eScape townhouse triumphs at British Homes Awards

Barratt Kent is celebrating after scooping the top award in the Best Small House category of The Mail on Sunday British Homes Awards 2008 for its radically designed ‘eScape' townhouse, which was also Highly Commended in the Interior Design category. Barratt also went on to win the coveted title of Housebuilder of The Year.

The awards were announced at a ceremony held at the London Marriott Hotel on Friday 20th June in the presence of Housing Minister RT Hon Caroline Flint MP and RIBA President Sunand Prasad.

Nick Fenton, Managing Director of Barratt Kent, comments: "We are delighted to win these awards in one of the industry's most prestigious competitions. An enormous amount of work has gone into creating these superb homes and I would like to thank everyone involved for their outstanding professionalism and dedication."

The three-bedroom eScape townhouses, which are located at Barratt's Eden Village development in Sittingbourne, Kent, were already winners before entering the British Homes Awards. The design, by London architects PCKO, originally won a major architectural competition seeking a 21st century take on the townhouse and, earlier this year, eScape was Highly Commended at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards for the Best Family Home.

The judges described the attractive street scene created by the eScape homes at Eden Village as providing "great variety, and terrific kerb appeal."

At under 2,000 square feet, the judges were equally impressed by the outstanding interior space. On the ground floor, the open-plan living space features a breathtaking double height atrium or ‘light court' that floods the house with natural light and creates an extraordinary sense of space. The spacious design includes a separate fully fitted kitchen with top quality appliances and two bathrooms/shower rooms, with one en suite to the master bedroom on the top floor. Brilliant design touches throughout the home include glass sliding doors to the first-floor bedrooms, which allow the rooms to be opened up to the light court or closed for privacy.

Each home has its own garden and comes with a detached garage with a large studio space on the first floor, which can be used as extra living space.

The eScape townhouses have equally impressed homebuyers; all the houses are under offer. For more information about all Barratt developments visit barratthomes.co.uk.

The Mail on Sunday British Homes Awards recognises design excellence in 12 categories and acts as a showcase for presenting a vision of tomorrow's lifestyle home.