IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE to be involved in this year’s search to find the best builders in the country. We hear so many bad builder stories that it is great to see so much delight from satisfied customers in well over 1,000 entries for the Master Builder of the Year Awards 2005. With such a wealth of excellent skills it has been difficult to identify favourites, but I have to agree with the judges that the following were brilliant submissions.

The overall Master Builder of the Year award, announced last night, is given for the careful renovation of a 300-year-old working, listed lifeboat station in the Shetland Islands. DITT Construction took the title of Master Builder of the Year for its restoration of the lifeboat station in Lerwick. The building had been the subject of substantial alterations over the years, and Historic Scotland wanted to restore it to its original appearance.

To their credit, DITT Construction has successfully created a modern building within an historic shell. The interior has been rebuilt to provide the facilities needed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and its volunteer crew, while the exterior has been meticulously restored with repairs to the stonework, the replacement of the roof and the re-installation of a clock tower. The complex nature of this restoration marks it as a true winner and deserving of the title.

On the domestic front, Chris and Sheila Greenaway had always bought the worst house in the road, renovated it and moved on. However, when Chris lost his job shortly after buying and moving into their latest derelict find, friends and family expressed concern. Undaunted, the couple knocked down the wreck and decided to rebuild it to a high specification and sell it on. It turned out to be a wise decision, as the selling agents valued the neo-Georgian home at 30 per cent above their expectation, and they received an offer for the asking price on the first day of marketing.

The Greenaways have nothing but praise for their builder, Julian Hutt, of Sycamore Developments in Esher, Surrey. His hands-on management kept the project on time and on budget and he provided invaluable advice on finding materials. The quality of the company’s work is evident throughout, from the elegant oak staircase to the plastering and paintwork. The front elevation is of red brick and Portland stone and is set off by a neat fountain that forms a turning circle in the driveway and houses a rainwater recycling system.

Another example of restoration spurring a business venture comes from farmers Charles and Catherine Bothwell. Thanks to the father and son team of Jim and Gordon Patterson, of Forth Roofing Services, Wilsontown, Lanarkshire, the Bothwells have saved a listed building and developed a sideline in holiday lettings. Their former cattle shed had been derelict for years, with crumbling stone walls and little left of the roof.

Not only did the builders have to comply with Historic Scotland’s listed building standards, but to create a modern holiday cottage they also had to meet the latest building regulations for insulation and energy efficiency. The builders used stones, slates and lintels from the existing building, and by salvaging so much material they not only satisfied Historic Scotland but kept costs down for the owners. On occasion, they even helped the Bothwells bring in the cows for milking.

Embarking on a building project is a daunting prospect for most people, but with three small children to work around, it could fast become a nightmare. Fortunately for Mark and Charlotte White, of Colchester, Essex, the builders they chose — another father and son team, Geoff and Gary Twigg, of Stanmark Construction — were able to smooth the path throughout the lengthy project. The Whites’ five-bedroom Victorian house had not been touched for years, but it now has a new roof, chimneys and repaired brickwork, as well as an extension housing a stunning kitchen and swimming pool. It has been insulated, rewired and re-plumbed and period features such as the beautiful central staircase and fireplaces have been restored.

Most people would not automatically expect the winner of the energy efficiency category to be a block of flats, but this pioneering development belies its suburban setting. This block of just four apartments in Norbury, southwest London, designed and built by Bob Harris, of Earthdome, in Teddington, in conjunction with client A1 Lofts, of Weybridge, might have a relatively traditional appearance, but behind its traditional façade are some of the most advanced sustainable building components. A1 Lofts didn’t just choose any old builder, however, Bob also teaches ecological building and lectures in sustainable design.

These are the first homes in London to have geothermal hot water and underfloor heating, which uses the earth as a heat source. They also break new ground in British housing design by using an evacuated air heat-pump system, which constantly draws air into the building, taking it through a heat pump, to supply hot water and heating. Both are so efficient that the heating and hot water costs could be as low as £60 a year and the flats have been chosen as an example of the Mayor of London’s renewable energy strategy.

For more details on the Master Builder of the Year 2005 awards, to find building advice or to search for a recommended tradesperson in your area, see www.findabuilder.co.uk

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