Building Awards 2026 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 is demonstrating how brownfield regeneration can address the housing crisis while delivering lasting social, economic and environmental value. With 30 complex regeneration sites in production, more than 21,000 mixed-tenure homes delivered over five years and 90% of current-year homes on brownfield land, its model combines scale with long-term stewardship. The firm has also invested £580m in affordable housing, community facilities and infrastructure to further strengthen local places.

Customer satisfaction remains exceptional, with 98% of customers willing to recommend Berkeley and a +78 independently verified net promoter score. The business has achieved the highest Platinum customer satisfaction award for 12 consecutive years, alongside recognition for after-sales care.

Berkeley became the first homebuilder to commit to biodiversity net gain (BNG) on every site in 2016, eight years before it became mandatory, and is now celebrating a decade of enhancing nature across its developments, with its approach highlighted by government as an example of successful delivery.

Investment in people includes Gold 5% Club membership, 8.3% of direct employees in earn-and-learn roles and more than 800 placement days through its Future Skills programme. Meanwhile, the Berkeley Foundation generated £3.3m in grants, 1,900 volunteering hours and support for more than 11,000 individuals.

Its approach demonstrates that commercial strength and responsible development can reinforce one another, creating places that deliver value for customers, communities, the economy and the natural environment.

This combination of regeneration, customer excellence, environmental leadership, skills investment and economic contribution makes Berkeley a compelling example of responsible housebuilding at scale.

Latimer by Clarion Housing Group

Latimer demonstrates how affordable housing can be delivered at unprecedented scale without compromising quality, sustainability or long-term stewardship. As Clarion Housing Group’s development arm, it delivered 1,727 homes across 90 sites, with 83% affordable, and 22,285 further homes are in the pipeline.

Its master developer approach is exemplified by Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, proposing 7,750 homes alongside extensive infrastructure and open space. Sustainability performance is exceptional: 100% of new homes achieved EPC A or B, 99% of waste avoided landfill and biodiversity net gain averaged 43%.

Resident satisfaction reached 93%, while £15.3m of HACT-verified social value was delivered. Investment in people, including 189 apprentices, 200-plus carbon-literate colleagues and 220 funded construction courses, reinforces Latimer’s wider contribution to communities and the industry.

Its fully funded ambition to increase delivery by 74% to 3,000 homes annually by 2031 demonstrates the scale and confidence behind its long-term vision. Crucially, as a not-for-profit, Latimer reinvests surplus into housing, combining development with lasting stewardship.

From the UK’s largest zero-bills development at Hollymead Square to resident-led regeneration at Tamar Gardens, its approach puts residents and communities at the centre. Early gateway 2 approvals at Dyecoats in Leeds and Boddington Brewery in Manchester, alongside full Part L and Part O compliance, demonstrate a strong commitment to building safety.

Investment in the next generation – with trainees accounting for 11% of the workforce, in addition to the apprentices – as well as sustained customer satisfaction further underline a model that combines commercial discipline with social purpose. Latimer is showing that scale and quality can work together to create affordable, sustainable communities built to last.

London Square

London Square has delivered strong growth in the capital’s challenging residential market, increasing revenue 67% while expanding its landbank gross development value by 27% to more than £4bn. With 25 live sites delivering around 7,000 homes, including 40% affordable, it continues to unlock stalled and complex sites, securing gateway 2 approvals and starting schemes at exceptional speed.

Its design-led approach prioritises context, inclusive placemaking and community engagement, while partnerships with registered providers have secured 1,441 affordable homes and supported a £76m Greater London Authority grant for 378 social rented homes. Customer performance is equally impressive: an NHBC A1 rating, Platinum customer satisfaction ranking and 100% of surveyed customers willing to recommend London Square demonstrate a relentless focus on quality. Square Roots, its registered provider, achieved 95% tenant satisfaction.

Sustainability is embedded across delivery, with London Square ranked second in the NextGen assessment and achieving Gold for the second consecutive year. Building exclusively on brownfield land, delivering retrofit schemes and progressing net-zero-in-use homes demonstrate practical environmental leadership.

Rapid growth has been matched by investment in people and culture. Having trebled in size in two years, London Square refreshed its values and strengthened support for employees, with 37% of staff from ethnic-minority backgrounds and women holding 24% of leadership and senior roles. Through delivery, partnerships, customer excellence and sustainability, London Square is demonstrating how a modern London developer can combine commercial resilience with meaningful social impact.