Design for Future Design for Future

PPS 1 states that ‘Good design ensures attractive, usable, durable and adaptable places and is a key element in achieving sustainable development. Good design is indivisible from good planning.’

Through our design-led approach to development we create visually stimulating, innovative homes in urban environments. Where appropriate, more traditional designs and local building materials are used in rural areas and established communities. Our expertise means that we can create and deliver an imaginative solution to every development opportunity.

We believe affordable homes should not be recognisable by their built form or appearance and that there should be a seamlessness in the provision of the tenures within a sustainable community.

By creating better places to work we are also demonstrating that well located and designed workplaces are good for employees, businesses and the wider environment.

City Park Gate, Birmingham

Our approach to design quality is widely recognised by our stakeholders. Since 2001 we have received 95 awards for design quality. We have also been placed in the top 15 of the RIBA Journal’s Top 50 Clients Survey every year it has taken place since 2001. During this reporting period awards won include:

  • Accordia, Cambridge was ‘Overall Winner’ of the Housing Design Awards 2006. Waterstone Park, Greenhithe, Kent also received a ‘Project Award’.
  • Accordia, Cambridge received a Building for Life Gold Standard and was also named ‘Best Development’ in the What House? Awards 2006. Wayne Hemingway, Chairman, Building for Life commented, “It’s great to be uplifted whilst walking around a British housing development. It is developments like Accordia that can set a new benchmark for modern British housing developments.”
  • At the Daily Express New Homes Garden Awards the Group was named ‘Housebuilder of the Year’ and received five further accolades for our developments.
  • In the Mail on Sunday National HomeBuilder Design Awards 2006 Accordia, Cambridge received the accolade of ‘Best Housing Project of the Year’.
  • In the Evening Standard New Homes Awards, Accordia 'Air' was named ‘Best New Family Home’.

In the RIBA Journal Top 50 Clients Survey 2006 the Group was placed 6th and the judges commented, “Countryside has consistently tried to work innovatively, sometimes in the most unlikely locations.”