Dezeen Debate newsletter features London's best home renovations

The latest edition of Dezeen Debate features the 15 home shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Don't Move, Improve!

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

Organised by New London Architecture (NLA), the contest celebrates the "most innovative home improvement projects" in the capital.

Commenters are impressed. One said, "Great works. I am inspired".

Women make up just one in five top positions at biggest architecture firms despite "huge jump"

Other stories in this week's newsletter include research conducted by Dezeen to mark International Women's Day, a story about a vulva-shaped spaceship concept, and BIG's design for its first building in the metaverse.

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TYPE combines elemental materials in Herne Hill House extension

Raw concrete, burnt clay and natural wood come together in this extension to an end-of-terrace house in south London, designed by architecture studio TYPE.

Called Herne Hill House, the project involved replacing a poorly built conservatory with a robust 45-square-metre extension, giving the three-storey house a more substantial kitchen and dining room.

The design combines quarry tiles, exposed concrete, natural wood and lime plaster

TYPE's design centres around simple, quality materials that can be left exposed, so they don't need external finishes.

Details include an exposed concrete structure, lime plaster walls, a floor of quarry tiles and furniture elements made from ash and Douglas fir.

The Herne Hill House scheme extends a Victorian terrace

The owners – a family with young children – chose to work with TYPE after seeing photos of a project where the studio had taken a similar approach. Their aim was to create a space with natural warmth and durability.

"Using natural materials such as timber brings a warmth and lightness to the space, something which the clients had particularly liked in our previous work," said Ogi Ristic, one of the studio's four directors.

"The material palette gives the project a soft and subtle earthy tone that feels warm and inviting," he told Dezeen.

Bench seating is built into the Douglas fir facade

Combing a rear and side extension, the structure was treated as a series of layered components, which gives a natural hierarchy to the way that materials join one another.

The first layer is the concrete frame supporting the existing structure, which is celebrated through the addition of a cylindrical column – the only curved element in the room.

[

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Chunky staircase features in Farleigh Road renovation by Paolo Cossu Architects

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The second layer is the ash-lined box that forms the walls of the extension, creating a clear contrast between the new and old parts of the Victorian building.

The third layer is a three-dimensional facade built from Douglas fir, featuring a large picture window with built-in bench seats on either side, both inside and out.

Douglas fir joists sit underneath a long skylight

Herne Hill House's new layout naturally divides the space into different zones.

A kitchen and breakfast bar made from ash wood occupies the side extension, lit from above by a large skylight. Douglas fir joists slot in underneath the glass, offering a sense of depth.

The kitchen units and breakfast bar are crafted from ash

The space of the original kitchen becomes a dining area, while the picture window creates a natural lounge space. The bench seat is upholstered, and an adjoining bookshelf integrates a fold-out seat that can be used by the family's children.

The circulation of the space is also improved thanks to a new internal doorway connecting the kitchen with the living rooms at the front of the house, and a large pivoting door that leads out to the garden.

A pivoting door provides access to the garden

"The original kitchen was poorly laid out, which meant there was a disconnect with the dining room, living area and garden," said Ristic.

"The biggest priority was to reestablish these connections through a few simple moves."

A concrete column is the only curved element in the space

East London-based TYPE is led by Ristic along with partners Sam Nelson, Tom Powell and Matt Cooper.

The studio primarily works on residential renovations, conversions and extensions, with past projects including Redhill Barn, a conversion of a ruined 200-year-old stone shed in Devon.

An upholstered window seat lines the picture window

The studio aims to reorganise homes when possible, as Ristic advises that extensions aren't always the answer – often homes can be improved by simply improving what is there already.

"Many homes may be sufficiently large but are inefficiently laid out, making it appear that extending is the only way forward," he said.

"Our approach is always to see how far we can reorganise the home so it works better, and we can build less. This allows more to be invested in retrofitting the existing building with additional insulation, upgraded glazing and heating systems."

Photography is byLorenzo Zandri.

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Project credits:

Architect: TYPE

Project architect: Ogi Ristic

Contractor: MONO Urban Space Solutions

Structural engineer: Blue Engineering

Joinery: DJG Furniture

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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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The House Recast by Studio Ben Allen wins Don't Move, Improve! 2021

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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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Erbar Mattes strips back and extends flats in former London pub

London studio Erbar Mattes has transformed a pair of apartments in a former pub in Hoxton into a duplex flat by adding a "monastic" grey-brown brick extension.

The old pub, called the Blockmakers Arms, is located in the Regent's Canal conservation area and dates back to the mid-19th century. It was converted into three flats in the 1970s.

Erbar Mattes has extended a pair of apartments in a former London pub

The owners of the ground floor flat sought extra space for their growing family and acquired the vacant first-floor dwelling with a view to creating a five-bedroom duplex.

Erbar Mattes' approach involved stripping away previous extensions that detracted from the pub's original structure and replacing an external staircase with an elevated walkway and brick loggia informed by monastery cloisters.

The extension incorporates a loggia

"One of the main challenges consisted of creating a larger dwelling while retaining separate access to the independent apartment on the top floor," explained the studio.

"To overcome this, the external circulation is relocated to the side elevation and a new raised walkway added to the rear."

The extension has transformed two flats into a duplex

"The loggia, with its solid brick piers, draws inspiration from monastic architecture, where cloisters form a sheltered transition space between inside and outside," Erbar Mattes continued.

Replacing redundant vehicular access, this new arrangement strengthens the building's relationship with a walled courtyard at the rear, which is now overlooked by the loggia and a new brick volume.

External circulation has been added to the side of the building

"The new rectilinear building volumes wrap around the side and rear elevations without detracting from the ornate front facade," said the studio.

Internally, the existing structure was reconfigured to better suit its expanded size, with plasterboard ceilings and finishes stripped back to restore the original ceiling heights and wooden panelling.

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Read:

Sam Jacob to convert former London pub into house and nursery

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A former function room on the first floor has been repurposed to create a large main bedroom, which has access to a roof terrace on the first floor above the original entrance to the pub.

The new volumes contain a staircase which overlooks the nearby trees through a large window, as well as two further bedrooms and a bathroom.

Original details of the pub have been restored internally. Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

During the project, Erbar Mattes was also commissioned to convert the interiors of the independent second-floor apartment, which involved a similar approach of stripping back recent additions to reveal the original interior features.

The internal staircase looks out over nearby trees. Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Erbar Mattes was founded in 2015 by Holger Mattes and Demian Erbar, who previously worked for David Chipperfield Architects.

The studio also recently extended an Edwardian house in London's Crouch End, where a bright living area built in pale brick overlooks a garden.

The photography is by Simon Menges unless stated. Ståle Eriksen

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