scottish new-build housing, celebrating outstanding contributions to the industry. The event was held on Thursday 13th June at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central. A rigorous judging process, overseen by a panel representing organisations from across Scotland, scrutinised over 130 entries across 18 categories.

Chief executive Lesley-Anne Junner said: “Massive congratulations to everyone working in the organisation for this fantastic achievement in recognition of the hard work and commitment everyone puts in. It was lovely to have Jim Whiston with us last night and a nice way to recognise his leadership of the organisation over the past 20 years.”

Working in partnership with building and construction firm The JR Group, Ayrshire Housing was recognised for its Carrick Street development in Ayr.

The development included 31 homes and was completed and handed over to Ayrshire Housing in November last year. It fed into South Ayrshire Council’s plans to revitalise the town centre and create new homes to bolster the housing options with a focus on accessibility and adaptability.

The U-shaped building was thoughtfully designed with an exterior deck structure along the inner side of the building to optimise space, and houses 22 one-bedroom apartments and nine two-bedroom apartments.

Andrew Dallas, projects director for The JR Group, was amongst the team who attended the ceremony and was thrilled to collect the award.

He said: “To win a Scottish Home Award for our Carrick Street project is a huge achievement for us, we are exceptionally proud to have been recognised. It was very much a team effort to deliver this one-of-a-kind development with Ayrshire Housing, so the award belongs to each and every one of our team who helped bring it to fruition.

“This was our first time working with Ayrshire Housing, so it is great to see our first project with them, make such an impact at the awards.

“The quality and talent within the Scottish housing industry really shone through last night. The businesses and developments shortlisted throughout all categories of the awards were of incredibly high calibre, so it was a real honour for us to be selected as a category winner on the night.”

A development of 101 new homes in the Tannahill area of Ferguslie Park, Paisley, also won twice on the night, being named both Large Affordable Housing Development and Housing Regeneration Project of the Year.

The new development in Ferguslie Park was created by independent, Glasgow-based house builder AS Homes Scotland in collaboration with Renfrewshire Council.

The project delivered 101 new affordable homes with diverse configurations, including 1,2,3 & 4 bedroom cottage flats, houses and bungalows. AS Homes worked alongside Renfrewshire Council to carry out community-focused consultations to understand the bespoke housing needs of the local community.

The homes at Ferguslie Park offer residents modern, high-quality homes that incorporate design cues and materials reflecting the character of the surrounding area, ensuring the properties have an enduring and welcoming street presence. After development was completed, Renfrewshire Council saw a 125% increase in interest for housing in the area.

Part of a seven-year regeneration project, Ferguslie Park stands out for its commitment to catering to the diverse needs of hundreds of households who were re-homed as part of the project. Maintaining the existing community connections, the majority of the re-homed residents settled in alongside the same neighbours they had previously. Residents were directly involved with the design and personalising of their new homes, fostering excitement and a strong sense of pride within the community.

Paul Kelly, managing director of AS Homes, said: “Ferguslie Park is truly an exemplary social housing development that highlights the importance of involving the community in the development and design of their areas. This project is a testament to what can be achieved when developers and local authorities collaborate effectively.

“We are so proud that this life-changing development has been recognised as the leading regeneration project in Scotland, with this double award highlighting all the hard work from the team and local community, who worked together to enhance Ferguslie Park.”

Also nominated on the night was AS Home’s Castlemilk development, delivered in partnership with Craigdale Housing Association. The £5.5 million development delivered 36 homes providing a mix of one and two-bedroom flats with wheelchair-accessible homes. The cycle-friendly scheme makes the most of existing biking routes by providing bicycle storage and ensuring easy access for residents on two wheels.

Fife homebuilder Campion Homes was recognised at the event, winning the Excellence in Accessibility and Inclusion award, which was sponsored by Horizon Hosuing, for its development in Alloa in partnership with Kingdom Housing Association.

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. Designed specifically for people living with dementia it includes innovative design elements such as colour coding throughout to help residents identify different floors and areas with mobility scooter charging points.

The development received a Gold Design Award by the Dementia Services Development Centre, the highest standard of dementia-friendly design. It also won Medium Development of the Year at the Homes for Scotland awards last month.

The new homes are on the site of a former Co-op store and car park, regenerating the town centre as well as providing much needed accessible homes in Alloa.

Commenting, joint managing director Susan Jackson, said: “To receive this fantastic recognition is testament to the hard work of our teams onsite and at head office. As a trusted family-owned business, every housing development we deliver achieves industry building standards and exceeds customer expectations in design, quality, sustainability and satisfaction.

“Working with Kingdom Housing Association and Clackmannanshire Council we have been able to create homes which will fully cater to the needs of residents, including specific design elements to cater for people living with dementia. We’re extremely proud to see this development rewarded in this new category at the Scottish Home Awards.”

Visit the Scottish Home Awards website for a full list of winners and photos from the night.