15 London home renovations shortlisted for Don't Move, Improve! 2022

A pastel-hued extension with Romanesque arches and a converted artist's studio are among the projects vying to be named London's best home renovation in this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

A total of 15 dwellings are shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Don't Move, Improve!, an annual contest held by independent organisation New London Architecture (NLA) to celebrate the "most innovative home improvement projects" in the capital.

Other projects in the running include the Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio and a 1920s semi-detached residence that Nimtim Architects has remodelled with playful joinery.

An apartment with a translucent sleeping pod and a Victorian loft extension by the award's previous winner Proctor & Shaw have also been shortlisted.

Don't Move, Improve! is open to home renovations or extensions in London's 33 boroughs that have reached completion in the last two years.

This year's shortlist was selected from over 200 entries by a jury chaired by NLA's director Amy Chadwick Till and including Phil Coffey, the director of Coffey Architects, Sebastian Wood, director of Whitby Wood, journalist Anna White and property expert Kunle Barker.

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According to the panel, this year saw a number of entries with indoor-outdoor living spaces, as well as ones that make use of wood and natural materials. The presence of statement ceilings, colourful structures and bold shapes was another key trend.

"This year's submissions delighted our jury with innovative approaches to structure, layout, materials and colour," reflected Chadwick Till.

"Don't Move, Improve! aims to encourage great domestic-scale design across the city, so we are really pleased to have another shortlist that showcases a wide range of budgets, building styles, locations and home-owner needs."

The winner of this year's competition will be announced in May 2022. Alongside the overall prize for the best new home improvement, there will be five special awards for the best compact design, urban oasis, materiality and craftsmanship, unique character and transformation.

Previous overall winners of Don't Move, Improve! include The House Recast by Studio Ben Allen, a "beautifully understated" rear extension by Proctor & Shaw and a dwelling in the shell of a derelict chapel.

Here's the full Don't Move, Improve! 2022 shortlist:

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Photo is by Adam Scott

A Tuscan Veranda by Turner Architects

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Little Brownings by Archmongers Architects

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Non Boxy Lofty by Fraher & Findlay

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Photo is by Billy Bolton

Pergola House by Benjamin Wilkes

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Photo is by Adelina Iliev

Transitions by Red Squirrel Architects

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Photo is by Nick Deardon

Coffered House by Proctor & Shaw

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Photo is by Megan Taylor

Curve Appeal by Nimtim Architects

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Photo is by VATRAA

Artist Studio Conversion by VATRAA

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Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Pink House by Oliver Leech Architects

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Photo is by Jim Stephenson

Bay Window House by Gundry + Ducker

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Photo is by Building Narratives

Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio

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Photo is by Tim Soar

Church Road by Ruffarchitects

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Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Shoji Apartment by Proctor & Shaw

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Photo is by Andy Stagg

Slide and Slot House by Ashton Porter Architects

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Photo is by David Grandorge

Forest House by AOC

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Robert Adam designs neoclassical country house as "UK's largest new home for over a hundred years"

Architect Robert Adam has designed an 11-bedroom neoclassical house for an estate in the Cotswolds near the village of Chipping Norton, UK.

Named St John's House, the 6,692-square-metre home has been drafted for a 60-acre site that is currently being sold by Sotheby's International Realty.

If realised, the house designed by Adam, who was recently a director of British studio Adam Architecture, would become one of the largest new country homes in the UK.

"This would make it not only the largest new home to be built in the UK for over a hundred years, but also the only one built from the ground up," explained Guy Bradshaw, managing director of Sotheby's International Realty.

Robert Adam has designed a neoclassical country house in Oxfordshire

The home in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was designed by Adam as a modern take on a traditional English country house.

"It is a classical country house, but one that moves the classical tradition forward," Adam told Dezeen.

"The house adds to the country house tradition. Traditions are not static, they move on to adapt to present needs while keeping a clear connection with the predecessors."

Its main block would be flanked by two wings

The home will have a central block with a classical portico in its centre, flanked by two wings extending forward.

Its three-storey main block stands above three semi-subterranean levels that would contain a gym, swimming pool and bowling alley, alongside a garage for 50 cars that is described as a car museum. A ballroom, which opens onto a terrace, would be placed on the lowest level.

The main block would contain a living room and dining room on the ground floor, nine ensuite bedrooms on the level above and two principal suites on the top storey.

It would have a classical portico

While the house has many typical classical elements, it was not informed by any particular English country home and was designed to contain a number of modern details.

"Other than the fact that all country houses have certain key features – significant entrance, garden facade with outlook, carefully composed approach, main house and ancillary buildings, there is no specific country house from which this design is derived," Adam explained.

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"It is both classical and modern, this is really the point, these are not incompatible," Adam continued.

"It is part of the tradition but, sometimes in quite subtle ways, moves it on a notch. You don't need to be odd to be modern."

It would be built on a large estate in the Cotswolds

According to Sotheby's International Realty, the planning permission for the home is the result of a "24-year journey". A previous modernist scheme designed for the site by architect Adrian James was granted planning permission in 2004 but not built.

Other recent British country houses featured on Dezeen include a stone residence in a river valley in Hampshire by Niall McLaughlin Architects and a secluded dwelling in Kent that is topped by chimney-like roofs.

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Neil Dusheiko transforms London fashion showroom into light-filled home

Architect Neil Dusheiko has converted a showroom in west London into a bright, contemporary residence designed to meet the changing needs of its elderly owners.

Nicknamed Danish Mews House for its minimalist Scandinavian furnishings, the home is tucked away in a quiet mews lane in the Lancaster Gate area.

The mews house was once a showroom for the owner's fashion company

Although in recent years the current owners repurposed the building as a showroom and warehouse for their clothing company, it was originally built as a Georgian coach house for storing horse-drawn carriages.

Dusheiko's primary concerns when converting the property into a home were bringing in more light, as well as making sure that the interior could support its inhabitants as they grow older.

The main kitchen and sitting room are on the first floor

For this purpose, the house was fitted with a guest bedroom, kitchenette and toilet on the ground floor, which could ultimately be used by the inhabitants themselves in case their mobility becomes restricted.

A lift was installed to provide easy access to the upper floors of the house, which can also be reached via a central staircase.

Glazing in the stairwell brings light into the living spaces

In the stairwell, a newly installed skylight and a wall of gridded glazing on the first-floor landing allow sunlight to seep into the interior.

Behind the glass partition lies a sitting room and a kitchen with oatmeal-coloured cabinetry as well as a small dining area.

Light leaks in from a skylight at the top of the stairwell. Photo by Rachael Smith

Both here and throughout the rest of the home, several of the furnishings were sourced from well-known Danish design brands including Carl Hansen, Louis Poulsen and Montana.

The second floor is illuminated by six new dormer windows and accommodates another two bedrooms plus their respective en-suite bathrooms.

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The principal bedroom is largely clad in wood, save for a section on the rear wall that is finished in chintzy floral wallpaper.

Glazed doors with black metal frames run along one side of the room and can be slid open to access a sun terrace lined in Douglas fir battens.

Floral wallpaper features in the principal bedroom. Photo by Rachael Smith

The space is decorated with a couple of folding director's chairs and a built-in white-brick planter.

Danish Mews House is one of several residential projects that Neil Dusheiko has completed in London.

The room also has its own sun terrace. Photo by Rachael Smith

Previously, the architect created a home for his father-in-law in Stoke Newington, in which a striking wall of shelving is used to display ceramics and glassware.

Dusheiko also overhauled a home in Hammersmith, introducing a curved brick extension and a cinema room.

The photography is byStåle Eriksen unless stated otherwise.

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Project credits:

Architect: Neil Dusheiko Architects

Structural engineer: Price and Myers

Contractor: ABC Limited

Quantity surveyor: White and Lloyd

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Alexander Martin Architects designs Arts and Crafts-influenced home in Surrey

Two gabled brick volumes informed by the architecture of the 19th-century Arts and Crafts movement define this home in Claygate, Surrey, designed by Alexander Martin Architects.

Claygate House sits on a triangular plot that was formerly the site of a 1920s home, which the clients wanted to replace with something unique but sensitive to its suburban site.

Two gabled brick volumes define Claygate House

London-based Alexander Martin Architects' response was to base the home's design on a modern, stripped-back interpretation of the area's traditional Arts and Crafts style, "redefining the aspirations for suburban architecture".

"Our client was clear from the outset that they didn't want a run-of-the-mill house and that they were prepared to do something bold in the suburbs," said director Alexander Martin.

Strips of full-height glazing provide views into the house

"However, the design and materials have all been carefully orchestrated to create a series of spaces that best serve the needs of the family while still maintaining an elegant appearance," he continued.

Taking advantage of the triangular site, the home is organised as two individual gabled forms that sit at a slight angle to one another. They are sized to not exceed the height of the neighbouring building.

An exposed metal staircase sits in the centre of the house

Connecting these two main forms is a double-height volume that contains an exposed metal staircase, with strips of full-height glazing providing views in and flooding this connecting space with light.

The programme is split across the two halves, with a large dining and kitchen area to the east and a living room to the west. Bedroom spaces above are connected by a short bridge.

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Large glass sliding doors open both of the ground floor spaces onto a stepped terrace, which leads down to a large garden at the rear of the home.

Claygate House was built using a Structural Insulated Panels system (SIPS), which allowed the core structural frame to be completed within four months.

In the east portion is a large dining and kitchen area

The gabled forms are clad in pale buff brick, with simple facades defined by vertical banding and contrasted by black metal window frames.

The Arts and Crafts references of the exterior are contrasted by sleek contemporary finishes and a monochrome palette in the interiors, including white walls, stone floors and black veneered joinery.

The exterior references the Arts and Crafts movement

Marble details in the bathrooms and countertops bring a "timeless" quality to the spaces.

Previous projects by Alexander Martin Architects include a three-storey extension to a Victorian house in London, with an area of double-height glazing overlooking a garden.

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Studiotwentysix adds plywood-lined loft extension to Edwardian family home

Architect Dan Gray has upgraded his own 19th-century house in Brighton, England, adding a loft extension lined with birch plywood that makes the most of the angular roof space.

Gray and his wife Isabella, who are co-owners of architecture and design office Studiotwentysix, decided to extend their three-bedroom Edwardian property when the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a reevaluation of the family's spatial requirements.

Studiotwentysix's co-founder added a plywood-lined extension to his Brighton home

"When we headed into lockdown we really needed to redefine how the house was being used by two parents working full time, with two kids who were only going to nursery part time," Gray told Dezeen.

"We needed spaces that could provide privacy for video conferencing, for concentration, and to rest," he added, "but also it was important to create warmth through the use of materials to ensure these spaces were beneficial from a mental health perspective."

Plywood lines the floor, walls and ceiling of the loft extension

Dan and Isabella recognised that the empty loft space offered an opportunity to extend upwards and create an additional 55 square metres of living spaces.

The uninsulated loft was previously only accessible using a hatch in the ceiling, so a new stair was added from the first-floor landing.

The extension comprises a study, bedroom and bathroom

Existing timber trusses were removed and replaced with a steel framework that rests on the outside walls. An additional beam supports the mid-span of the roof on the front elevation.

The exposed red-oxide steel structure allows the internal space to follow the roof's pitch, creating a generous ceiling height that enhances the bright and airy feel of the room.

"The existing house is relatively dark and enclosed because of the way buildings were planned back then," said Gray, "but as you emerge into the loft it has that treehouse effect of becoming very bright and open."

Angular windows punctuate the wood-lined walls

New Velux windows punched into the sloping roof provide views of the treetops on one side and towards the sea on the other. One of the windows extends almost to floor level so the couple's young daughters feel connected to the surrounding nature.

"We were absolutely determined that our two girls, who are both less than a metre tall, would be able to address the outside by being able to go right up to the window," Gray explained.

"Bringing the window almost to meet the floor means you also get that connection to the long views when you're sitting down."

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A triangular snug built into the eaves of the gable end adds a playful and cosy space for relaxing.

At the rear of the property, a new timber-framed dormer extension contains a second bathroom and a small study lined with windows that look south across the rooftops towards the sea.

The studio incorporated an exposed red-oxide steel structure

Skylights inserted into the highly insulated roof also allow daylight to illuminate this private work area. The dormer slots in below the main ridge height and is therefore entirely hidden from the front elevation.

All of the new spaces are lined with birch plywood to make them feel warm and inviting. The choice of material also references the challenges posed by climate change and serves as a reminder during conference calls that sustainable materials can be used in fun and creative ways.

Angular cutouts provide snug areas for the architect's children

"We wanted to deliver an architectural response that celebrated the warmth and sustainability benefits that birch ply as a material offers," Gray pointed out.

"The architecture creates a lens through which the clients' video engagements provide visual reminders of the need to create sustainable, adaptable spaces which minimise material use, promote health, wellbeing and connect us with our environment."

The dormer extension looks across Brighton and to the sea

Existing spaces within the house were also updated as part of the project. The family bathroom was reconfigured to incorporate a walk-in shower, and a new utility area was added below the loft which is more accessible from the bedrooms on the first floor.

A second phase of works will see a side extension added to the ground floor kitchen, and improvements made to an existing first-floor conservatory at the rear.

The studio also renovated the lower levels of the home

Elsewhere in the UK, RX Architects clad a house on the coast in pink concrete in reference to Mediterranean beach houses and Fletcher Crane Architects built a compact brick home in west London on the site of a former garage.

The photography is byJim Stephenson.

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