IDP, based in historic Spon Street, Coventry, has won the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Award 2023 (London region) against strong competition, in the Best Large Social Housing Development category.
IDP worked closely with their clients Equans to provide a full service for the Whitethroat Court project, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. This included consultation with the local residents, initial designs, securing planning permission, full working drawings and collaboration with LABC, Secured By Design, Sixty Bricks, IDP Landscape and SDP Consulting Engineers.
The development is a six-storey block of 31 apartments, including three wheelchair-accessible homes. Built on a former carpark, the apartments are a key part of a Borough wide initiative of 15 infill sites to provide affordable housing for residents of the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Ajay Kambo, Associate at IDP, said: “Alongside Equans, we are delighted to have won this prestigious LABC award. The brief was to redevelop the land taken up by a disused car park and create a landmark building to add a modern enhancement to a 1960’s estate within a tightly defined budget and timescale.
“Importantly, the building had to provide a useable and inclusive experience for wheelchair users. The apartments promoted a best practice approach for basic wheelchair user needs, in line with a focus on mental wellbeing and inclusivity in the community, by ensuring each user had their own front door to welcome visitors.
“In addition, there’s a secure cycle store and fully landscaped communal areas. The building had to provide efficient use of space and the overall design needed to enhance the local area. The finished building has been very well received by local residents.
“By winning the regional award, we now qualify for the LABC Grand Finals, which take place at a glittering event in January 2024, where we will be up against all the England and Wales regional winners — so our fingers are tightly crossed!”
The LABC Building Excellence Awards are the largest business to business awards in the building control sector in the UK, and covers all local authorities in England and Wales. The awards celebrate people and places in the construction industry.
