Encouraging the next generation of house builders

The pupils were all winners of our “Design your dream home” competition, which we ran with Norden’s St Vincent De Paul primary school.

They enjoyed having a look around the site and the showhome, and we were pleased to play our part in inspiring the next generation of construction professionals.

Everyone who entered the competition did a fantastic job, and all got a little treat in return. But there has to be a winner and our judging panel selected the design by Martha Smith.

Here’s the judges’ feedback in full:

“We loved the bright and colourful artwork in Martha’s entry, and the attention to detail shown.

“The artwork was reminiscent of a genuine ‘new homes’ brochure, with the large close up of the front of the house, the rear elevation inset, and the room list also included.

“We appreciated how Martha combined the standard house requirements of a living room, dining room, guest rooms and en-suites, with the exciting new concept rooms. We loved the library-come-observatory, complete with floor to ceiling windows and a retractable glazed roof, the well-stocked crafty room, and of course the slide down to the comfy garden reading hut.

“The “green’ features were an excellent addition, living roofs are a favourite of many high end architects, and the inclusion of the pond and planted garden provides an attractive outdoor space as well as natural habitats for the myriad creatures who live in our gardens. She showed good use of space by managing to include a mini-gym, hot tub and even a shed in the garden for much needed storage. We also note how she takes safety, and adventure, very seriously with the rope ladder access to the roof and an intriguing secret passage.

“We particularly liked Martha’s interior design skills and use of original art on the walls

“An interesting and fun looking design, we all agreed it was indeed a Dream Home. Well done Martha!”