The Manchester Evening News Residential Property Awards winners for 2005 are:

BEST STARTER HOME - MOHO, Castlefield. Urban Splash.

Urban Splash together with architects ShedKM have done something unique here.

Never afraid to try something new they have pioneered modern prefabrication to produce a scheme that combines a host of new ideas and methods.

The apartment shells, made in controlled factory conditions are craned into place onto the steel frame and as much thought has been given to the interior fit-out as the exterior look with clever use of the limited space, built in storage and good quality fittings.

The wide footprint makes them light and airy and the additional balcony space adds an extra dimension that can be used as extra internal space.

Overall the project offers something imaginative and affordable, matching the expectations of the increasingly design conscious young house hunter and is a worthy winner of best starter home.

BEST FAMILY HOME - The Way, Beswick. Lovell Partnerships.

An outstanding winner in every way.

The exterior design of these new homes is a bold and confident marker that this is an area undergoing radical change and the new housing being built here should reflect it.

These are family homes in every sense but a million miles away from the usual uniform boxes and have moved the design agenda in this most traditional of categories.

The use of glass, clean white render and contrasting timber gives them an instant edge matched by internal lay-outs that are both imaginative and practical with rooms big enough and flexible enough to cope with the differing needs of today's families.

The judges loved this development and picked out the 904 house type as the absolute best.

BEST CONVERSION - LYMM WATER TOWER. THE HARRIS FAMILY

The conversion of this redundant water tower into a stunning family home has been a dedicated labour of love for the Harris family and deserves all the plaudits it can get.

The problem of how to give a crumbling stone tower new life was solved with a stunning and seductively modern design that wowed the judges.

The design by architects Ellis Williams displays a sensitivity, which both respects the original building and pushes the term `extension' to its modern limit. Despite being a design masterpiece it is also most crucially a comfortable family home.

It has taken six years to complete but the attention to detail in every single aspect from the poured white floor to the pointing of the stone has been painstaking. But the result is perfection.

BEST INTERIOR DESIGN - NV BUILDINGS PENTHOUSE. COUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES

When Countryside Properties signed up fashion designer Ben de Lisi to re-think their interiors it was an inspired choice.

His eye for detail and design and flair for space and colour makes Countryside's show homes some of the best in town and his fit-out of the penthouse at NV Buildings at Salford Quays is simply stunning.

It is a dramatic space, triple height living room and floor to ceiling glazing that needed equally dramatic furniture to do it justice. He met the challenge using dark colours in the entrance as a foil to the light beyond, big pieces of art and strong furniture shapes. On the first floor sleeping area a bespoke headboard cleverly concealing the dressing area behind.

BEST APARTMENT - The Lock Building. Dandara

A deserving winner against some very tough competition.

Designed by Manchester based architects MBLC, The Lock Building on Whitworth Street has been a long time coming but worth the wait!

The cool white exterior with its distinctive orange balconies hides one of the most dramatic internal spaces of any new building in the city with linked walkways, an open atrium and landscaped communal space.

The apartments themselves are big and varied, crucially offering a mix of one, two and three bed spaces as well as impressive penthouses.

It is an ambitious use of a difficult site and a stunning addition to the city scene.

BEST REGENERATION PROJECT - The Green Quarter. Crosby Homes.

The immense scale of this project is hard to comprehend and Crosby Homes are to be applauded for having the courage and the vision to make it a reality.

The first new city park for a century, 1,300 new homes, a hotel, shops, restaurants and offices are taking shape here and the agents say it is the fastest selling scheme in the city.

The value to Manchester in not only regenerating this redundant site, but in extending the boundaries of the city centre, is immeasurable and the mark of successful regeneration.

The scale of the buildings and the high quality of the outside landscaped space as well as the ripple effect of investment was what impressed the judges.

Download an entry form for the 2006 awards here.

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