Building Awards 2025 shortlists: Housebuilder & Housing Developer of the Year

Earlier this year Building announced the names of all the firms that made it onto the shortlists for our prestigious annual Building Awards.

Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn and publishing a selection of the images that impressed the judges.

Today’s shortlist is for Housebuilder & Housing Developer of the Year.

Berkeley Group

Berkeley Group believes reviving brownfield land is the most sustainable way to tackle the housing crisis, strengthen left-behind communities, and rejuvenate towns and cities. Having aligned with the government’s brownfield-led housing agenda, Berkeley had 32 of the UK’s most complex regeneration sites in production in 2025.

Over the past five years, it has delivered more than 20,000 mixed-tenure homes, with 92% on brownfield land this year alone, alongside substantial investments in affordable housing and community infrastructure.

Berkeley’s holistic strategy, Our Vision 2030, maximises its positive impact on society, the economy and the natural world. Customer satisfaction remains high, with 98% of homeowners recommending Berkeley, reflected in an independently verified Net Promoter Score of +81.6, well above the industry average.

Sustainability and biodiversity are central to Berkeley’s approach. The company has voluntarily delivered biodiversity net gain (BNG) on all new sites since 2017, with 57 sites now committed to creating or enhancing over 650 acres of urban habitats. Berkeley co-chairs the BNG implementation board with DEFRA, sharing knowledge and guiding industry-wide adoption, while internally embedding responsibility for nature recovery across all business levels.

Climate action continues to drive innovation, from adopting hydro-treated vegetable oil fuel on sites to completing 64 site-specific embodied carbon studies to reduce high-impact materials.

Berkeley invests in people, maintaining gold membership with The 5% Club and enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion across recruitment, training and leadership programmes. Meanwhile the Berkeley Foundation supports communities nationwide, with staff volunteering nearly 2,000 hours and helping over 11,900 individuals through charitable partnerships.

Mount Anvil

Mount Anvil’s year was defined by landmark projects, strong partnerships and exceptional resident engagement.

The developer was selected by Westminster City Council to deliver the first Church Street site, creating 429 homes with at least half of them affordable, while Camden Council cited its track record when appointing it for phase two of the Bacton Low Rise regeneration. Planning consent was also secured for phase three of the 1,345-home Acton scheme, one of five major applications totalling 3,332 homes in 2025.

Customer satisfaction remains a cornerstone of Mount Anvil’s approach, reflected in a Net Promoter Score of 75 and a Gold In-house Research Customer Service Award, with 97.7% of residents recommending the company.

Its focus on community is exemplified by the Barnsbury Estate regeneration, which achieved 78% resident approval, and by the 349 public events it hosted over the year, attended by more than 4,000 people. Partnerships with groups such as the London Lions provided additional community benefits.

Sustainability and innovation underpin Mount Anvil’s work. Its collaboration with Planet Mark delivered a 48.6% annual carbon reduction per employee, while its partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew advanced biodiversity blueprints, with Friary Park projected to achieve nearly five times the mandated biodiversity net gain.

The company also invests in people and skills through its Makers & Mentors programme, which welcomed 34 students from underrepresented backgrounds, and through ongoing internal training and development initiatives.

These efforts, alongside multiple awards for safety and considerate construction, demonstrate Mount Anvil’s commitment to delivering homes, communities and opportunities across London.

Thakeham

Thakeham is redefining the role of the housebuilder by combining innovation, sustainability and community engagement to create lasting places of the highest quality.

The company is leading the way when it comes to modernising construction, introducing several innovations to increase productivity. The recently completed Berry Croft scheme in East Sussex was Thakeham’s first development to be fully designed using BIM, with the 3D design technology helping to quickly and effectively deliver a fantastic place to live. Furthermore, it has been using BIM to trial improvements to its quality assurance process. 

Customer care remains a hallmark of Thakeham’s approach. The company retained its five-star Home Builders Federation rating, reflecting continuous improvement in resident experience.

Its sustainability leadership was underlined by the launch of its first impact report, as well as its partnership with Octopus Energy to deliver “zero bills” homes at Templegate in West Sussex. These homes integrate solar panels, heat pumps and batteries with smart controls, guaranteeing residents no energy bills for five years.

Beyond energy, Thakeham’s developments average 15.47% biodiversity net gain, with many exceeding 20%, supported by a pledge to install nest bricks for cavity-nesting birds across all projects.

A 100% success rate in planning approvals last year reflects its collaborative approach with communities and councils.

Internally, the business invests heavily in training and progression, offering structured programmes for graduates, apprentices, and work experience students.

Its culture of excellence extends to safety, recognised with a Gold RoSPA Award in 2024, and to social value, measured through the national TOMs framework and independently verified by Planet Mark.