WhatHouse? Awards 2015 winners – Octagon, Best Exterior Design
Posted 10 December 2015 by
Keith OsborneLuxury housebuilder Octagon, regular WhatHouse? Awards winners over the years for their high-end villas in some of the commuter belt’s most sought-after villages, has now taken an honour for a development of just two magnificent townhouses in leafy Highgate, north London.
Celebrity host David Walliams presented the prize for Best Exterior Design at the 34th WhatHouse? Awards event in London November, in front of an audience of 1,700 senior figures from the new homes industry.
The Bronze was presented for The Grove Villas, two substantial five-bedroom homes priced from £7.95m. These homes fit in well with the many listed properties in the area, with a Georgian-inspired design which belies a very modern interior including lift access, a superb basement bar/cinema room, gym and studio staff accommodation. Neighbours are reputed to include Kate Moss, Jamie Oliver and Jude Law, and these new properties fit right in with this A-list context.
Octagon regional managing director Richard Galland says: “We are delighted to have been chosen for this highly covetable industry award for our beautiful new houses in The Grove, Highgate Village. Nearly every other property in this historic location is a listed building, so we feel honoured to have been allowed to add two brand new homes, which were designed sympathetically to respect the existing character of the village, and appear to have pleased our sternest critics, the neighbours.”
The WhatHouse? Awards judges said of the company’s achievement:
“The design of The Grove Villas, two five-bedroom semi-detached townhouses in Highgate, is not obviously about innovation, it is about repair – replacing a very unlovely 1970s’ apartment building that was previously on the site. The new buildings are a significant and attractive enhancement of the conservation area.
“While very much at the top end of the market, The Grove Villas demonstrate that very high-end developments can make a really beneficial contribution to their neighbourhood while also being lovely homes, not just bank vaults.