Alongside Essence Claremont, nominated for the High-Density Development award at the upcoming UDIA Awards for Excellence in February, Rebecca Spencer and Naden Scarfone from Hames Sharley’s Urban Development team has been shortlisted for their respective individual award categories.
Judged by an independent panel of experts, the UDIA WA Awards program is one of WA’s most prestigious and respected industry awards, celebrating and promoting best practice, innovation, and high-quality developments across various development types.
In a process undertaken in the second half of 2020, Rebecca and Naden prepared written submissions and following these both were shortlisted and interviewed for the awards. UDIA supports the growth of young professionals and women leaders by providing opportunities through the award, which includes full registration to the UDIA Professional Development Program and access to a range of UDIA events throughout the year.
Rebecca Spencer – Women in Leadership Award
This award recognises outstanding women working mid to senior levels (10yrs + experience) within the WA development industry and acknowledges their achievements. As a Strategic Planner, with a demographic research emphasis, Rebecca has spent much of her career with Hames Sharley but also worked in Hong Kong with Savills property consultants.
In addition, she has balanced part-time employment with raising a family. Through her involvement in Hames Sharley’s Champions for Change committee, she assisted in crafting the firm’s industry-leading Parental Leave Policy in 2020. “Identifying elements to support people that are less tangible but exceptionally important in a smooth transition to parenting was vital to me. Retaining our female professionals and ensuring flexible work and parenting models are available to all in our teams’ means, there is a bigger future pool of leaders, with varied experiences to draw from.
Director Rachel Seal recently commented, in congratulating Rebecca on her nomination: “Rebecca brings a real breadth of thinking to Hames Sharley projects, responsive communication with our clients, enthusiasm and encouragement in our teams and champions diversity and inclusion in our studio.”
Naden Scarfone – Young Development Professional Award
We are so proud to share that Naden Scarfone, Associate at Hames Sharley, has been nominated for the prestigious award which celebrates and encourages the industry’s future leaders.
Naden is passionate about design-led planning and has a strong desire to see high-quality development solutions implemented across Perth and Australia. He has been with the Hames Sharley team since 2014 and has worked on several major strategic planning and urban design projects across the country.
Naden has also been an active member of the UDIA WA Outlook Committee since 2017, focussing on education which prioritises engagement between tertiary / secondary students and the development industry.
“I am definitely humbled to have been nominated as a finalist for the Young Development Professional Award. My role at Hames Sharley and involvement on the Outlook Committee has presented me with many great career opportunities, I look forward to furthering my contributions to the industry.”
Past winners of this scholarship have pursued extremely successful careers that have included ongoing involvement with UDIA’s committees and Council.
Essence Claremont – High-Density Development Award
Nominated for the High-Density Development category, this category will include apartment buildings with four storeys and a minimum R100 site coding and may incorporate minor commercial/retail components.
Developed by Blackburne Property Group and designed and executed by Hames Sharley, Essence Apartments activates, engages, and responds to its landmark position, responding appropriately to its corner location and the public open spaces surrounding it. Reacting to its key social, environmental, and physical contexts; the development provides an external face that is both active and engaging and encourages a sense of identity.
“The key objective for this development was to successfully deliver a high-quality mixed-use development with an activated ground floor and a diverse range of apartment typologies to cater for a wide cross-section of the community. Delivering a quality retail and permeable ground floor was critical to establish the integration of the project into its greater context,” Tim Boekhoorn, Design Architect.
Essence Apartments provides an active and diverse built environment encouraging strong engagement amongst its residential population and the wider local community.
The winners will be announced at the UDIA WA Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner on 5 February 2021. Congratulations to all the award nominees and good luck!
