A UNIQUE housing development in Southwold has won one of the UK’s most highly regarded design accolades.

Hopkins Homes’ scheme, Tibby’s Triangle, was designed by London-based Ash Sakula Architects and was named a Completed Project Winner at the 2012 Housing Design Awards held at the British Museum in London.

The scheme on the former Adnam’s brewery distribution site was named as one of the top five in the country.

The Housing Design Award was first conceived by Nye Bevan back in 1948, now in its 64th year, it remains notoriously difficult to win as the criteria is so broad which is reflected in the judging panel.

The awards recognise the very best in housing design and projects are judged on a range of factors including ‘relationship to surroundings and neighbourhood’, ‘external appearance and internal planning’ and ‘sustainability in construction’.

Every entry has to fulfil each criterion – an achievement attained by only the few. Judges commented that they loved the way the scheme drew on Southwold’s unique character, with its patchwork of irregular ‘greens’ and a profusion of small, immaculately tended gardens.

Tibby’s Triangle combines an intensive mix of hard and soft landscaping, what they described as serendipity; a surprise and pleasure at every turn and added that normal housebuilders would have just put strips of lawn down.

The quality of the urban design was also highlighted, the pathways and driveways, that look nothing like driveways, that crisscross the scheme whilst the properties themselves are a mix of modern architecture fused with traditional design.

Most of the judges said they would be happy to buy one, which is always a good test, and all were fulsome in their praise and said “There was no question in our mind that it was a winner.”

James Hopkins, executive chairman of Hopkins Homes, said: “Our objective, together with Adnams, whose distribution warehouse used to occupy the site, was to create a unique development that would bring something special and different to Southwold. The architects at Ash Sakula have designed an innovative and elegant scheme that we are all extremely proud of and are absolutely delighted for this to be recognised at the very highest level.