Davis Langdon is among the winners of John Prescott’s controversial £60,000 house competition. The firm is part of the SIXTYK Consortium, which was chosen by English Partnerships on behalf of the ODPM along with eight others from a shorlist of 33, drawn from an initial 50 contenders.

The other QSs and project managers shortlisted as part of various consortia but ultimately unsuccessful were Mace, Oxford-based Martin Associates, GDG Management and Rider Hunt Management Services.

Prescott said the winners had “great design, strong cost efficiency and supply chains, a powerful assessment of environmental issues and a deep knowledge of what makes vibrant communities”.

Some commentators have criticised the £60,000 house competition .

Joe Martin, director of the Building Costs Information Service, told QS News: “The £60,000 house is a good initiative. However, if you reduce the build cost, that will allow developers to pay more for land, hence pushing up prices. This is a far from desirable outcome.”

The SIXTYK Consortium also comprises: Arup, susutainable communities developer Crest Nicholson, building product manufacturer Kingspan, architect McFarlane Wilder and architect Sheppard Robson.

The eight other winners were Westbury, William Verry, Redrow, George Wimpey UK, Northern Edge, Barrat Developments, The Countryside Consortium and Geoffrey Osbourne.

Source

QS News