Royal Winchester House, a striking Build-to-Rent development in Bracknell by Comer Homes, has been honoured at the 2022 What House Awards, securing Bronze in the Best Build-to-Rent Project category.

At a ceremony hosted by former Leader of the Conservative Party William Hague and England Rugby World Cup winner and broadcaster Maggie Alphonsi, the BT sponsored category at the What House Awards recognises the very best Build-to-Rent developments in the UK.

The winners of the Best Build-to-Rent Project Award were decided by a panel of expert judges, who carried out a rigorous assessment, including in person site visits. The judges highlighted the building’s exceptional design, unique aspects and well-configured living spaces as key reasons behind Royal Winchester House’s success at this year’s event.

Rising above the centre of Bracknell, a stunning high-rise building with a unique staggered trapezoid design was shaped by the renowned modernist architecture practice, SOM Architects – best known for crafting the first modernist office building in New York City, as well as supertall towers that have redefined city skylines

Replacing the crumbling eyesore of the former 3M office block, Royal Winchester House has transformed the skyline, turbo-charged the town’s regeneration and is a striking example of the transformative power of design. The striking contemporary design, with nine angled blocks ranging from 10 to 19 storeys, provides an exciting visual landmark and opens pedestrian access to the area.

Royal Winchester House provides a total of 338 apartments – 193 two-bedroom and 145 one-bedroom homes. All are available for rent, with rentals starting from £1,000 per calendar month and some affordable rent properties available. The development includes 350sqm of retail space and 265sqm of restaurant space, which have provided the local community with a gelato bar, a bridal boutique and a bike and fitness shop which is supporting green transport in the area.

The architectural design of the interiors, developed by Frank Shaw and Associates, creates a variety of open-plan, modern layouts to suit different needs, making the most of the available space and natural light, including the inclusion of full-height floor-to-ceiling windows.

The convenient town centre location is a minute’s walk from The Lexicon shopping centre with its wide range of retail, restaurants and bars. Three minutes on foot takes residents to Bracknell railway station for trains to central London and Reading. Direct services to London Waterloo take around an hour. Facilities for residents include a health centre and gym, secure car parking, cycle storage, a hotel-style lobby with coffee bar and a 24-hour concierge.

Brian Comer, Chairman and Co-Founder of Comer Homes, said: “Royal Winchester House has played a major part in the regeneration of Bracknell town centre, so I’m delighted to see the project honoured at the What House Awards. The design had to be unique and modern but fit in with the new vision of the area, which is why we appointed architects that helped shape certain parts of New York, to help deliver a building the town could be proud of.”