The team from Robert Norman Construction Ltd, members of the Framlingham Business Association, were back at the awards ceremonies this week, having only just returned from London where their stunning new-build near Reydon scooped the Grand Designs House of the Year 2013 title.  This time they were in Ipswich to collect a much coveted Craftsmanship award for Class A New Build 2013 from the Suffolk Association of Architects.

Long Farm, an innovative modern take on the Suffolk long barn tradition was a major project for the Framlingham-based construction firm and a virtuoso-style build demanding great technical abilities, traditional skills and extreme attention to detail. The property’s synergy and engagement with its own rural salt marsh landscapes, its family friendly vision and excellently crafted execution are all attracting significant levels of attention across the building industry.

The property’s owner-architect, Lucy Marston, praised her construction colleagues: “The awards are a real tribute to us all, to Robert Norman Construction and their superb Suffolk craftsmen and our structural and landscape designers. The regional craftsmanship award for Class A New Build 2013 is superb recognition for the dedicated care and attention which the build team put in to every aspect of their work.”

Speaking about Long Farm at the Grand Designs awards, celebrity presenter Kevin Mc Cloud who together with Phil Coffey, Lisa Allen and Naomi Cleaver made up the jury, said: “It is affordable, sustainable, modern, clever, sensible, practical, beautiful. It is a really interesting benchmark for other buildings of its type. We voted with our hearts because we all wanted to live in it.”

Construction Director at Robert Norman Construction, Bob Page, accepted the award at last night’s ceremony at Trinity Park: “We are truly delighted. Two years ago one of our projects at Reydon, Bavent House, came away with a ‘Highly Commended’ at the Grand Designs awards. Lucy Marston had engaged us to convert her barns, then watched us through the Bavent House build, and came back to us to work with her on the development of her vision for Long Farm. It has been a most rewarding project in so many ways.”

And there are likely to be more rewards yet to come.

Having triumphed over some 150 other entrants in the Grand Designs awards, the Long Farm project is shortlisted alongside high profile developments such as Colchester’s firstsite:newsite visual arts facility in the Royal Institute of British Architects regional awards for the East. It is also a contender for the National Federation of Builders, New Build of the Year award – all to be announced over the coming weeks.

For more information about Long Farm or to find out more about previous award-winning projects, visit www.robertnormanltd.co.uk or call 01728 720071.

Inspirational guest speaker Dave Courteen, MD and original co-founder of Mosaic Spa and Health Clubs which owns the Fitness Express and Imagine Spa Management brands. Describing the journey as a “bit of a rollercoaster ride”, Dave’s talk will allow us to share the excitement of entrepreneurship as he focuses on the challenge of vision casting to his teams, managing his people and managing his own personal development.

And if you’re feeling fired up and ready to shake off the excesses of the Festive season, we can deliver you a sound business reason to give you the motivation you need. A healthy workforce, in body AND mind makes sound business sense. Encouraging and supporting your staff (and yourself) to live a healthy lifestyle makes your business more profitable. ‘Healthy Ambitions Suffolk’ reveals how it can help PLUS, Health Smart will be coming to let us know about the free health checks they are offering on behalf of the NHS. We will be hosting one of their ‘clinics’ at Framlingham Technology Centre at the end of February/beginning of March.

http://www.suffolkbusinesshub.co.uk