UK: The inaugural Urban Living Impact Award winners were honoured at the Urban Living Festival in London.
The awards have been launched to highlight the very best companies, individuals and properties across the urban living asset classes.
The five categories were judged by a panel consisting of James Pargeter, senior advisor at Global Apartment Advisors; Katherine Rose, managing director of VervLife; Aceil Haddad, founder of Matt PR; Angeliki Krania, environment manager at Related Argent; Stephanie Smith, head of group strategy at App Group; George Sell, editor-in-chief at International Hospitality Media; and Eloise Hanson, editor – hospitality at International Hospitality Media.
The first-ever Urban Living Impact Award winners are listed below, along with judges’ comments.
Deal of the year: Vistry Group and Sigma Capital Group: 5,000 home framework
“A remarkable deal which raises the bar for partnerships between housebuilders and investors, and which leads the way in the large-scale roll-out of SFR properties.”
Disruptor: Jenna Harris, head of coliving, Harris Associates
“One of the coliving sector’s most visible and dynamic advocates, Jenna Harris is using disruptive marketing techniques to fly the flag for coliving, raising its profile among institutional investors, lenders, developers and operators.”
Best adaptive reuse project: Bromley Old Town Hall, Castleforge Partners
“Once on the Buildings at Risk Register, Bromley Old Town Hall has been preserved for years to come. Castleforge has revitalised the building, preserving its history with a sensitive transformation into a boutique hotel, restaurant and contemporary workspace.”
Visionary: Ami Kotecha, co-founder and group president, Amro Partners
“Ami Kotecha is a real force – ambitious, bold and bright. With so many challenges involved in tackling the undersupply of accommodation across a range of tenures and asset classes, she is pioneering innovative and creative solutions to make a tangible difference for people and the planet.”
Rising star: Hannah Chappatte, founder and CEO, Hybr
“A natural entrepreneur, Hannah Chappatte launched Hybr in response to her own, far from satisfactory, experiences of trying to secure student accommodation. Students love the concept, and so do investors, as born out by an oversubscribed £3.24 million seed round, a new record for the student sector. A company, and a founder, on a sharp upward curve.”
