Vine Farm, Morcott wins prestigious LABC award for Best New Small Housing Development

Hereward Homes has been recognised by the LABC for its recent distinctive new homes in the picturesque Rutland village of Morcott. Vine Farm has won the prestigious LABC Small Development Award after breathing new life into a dilapidated farmyard and historic barns which were close to being lost forever.

Morcott is a conservation area, so our architects and design team created the new 2, 3 and 4 bedroom high specification homes to sensitively blend into the village and leave a positive legacy for generations to come. Unusually, (due to their greater footprint and land cost) it includes a one storey property which could enable older or less mobile residents to live within the village.   

The judges took many aspect of the development into consideration which included how Hereward Homes decommissioned the old farmyard site and how they dealt with construction traffic, the disposal of waste materials and site safety, amongst other things.    

At the outset, the selling landowner and planners stipulated that the development must be of the highest quality (design and build) and blend in with the local vernacular. So, for plots 1 and 5 we retained as much of the existing barn structure and reused as much of the materials as possible. Through meticulous planning and structural design, the existing barns were saved by extensive underpinning. Where needed, locally sourced natural quarried stone, blue slate and oak were adopted to complement the existing buildings.

The environment was also kept front of mind. Many existing hedges and trees were retained, along with new planting to give the development an established feel, whilst retaining views over surrounding countryside. Each home achieved EPC B ratings, except for plot 5 which had restrictions on how far the stone barn could be renovated.    

Our aim was to create outstanding homes that fit perfectly within their rural setting. All properties were sold quickly and we have received many positive comments from new homeowners and village residents. All of those involved in the development were proud of the finished homes and the icing on the cake is the high-profile recognition from Local Authority Building Control.

You can watch the video here