HIBAU GROUP TRIUMPHS WITH TWO WINS AT WHATHOUSE? AWARDS 2023

Success in one of the UK’s most prestigious awards is just the start for ambitious Kent developer, Hibau Group.  The company, based in Rochester, triumphed at Friday’s WhatHouse? Awards, being awarded Gold in the Best Smart Home category and Bronze for Best House for Caversham at Otium Lake, Pluckley. 

The WhatHouse? Awards are often deemed the “Oscars” for the housing industry and to win two awards for the same property represents a major achievement for Hibau.  

The judges comments on the development stated that “Caversham embraces technology not for its own sake, but to enhance family living and complement the sustainable elements of this fun, smart, innovative new home.” They also praised its “sustainability credentials” as its biggest selling point. 

Hibau worked with multi-award-winning architects, Hollaway Studio on the design of the property. Caversham is an exceptional family home located on their Otium Lake development – a private estate of 31 bespoke homes in a beautiful lakeside setting, all within easy reach of the village centre.  

The three/four bedroom bungalow has been designed around modern family living ensuring the best use of technology to the benefit of those living at the property. Additional customisation of the design meant Hibau were able to create a space that worked fully for the family now living at the property. 

The property was designed to maximise space and light, especially with the floor to ceiling glazing at the back of the property to enable views across the garden and adjacent lake. From the contemporary architecture and design to the choice of materials and workmanship, the highest quality has been achieved across the property. 

Sustainability has been thoughtfully considered from the build to the lifecycle of the property with green technology used to maximise efficiency to the benefit of the property’s residents. Initiatives including EV charge points, water saving technology and solar panels have helped the home achieve an ‘A’ EPC rating, which not only demonstrates its green credentials but also lowers running costs significantly.  

Martin Wood, Managing Director at Hibau, said: “We are thrilled to have received this recognition for Caversham at Otium Lake at the prestigious What? House Awards.  

“The ambition from the start was to create something special, as it was such a unique site. It’s so rare to find a brownfield site that is in a rural location, and around hour by train from the capital.  

“Hollaway Studio designed the property sensitively blending contemporary design with traditional form and a palette of materials sympathetic to surrounding estate which includes a seven-acre freshwater lake. 

“These awards, combined with our recent win for Best Small Development at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards, confirm that our approach of delivering amazing spaces for our clients is at the heart of everything we do is the right one. While Otium Lake has set the standard, there’s a lot more to come.” 

This award win builds on the recent success at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards where last month Otium Lake was named Best Small Development.