Four Berkshire-based Taylor Wimpey site managers are celebrating after receiving Pride in the Job 2026 Quality Awards from the National House-Building Council (NHBC).
Martin Cooper and Jacob Slade, based at the Heatherwood Royal development in Ascot, won the award alongside colleagues Ioan Martin, who was recognised for his work at the Arborfield Heights 2023 development in Arborfield, and Karl Von Gordon of the Willow Green development in Bracknell.
The award marks Martin’s fourth Pride in the Job Award, with three of those accolades recognising his outstanding work at the Heatherwood Royal development. Following two of those Quality Award wins, Martin went on to receive the Seal of Excellence in 2024 and 2025, recognising his commitment to excellence in site management and build quality.
The award marks Jacob’s first Pride in the Job Award, highlighting his phenomenal work at the Heatherwood Royal site in Ascot, which launched in 2023.
Ioan has secured his second Pride in the Job Award, with his first win recognising his work at Taylor Wimpey’s The Rowcrofts site in Arborfield while his latest success comes at Arborfield Heights, which launched in December 2025.
The award marks Karl’s third Pride in the Job Award, recognising his exceptional work at Willow Green, situated in Bracknell.
The award recognises their outstanding work across Berkshire and their commitment to excellence in site management and build quality.
Widely considered the ‘Oscars’ of the house-building industry, Pride in the Job celebrates site managers’ dedication to raising standards, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence. Judging is rigorous, with thousands of assessments taking place across 7,500 sites. Only 450 people have been selected as winners, placing Martin, Jacob, Ioan, and Karl firmly within the top six per cent of site managers across the UK.
Ioan Martin said: “I’m honoured to have received a Quality Award from the NHBC and to be recognised as one of the top site managers in the UK. I couldn’t have achieved this without the team at Arborfield Heights who all support me in delivering high-quality homes for our customers. I’m delighted that our efforts have been recognised.”
Paul Turner, Production Director at Taylor Wimpey West London, said: “We are committed to consistently delivering high-quality homes and excellent customer service, and this recognition reflects those standards. This is a fantastic achievement for Martin, Jacob, Ioan, and Karl, and we’re very proud of the teams at Heatherwood Royal, Arborfield Heights, and Willow Green.”
Cassandra Codling, Senior Regional Director at NHBC said: “Congratulations to Martin, Jake, Ioan, and Karl, who have demonstrated incredible dedication, passion, commitment and leadership to produce homes of exceptional quality. The judges look for site managers who go beyond strong performance and demonstrate qualities that lift a good site manager to an exceptional one.
“The competition is at the heart of NHBC’s core purpose to raise standards in house building. It inspires site managers to make their mark on the industry, earning the respect of their peers and leaving a legacy of homes built to the highest quality standards.”
The Quality Award winners will now go on to compete for Seal of Excellence and Regional Awards in the autumn, with the national Supreme Award winners to be unveiled in January 2027.
Taylor Wimpey is an industry leader in build quality and has been awarded a 5-star rating for customer satisfaction from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). Find out more at https://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/why-choose-us/our-quality-assurance
For more information about the homes at Heatherwood Royal, Arborfield Height and Willow Green, visit http://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
