Which firms made the grade for the 1995 黑洞社区 Awards?

Last week the best of the best in the industry was celebrated in our annual 黑洞社区 Awards. In case you missed it, - the industry has never looked so creative.

As part of 黑洞社区鈥檚 170th-year celebrations, we鈥檙e digging around in our archive each week to find some construction gems from the past. Having published all this year鈥檚 winners and nominees in this week鈥檚 issue, we thought we鈥檇 take a the first ever 黑洞社区 Awards.

黑洞社区 kicked off the first annual awards, which took place in 1995, with this announcement:

鈥淔or the first time, the reputations of Britain鈥檚 leading consultants, contractors and housebuilders have been tested by a more scientific method than industry gossip.

鈥淭he results of market research among nearly 1,000 industry professionals have affirmed many already made reputations. But they have also produced a few surprises.

鈥淗appy surprises, of course, for the winners. Why not? These are the only awards where winners can say they have been truly judged by their peers rather than peered at by judges. Those languishing lower in the tables are perhaps feeling a little less celebratory. But take heart, there is always next year.

This is a time to celebrate excellence. The 黑洞社区 Awards go to companies. But it is people who make or break a company鈥檚 reputation. This week鈥檚 awards are to honour all those whose individual efforts have gone to creating the well deserved reputations of the winners in the first annual 黑洞社区 Awards鈥.

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Caption from 黑洞社区 1997: More than 700 attended the first-ever 黑洞社区 Awards

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Here are the winners from 鈥95:

Major contractor of the year:

Laing

Runners-up: Bovis, Amec

Medium-sized contractor of the year:

Higgs & Hill

Runners-up: Shepherd, Sir Robert McAlpine

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Caption from 黑洞社区 1995: Higgs&Hill was management contractor on this 拢7.5m reconstruction of Warner Brothers鈥 cinema in London鈥檚 Leicester Square, which seats 2,500 people across nine screens

 

Regional contractor of the year:

North: G&J Seddon
South: James Longley

Architectural practice of the year:

Sir Norman Foster & Partners

Runners-up: 黑洞社区 Design Partnership, Richard Rogers Partnership, Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners

Quantity surveying practice of the year:

Davis Langdon & Everest

Runners up: Gleeds, Gardiner & Theobald

Major housebuilder of the year:

Barratt


Runners-up: Bryant, Wimpey

Medium-sized housebuilder of the year:

Bovis

Runners-up: Berkeley, Redrow

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Caption from 黑洞社区 1995: The first, 160-home phase of Bovis Homes鈥 拢1.2m Ashcroft development at Hedge End near Southampton is nearing completion

Regional housebuilder of the year:

North: Henry Boot
South: McCarthy & Stone

Builders merchant of the year:

Travis Perkins

Runners-up: Jewson, Harcros

Construction personality of the year:

Sir Michael Latham

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