Benfield Valley has received the Building for a Healthy Life Award at the 2026 Housing Design Awards. The award recognises the 101-home neighbourhood’s approach to creating a healthy, connected and distinctive new quarter at the gateway to the South Downs National Park.

The award was presented by Sarah Greenwood, Assistant Director Sustainability & Design at Homes England. In the judges’ citation, Benfield Valley received the highest score of all submissions to this year’s Housing Design Awards.

Designed for Hollybrook, the neighbourhood achieves 53 homes per hectare, with over 60% family houses. Pedestrian-focused streets, communal spaces, orchards and productive gardens create a healthy, connected neighbourhood, while innovative dual-fronted homes provide generous courtyards and upper terraces.

The project also introduces a mix of community, educational and commercial uses. The Grade II-listed Benfield Barn will be restored as a community and educational hub with a café, while workshops and offices are integrated within the historic farmyard.

We’re particularly pleased to receive the Building for a Healthy Life Award, as the BfHL guide is now recognised by local authorities, government agencies and developers as the standard for excellence in residential neighbourhood design.