The Constructing Excellence North East Awards 2024 returned to the Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park, to celebrate outstanding projects, organisations and individuals from the region’s-built environment.
On the night, all eyes were on Teesside University, for BIOS, a high-quality, state-of-the-art, new facility, at the heart of its Middlesbrough campus, which won Building Project of the Year and the category for Integration and Collaborative Working.
Achieving a stand out 45/45 Considerate Constructors score, the project delivered Teesside’s first BREEAM Outstanding Building. Wates Group, Summers-Inman, FaulknerBrowns Architects and SCAPE worked on the project.
Teesside University along with GSSArchitecture, Robertson Construction, BGP, Cundall and Summers Inman also won the Climate Action category for the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC) which also achieved a highly commended in the Building Project of the Year category.
MGL Group won three awards – People & Culture, Environmental & Social Governance (ESG) and Outstanding Contribution. The company was recognised for its commitment to developing its team and retaining its staff, putting its people, sustainability and the community at the heart of its activity.
David Whitehouse, head of research and product development, MGL Group, was recognised for his commitment to sustainability within the industry.
Headline sponsor at the awards evening was CDM Recruitment. Category sponsors were AtkinsRealis, Carney Consultancy, DAC Beachcroft, GSSArchitecture, K2 Construction, Net Zero North East England, Northumbrian Water Group, Weightmans LLP and drinks reception sponsor, Thompsons of Prudhoe.
The chosen charity on the night was FACT (Fighting All Cancers Together) with just under £5,000 raised.
Other award categories:
Delivering Value: Durham Investigative Hub: Tilbury Douglas Construction, Durham Constabulary, Ryder Architecture and TClarke.
Regeneration & Retrofit – The Pattern Shop – AtkinsRealis, Newcastle City Council, Igloo Regeneration, xsite Architecture, Black & White Engineering, Identity Consult, McNally & Thompson, H.Malone & Sons Ltd and Cundall.
Conservation & Regeneration – Belsay Awakes – Historic Property Restoration, English Heritage, Spence & Dower, Southern Green, RNJ Partnership, Studio Hardie, Cushman and Wakefield, McNally & Thompson, H. Malone & Sons and Historic England
Innovation: New High Level Wear Footbridge – Sunderland Riverside Masterplan – Piling Cantilevered Frame – VolkerStevin, Sunderland City Council, Arup, BryneLooby/Ayesa, Tony Gee Partners, Volker Ground Engineering and Richter.
SME: Apex Acoustics Ltd
Residential Project of the Year: Falmouth Close – HUSK and North Tyneside Council
Infrastructure project of the year: Sunderland Railway Station – BAM Construction, Network Rail, Sunderland City Council, Northern Railway, Aecom and Harry Marsh.
Client of the Year: Cumbria & Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust for Sycamore at Northgate Park Hospital.
Highly Commended for Building Project of the Year – Bowmer+Kirkland, Taras Properties Ltd c/o Motcomb Estates Ltd, Ryder Architecture, Cundall, Oobe Ltd and Avison Young.
Highly Commended for Integration and Collaborative Working – Sycamore at Northgate Park Hospital – Sir Robert McAlpine, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, NTW Solutions, Projeeco Ltd, Medical Architecture and Dalkia.
Catriona Lingwood, chief executive at Constructing Excellence North East, said: “I know we say it every year, but the calibre of the submissions was brilliant, which made it extremely difficult for the judges. It was fantastic to hear the delight coming through from the winners. So, if you were one of our worthy winners, highly commended or shortlisted projects or organisation, you should be exceptionally proud.
“A huge thank you to all of our sponsors and judges and we look forward to seeing our winners go forward to the national awards in London in November.”