Eighty projects across Kent will battle it out to see which is crowned Project of the Year in the Kent Design & Development Awards 2018.
Entries for the awards – which are jointly organised and sponsored by Kent County Council, DHA Planning and Maxim, the PR and marketing agency – have now closed and the judges will soon be starting work on shortlisting them.
Kent Design & Development Awards take place every two years and 2016 saw The Wing at Capel-le-Ferne take the top prize for the level of its design quality.
The awards are divided into the six categories, which give organisations involved in the county’s built environment the opportunity to demonstrate how they are using their skills to develop and regenerate the county.
The categories are: Commercial, Industrial and Retail; Conservation; Environmental Performance; Infrastructure and Renewables; Public Buildings – Education and Community; and Residential – Minor and Major. Project of the Year is then selected from among the winners.
Alex Hicken, managing director at DHA Planning, based in Maidstone, said: “A quick look at the list of entries and it is clear there has been a lot of high quality development over the last two years.
“The task of whittling down the entries now falls to the independent panel of industry experts who judge the awards and we look forward to finding out who’s made it to the finals.”
Andrew Metcalf, director at Tunbridge Wells-based Maxim, added: “The number of entries shows the high regard in which these awards are held and the competitive nature of Kent’s design, development and construction community. It’s going to be great to celebrate each of the finalists at the awards ceremony in November.”
DHA Planning, Kent County Council and Maxim are joined in delivering the awards by category sponsors Cripps; CTP Consulting Engineers; Kent Construction Focus Group; the Kent Environment Strategy; the Rochester Bridge Trust and Sibley Pares. Further support is provided by Quinn Estates, Gallagher, and Penenden Heath Developments.