Michelmores Property Awards 2025: Submissions now open for most popular event in sector’s calendar

Michelmores’ prestigious Property Awards competition is returning in 2025, marking 22 years of celebrating the best property, development and construction projects in the South West. Entries to the Awards are now open.

Last year's glittering Property Awards ceremony was attended by over 400 individuals in the sector and hosted by well-known actor, comedian and regular face on TV, Lucy Porter.

The Awards, which have long-championed sustainability and innovation, place social, environmental, sustainable and economic values at the heart of its judging criteria. These attributes are considered to be just as important as a project’s aesthetics and purpose.

Last year, the Awards demonstrated the sector's commitment to embrace sustainability not just in the development of new low carbon buildings, but by innovations in the approach to refurbishing and repurposing older stock. This year, they will continue to place a focus on environmental stewardship and the remarkable achievements and innovations of businesses dedicated to sustainable building practices. It will also honour companies’ commitment to social value and community engagement, especially those with an approach to social value extended beyond construction, including ongoing community support through partnerships with local organisations.

Every year, the competition recognises a wide range of commercial and residential projects, with finalists and winning schemes placed firmly in the industry’s spotlight. Finalists from the 2024 Awards included Neighbourhood North, an 1980s building located in the heart of Bristol that was transformed to a headquarter office building with a BREEAM outstanding rating, demonstrating that the retrofit and delivery of state-of-the-art office space is both compatible and commercially attractive.

Winterstoke Hundred Academy in Weston-super-Mare took home the prestigious Building of the Year award in 2024, in addition to scooping the Education Project of the Year accolade. The judges were extremely impressed with this thoughtful building, designed inside and out with natural materials and natural light.

Last year, Larkstone Watersports Hub in Ilfracombe took home the prize for the Leisure and Tourism Project of the Year, for being an incredibly well thought-through project, offering improved access for watersports activities that provide social and economic benefits for the local community and wider tourism.

The Heritage Project of the Year award went to Bayspace in St Ives. The sensitive refurbishment of this important and imposing Grade II listed building in St Ives brought a neglected building back to life while offering an important facility for the town and wider West Cornwall community.

Two new health facilities were also acclaimed for their state-of-the-art medical provision and importance to the community. The winner of the Project of the Year Award (under £5m) was named as the Dartmouth Health and Wellbeing Centre in Devon, while the Lowen Ward and Trelawney Scanning Suite in Cornwall was awarded the Project of the Year Award (over £5m).

Applicants are invited to submit projects from across the South West, that were largely completed during 2024, before the submission deadline of Friday 21 February 2025.

Of the launch of the Property Awards 2025, Emma Honey, head of Property at Michelmores said: “The Michelmores Property Awards are making a return for 2025 and I am very much looking forward to seeing our entries come in. Many previous finalists have caught the eye for their sustainability and social credentials. Michelmores has a strong legacy of supporting ESG values, through its work with clients, collaborating with our communities or preserving our planet's finite resources. This year, we are especially looking forward to welcoming projects with sustainability and community thoughtfulness in mind.

"It's clear that the South West continues to be a heavy weight when it comes to innovation and ambition too, and we have seen exceptional projects that lead the way in commercial, residential, and regenerated building projects. I am excited to see what's coming this year."

Paul Beanlands, head of the Firm’s Bristol office and a Partner in Michelmores' Transactional Real Estate team, adds: “Michelmores’ reputable and inspiring Property Awards continues to go from strength-to-strength across the South West, bringing together key players from across the industry for a night to remember! The Awards is all about finding out what’s happening on the ground and celebrating property, real estate and construction in our region.

"Our judges look for those who are engaged in making these projects truly remarkable, whether through regeneration of an existing building or an entirely new scheme – and I am eager to see some of this years’ most impressive submissions.”

The deadline for submission for this year’s Michelmores Property Awards is Friday 21 February 2025. The Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 2 July at Sandy Park Conference Centre in Exeter and, as always, promises to be a celebratory evening that brings together all those who contribute to the region’s exciting property, real estate and construction sector.

Find out more about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, table bookings and how to submit at www.michelmores.com/propertyawards.