New London Architecture
Don't Move, Improve! 2021
Entries for the 2021 competition and programme are now closed. Sign up to newsletters about Don't Move, Improve! to take part next year
THE 2021 OVERALL WINNER
27 May 2021
Concrete connections: House Recast
House Recast by Studio Ben Allen is the overall winner of Don't Move, Improve 2021, a spatially "rich and interesting" refurbishment of a Victorian house in Haringey.
Read moreTHE SPECIAL PRIZE WINNERS
06 May 2021
Grain House by Hayhurst and Co. has won this year's Don't Move, Improve! Materiality & Craftmanship Prize. The prize recognises designs that take particular attention to detail and care when consideri...
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06 May 2021
Plaster pleasure: Council House Renovation
Council House Renovation by VATRAA is the Joint Winner of this year's Compact Design of the Year Prize.
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06 May 2021
An interlocking puzzle: Two and Half Storey House
Two and Half Storey House by Bradley Van Der Straeten is the Joint Winner of this year's Compact Design of the Year Prize.
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13 May 2021
Walter works!: The Segal House
Winner of the Environmental Leadership Prize, The Segal House by Fraher & Findlay is a house in south London that was designed following architect Walter Segal's self-build methods. The extension foll...
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13 May 2021
Cloistered House by Turner Architects has won the Urban Oasis of the Year prize. The restoration and extension of a Cubitt-built Georgian terraced house in a conservation area.
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20 May 2021
Fluid connections: ER Residence
ER Residence by Studio Hallett Ike is the winner of the Best Project Under £100K award. The previously cramped galley kitchen has been opened up and adapted, and is now a fluid connection between the...
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20 May 2021
Peak performance: Mountain View
Mountain View by CAN is the Unique Character Prize winner at Don't Move, Improve! 2021. A radical transformation of an Edwardian semi-detached house into a colourful family home topped with a stage se...
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20 May 2021
Live / work balance: Terrazzo Studio
Terrazzo Studio by Sonn Studio has won the Working From Home Design of the Year prize, a striking end of garden studio and workshop in Hackney that was designed and self-built by the architect.
Read more2021 Key Dates
Call for Entries opens
8 December 2020
Submissions Deadline
24 March 2021
Shortlist announced
April, July, September
Design surgeries
May 2021
Winners announcement
May 2021 – onwards
Exhibition
Annual Content
The annual competition is unique in the industry as it celebrates small scale home improvement projects within London. Now an esteemed award for architectural practices, the competition receives over 200 project submissions each year.
Exhibition and Publication
Our annual exhibition and publication showcases all the winning and shortlisted projects featured in Don’t Move, Improve!. Open for 3 months at NLA’s central London gallery at The Building Centre, the exhibition attracts approximately 2,500 visitors weekly. The Don’t Move, Improve! magazine, which also features editorial from industry professionals and tips for taking on a home improvement project, has a 4,000+ print circulation and is distributed with NLQ magazine, as well as being available to purchase at NLA and the RIBA bookshop, and for free download via the NLA website.
Design Surgeries
The Don’t Move, Improve! Design Surgeries gives members of the public the opportunity to get advice and inspiration on home extensions, with expert talks on best design and practical advice, one-to-one consultations with expert practitioners, alongside family walking tours and workshops, and much more! All consultations are free, but we collect donations to our charity partner Article 25.
400+ Homeowners registered for talks and tours
300+ Free sessions available overall throughout the year (across three Design Surgery events)
Video
In 2020 we produced videos of the winning projects, with interviews from the architects and homeowners, giving our audience an exclusive insight into the projects. See the videos here
Press
You can find projects as promoted by Don’t Move, Improve! all year round. In 2019 content was featured in print and online of various media outlets including The Times, ES Homes&Property, Wallpaper*, Architects Journal, Dezeen, Ideal Home, and more.
Special Prizes
Awarded to the design that shows true originality and creates its own individual personality or style
Recognising innovative urban gardens, this prize celebrates the best outside oasis whether that be a courtyard, a rooftop, or a beautiful balcony space.
Awarded to the project that demonstrates ingenuity and creativity in a design with tight space constraints
Recognising great value, this prize is given to the best transformation under £100,000
Awarded to the project that exhibits thought leadership for environmental considerations such as long-life design, sustainable materials and energy efficiency.
WFH Design of the Year Sponsored by Day True
Celebrating spaces that can adapt and cater for changing functions and unique needs of the user, particularly home working, hobby and maker-spaces.
Materiality & Craftsmanship Prize Sponsored by VitrA
Sponsorship Opportunities
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