Wandana won a residential development award for Villawood Properties at the 2022 UDIA Awards for Excellence. Drewan Park was redeveloped under the project.

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Innovative engineering solutions to ensure buyers got the best views from their new houses helped developers scoop the pool at an industry awards.

Bisinella Developments and Villawood Properties claimed wins for residential developments at Curlewis and Wandana Heights at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s Victorian awards for excellence.

Bisinella’s Baywater Estate at Curlewis created an exclusive 368-lot clifftop project that started in 2012 and was completed ahead of schedule last year.

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The project was designed to make best use of the views over Port Phillip Bay through a tiered construction, with wide streets leading to the bay and sacrificing some blocks to allow better views.

Bisinella built a clifftop park, a significant boardwalk to the beach, 30,000sq m of open space, and a new bridge linking to the Clifton Springs.

The community is now home to more than 1000 people, with views across to the You Yangs, Geelong’s outer harbour and the Melbourne city skyline.

Baywater Estate won a residential development award for Bisinella Developments at the 2022 UDIA Awards for Excellence.

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The award was accepted by Steven O’Neill, who paid tribute to the entire project team.

Bisinella director Richard Bisinella said he was delighted to win the award.

“This award is a testament to the hard work and vision of Wellam Constructions, CardnoTGM and Mexted Rimmer & Associates, landscape design firm Ausscapes and the entire Bisinella team responsible for creating this vibrant coastal community,” he said.

“Our vision for the estate was not only to create a high-quality residential community but also to contribute significantly to the lifestyle and wellbeing of the region.

“Over 10 years, Baywater Estate has evolved into a thriving community, full of striking coastal homes, a beautiful foreshore and expansive green spaces, providing access to the beach for our residents and the local community.”

The engineers also earned their money at a 202-lot project at Wandana Heights, where the significant investment in an innovative water management system paid off with spectacular results for homeowners.

Wandana won a residential development award for Villawood Properties at the 2022 UDIA Awards for Excellence.

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Wandana won a residential development award for Villawood Properties at the 2022 UDIA Awards for Excellence.

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Villawood Properties’ Wandana development sits at the highest point in Geelong, where vistas take in Geelong, Corio Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula, as well as the Surf Coast and Barrabool hills.

Executive director Rory Costelloe said it was a heavily contested category with about eight finalists.

He said the award paid attention to how the developer addressed the challenges on the steep land.

“We probably spent close to $3m on the wetlands for three different water treatments,” he said.

The treatments included massive retention basin on the southern side and big retaining walls on the west side.

Wandana won a residential development award for Villawood Properties at the 2022 UDIA Awards for Excellence.

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“It was a very expensive solution for all those things but it was such valuable land that we had to make sure the wetlands didn’t take up most of the project, so we did a lot of engineering to make sure we got the views.”

It was also one of the most hotly contested developments, with buyers camping out, with the development also conducting its first ever land auction.

Villawood capitalised on the site’s steep position with sharp street contours designed to capture the views, with attractive open space, playground, wetlands and pathways celebrating the unique position.

It’s is a legacy project for its former farmer owners, the Lamb family, together with adjoining owners, the Fagg family and utility Barwon Water.

Drewan Park, which overlooks Geelong from the city’s highest point, was also redevelopment as part of the project.