THE JUDGES
Vaso Vaina, Chair, RIBA Surrey, Associate Principal Designer, Pick Everard
With over 20 years practising experience as a fully qualified architect Vaso Vaina is an Associate Principal Designer for Pick Everard, London. Her main role is to guide duty holders including clients, designers and contractors to meet and discharge their obligations under the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022.
Vaso is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Managers Institute and is currently in her second year as the Chair of RIBA, Surrey. In her capacity as the Surrey, Chair Vaso works alongside the Secretary, Treasurer and the South East Regional representative to shape the RIBA Surrey branch's future, with the main focus being on inclusivity, sustainability, knowledge sharing between members and engaging with the next generation of architects.
For the second year Vaso is delighted to return as one of the principal judges for the 2025 Surrey Property Awards, where she will once again assume responsibility for judging the Property/ Development of Outstanding Architectural Merit category.
She is also a RIBA mentor of future architects, an Active Member of Women in Architecture Group, part of the WiA delegation at UKREiiF 2024 and 2025 mentor, Guest Lecturer at Kingston University Business School and a Recipient of ‘The inspiration Award’ at the British Parking Awards 2024’
Chris McLaren-Clark, Founder and Chairman, McLaren Clark Consultancy
Chris joined the industry in 1964, working in an estate agency which he bought and ran successfully for 15 years. He subsequently entered the new homes sector and proceeded to work for a number of agencies across the South East and Midlands at Director level. Seeing an opportunity in the market, Chris went on to launch the McLaren Clark Consultancy, which for over 20 years has been the trusted, independent go-to brand for landowners, housebuilders and property professionals, providing expert advice for land acquisition and disposal, research and working with developers of all sizes to achieve the successful delivery of new homes. Whilst he is now retired, Chris maintains a position as Chairman of the business and the principal anchor for his two sons, Dan and Will, who have been with the Consultancy for over 20 years. He is delighted to have once again been invited to be one of the key judges for the 2025 Surrey Property Awards.
Lee Newlyn, Former Senior Partner, Barton Willmore and Director, Mayfield Market Towns
Lee worked in Hampshire in Local Government Office for 10 years before joining Barton Willmore in 1982. With a passion for both business and planning he expanded the practice to deliver three new fully operational offices during the 90's and finally finished his planning career as the company's Senior Partner for its London office, having been an expert witness in over 500 Planning Appeals and over 100 Local Planning inquiries at the point when he retired from Barton Willmore to take up property development in the luxury retirement market sector. For the past 12 years Lee has been a Director of Mayfield Market Towns Ltd, a specialist development company that was set-up with Peter Freeman, the current Chair of 'Homes England', Lord Jamie Borwick and Lord Mathew Taylor to develop a new town of 10,000 homes in mid Sussex. Aside from an illustrious career in the property and planning sector his biggest claim to fame is having played against Pele, when playing in the North American soccer league in 1975.
