5 Lessons from Judging the 2024 Cardiff Property Awards
1️⃣ No Favouritism Here
We genuinely didn’t know which finalists had bought a table 😆.
2️⃣ Make It Easy for Judges
The process is thorough: prep, notes, deliberations, and final votes. Want to stand out? Ditch the endless corporate brochures 😴. Keep it sharp and to the point!
3️⃣ Quality Submissions Are Everything
Tailor your entry to the category. Be specific, use compelling photos, and cut the waffle.
Big icks? Overused jargon like “We used a collaborative approach…” (translation: sent a cc’d email and hoped for the best). Or “We value our employees…” – how? Show us!
As Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
4️⃣ Old Profile Pics Can Be a Win
I got projected onto the big screen... featuring a younger, slimmer me. Sometimes procrastination pays off!
5️⃣ True Impact Happens in Communities
While I admire Cardiff’s ambitious skyrises, my biggest inspiration was an affordable housing scheme in Llanedeyrn. An area designated by the ONS as one of the most deprived areas in Wales.
Designed beautifully, with greenery, open spaces, cutting edge sustainable materials, and net-zero carbon technology, it’s pulling families out of fuel poverty and creating forever homes for a community that often struggles to survive, let alone thrive.
For me - this is why Pentan Architects and Cardiff Council didn’t just win – they were crowned winner of winners.
Winners: Andrew Hole Claire Griffiths Assoc CIPD, FCMI Ken Poole MBE Rebecca Hooper Juliet Gamlin Julie Holmes (APMP, NECreg, MCIM)
MediaClash Greg Ingham Mark George Anne Kelly Sian Lloyd LLB
Judges : Sian Howarth Helene John Hywel Glynn-Jones Timo Hendy CEng MIStructE Lee Gwilliam Elizabeth Hill
