A dwelling with a “tin hat” by Nimtim Architects and a colourful extension by Charles Holland are among the 16 London homes named on the shortlist for this year’s Don’t Move, Improve! competition.
A triangular house in a former garage by studio Brown Urbanism is also on the shortlist, alongside an extension by Cairn that is the first structure in the UK to be built from a low-carbon cement called LC3.
It is the fourteenth edition of the annual awards programme, hosted by New London Architecture (NLA), which aims to celebrate “the diversity of homes across the capital” – specifically those that have been renovated or extended.
NLA’s head of content Federico Ortiz hopes that the 2024 shortlist will become a useful resource for people in the city looking to improve their homes.
“The shortlist for Don’t Move, Improve! 2024 is an extraordinary showcase of innovation and creativity, offering a unique resource for Londoners who want to reimagine their living spaces and keep calling their neighbourhoods home,” said Ortiz.
Other projects on the list include the pink-hued Aden Grove by Emil Eve, the light-filled Apartment with a Mezzanine by Office Ten Architecture and the renovation of the 1960s Chelsea Brut by Pricegore.
Whittaker Parsons’ wood-lined Flitch Cottage extension also made the cut, alongside The Green Machine by Suprblk Studio and Heyford Avenue by Manuel Urbina Studio.
Other extensions up for the prize include one in Stoke Newington by VATRAA and the Perforated House by Novak Hiles Architects in Wandsworth, which is named after its perforated brickwork.
The final four projects competing this year are Two-Up Two-Down House by Khan Bonshek, Wimbledon Villa by Gundry + Ducker, Jacob’s Flat by Paul Archer Design and Hillside House by Mike Tuck Studio.
The projects were shortlisted from over 150 entries by a jury made up of urban design manager at London Borough of Camden Ed Jarvis, architecture director of Wallpaper* magazine Ellie Stathaki, David Kohn Architects associate Jennifer Dyne and Hilson Moran sustainability director Marie-Louise Schembri.
The jury highlighted the standout trends for 2024 as the use of sustainable materials, bold colour palettes and cost-efficient solutions.
This year’s overall winner will be revealed at a ceremony on 14 May at The London Centre, alongside other prizes including the People’s Choice Award, which is now open for voting.
Last year’s overall winner was The Secret Garden Flat, designed by Nic Howett Architect to feel “like an oasis” in the city.
Other winners included Low Energy House by Architecture for London, which took home the Environmental Leadership Prize, and CLT House by Unknown Works, which received the Unique Character Prize.
Scroll down to see all 16 shortlisted projects:
Aden Grove by Emil Eve
Apartment with a Mezzanine by Office Ten Architecture
Chelsea Brut by Pricegore
Flitch Cottage by Whittaker Parsons
The Green Machine by Suprblk Studio
Heyford Avenue by Manuel Urbina Studio
Hillside House by Mike Tuck Studio
House extension in Stoke Newington by VATRAA
A House in East London by Charles Holland Architects
House Made by Many Hands by Cairn
Jacob’s Flat by Paul Archer Design
Perforated House by Novak Hiles Architects
Tin Hat by Nimtim Architects
Triangle House by Brown Urbanism
Two-Up Two-Down House by Khan Bonshek
Wimbledon Villa by Gundry + Ducker
