Games fan Henry could be heading for a career in housebuilding after winning our competition to design a home.
The 11-year-old from Backford in Chester won the primary category of our summer competition to digitally recreate one of our properties using the functions of his favourite game, Minecraft.
An underground garage and birdboxes as standard were just some of the features Henry – who’s just started at high school – added to his design, which impressed judges including expert gamer Clare Siobhan and our group design and technical director, Stuart Norton.
And Henry was delighted his carefully thought-out design helped him to scoop the prize of £50 in art vouchers for himself and £250 for his former school primary school.
“I was gobsmacked, really happy, when I found out I’d won - and shocked,” says Henry. “I thought there would be better builders than me. I’m not sure what I will spend the vouchers on yet.”
The competition was open across three age groups, primary school, secondary school and 17+, and aimed to offer a productive outlet for gamers and perhaps help them discover their dream career, while seeking out talented designers of the future.
Stuart Norton said: “At Redrow, we value the people who make us a success, and are committed to nurturing the next generation of talent. Gaming is a hobby that can help young people to hone their digital skills and eye for detail, both of which are really important in designing new homes.
“We were keen to encourage gamers to channel their interest positively and consider a career in the construction industry, whether that’s architecture or building. And we have certainly discovered that there is a lot of ability and skill out there that we would love to develop.
“Someone like Henry could be working for us one day and using the skills he is enjoying and learning now to create the homes of the future. The competition has shown that’s possible.”
Playmobil fan Henry has only been playing Minecraft for a year, but loves to use its creative abilities to build castles and villages. He used the same techniques with ‘bricks’ and ‘concrete powder’ to develop the home he entered for the competition.
“I enjoy building things with Minecraft, I like being creative,” he says, explaining that it took him a few hours to plan and develop his award-winning home. “I added the underground garage so that you could save space and use that for nature, and a bigger garden with bird boxes so that you have already got birds living in them before you move in.”
Henry adds: “I tried to design a house that was actually feasible and functioning, rather than something like a floating house.”
He was inspired to enter after he and his family moved into one of our Canterbury four-bedroom homes at The Pastures in Chester just two months ago. Henry lives with mum Francesca, 42, an A&E nursing sister at the Countess of Chester Hospital; dad, Tom, 38, managing director of an engineering training business and big sister Ruby.
Dad Tom added: “We love our Redrow home. We were renting after moving around a little but finally decided we wanted somewhere to settle. We looked at The Pastures thinking we wouldn’t really want a new-build but as soon as we saw it, and the quality, we changed our minds.”
For now Henry, who has just started to learn archery and enrolled in an archaeology club, will be keeping his building endeavours to the virtual. But there’s a possibility he may use them for something more concrete: “I might go into it as a career in the future” he adds.
For more information about opportunities with us, go to www.redrowcareers.co.uk
