Don’t Move, Improve! encourages great design in everyday life, celebrating the newest and most innovative home improvement projects from across London.

The annual competition – now celebrating its 11th year – showcases the diversity and character of homes being redesigned in London.

With an annual exhibition, magazine and regular advice sessions with architects, engineers, and designers, the programme aims to celebrate London’s best domestic-scale designs and encourage homeowners to embark on their own home improvement project.

Awards

The 2021 competition seeking London's most innovative homes being re-designed in the capital.

Sponsorship & Advertising

Align your organisation with any element of the NLA programme and benefit from association with thought leadership

About Don't Move, Improve!

Our Key Objectives

Encourage the best design in everyday life
Celebrate and promote exemplar schemes
to the industry, Londoners, and the world
Provide a programme for the public to understand the value of good design within the home, learn about design options and processes, and engage with practitioners
Promote practices focusing on domestic-scale design to a wider audience

The annual competition

Unique in the industry, it celebrates small scale home improvement projects within London. With a legacy of recognising emerging talent it is now an esteemed award for architectural practices.

Exhibition and publication

Our annual exhibition and publication showcase all the winning and shortlisted projects featured in Don’t Move, Improve!. Open for 3 months at NLA’s central London gallery, 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.

Videos

In 2020 we produced videos of all the winning projects, with interviews from the architects and homeowners, giving our audience an exclusive insight into the projects. Watch here

Design Surgeries

In these events members of the public have the opportunity to get advice and inspiration on home extensions from our recognised architects. Expert talks are given on design considerations 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.

Magazine Archive

Insight

Don't Move, Improve! 2019

Showcasing all home projects featured in this year’s Don’t Move, Improve! competition, this magazine showcases a range of solutions at a variety of budgets, completed within Lon...

Insight

Don't Move, Improve! 2018

Showcasing all home projects featured in this year’s Don’t Move, Improve! competition, this magazine showcases a range of solutions at a variety of budgets, completed within Lon...

Insight

Don't Move, Improve! 2017

Showcasing all 120 projects featured in the 2017 Don’t Move, Improve! competition, this magazine showcases a range of solutions at a variety of budgets, completed within London’...

Insight

Don't Move, Improve! 2015/16

This publication accompanies the competition, now in its sixth year, inviting architects, designers and homeowners to submit well-designed home extension projects across Greater...

Insight

Don't Move, Improve! 2014/15

Providing a resource for anyone looking to create more usable space within their home, NLA's first publication to illustrate the annual Don't Move, Improve! award details each o...

Exhibition Archive

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2019 exhibition

Start: Wednesday 23 January 2019 - 00:00
End: Saturday 27 April 2019 - 00:00

Celebrating London’s best-designed and most innovative home extensions completed in 2017 and 2018 across the capital, this free exhibition displays a wealth of inspiration for those looking to em...

Find out more

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2019 exhibition

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2018 Exhibition

Start: Friday 26 January 2018 - 00:00
End: Saturday 28 April 2018 - 00:00

Celebrating London’s best-designed and most innovative home extensions completed in the last 2016 and 2017 across the capital, this free exhibition displays a wealth of inspiration for those looking t...

Find out more

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2018 Exhibition

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2017 Exhibition

Start: Friday 27 January 2017 - 00:00
End: Wednesday 29 March 2017 - 00:00

Celebrating London’s best-designed and most innovative home extensions completed in 2016 and 2017 across the capital, this free exhibition displays a wealth of inspiration for those looking to em...

Find out more

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2017 Exhibition

CLOSED: Don't Move, Improve! 2016 Exhibition

Start: Friday 22 January 2016 - 00:00
End: Wednesday 25 May 2016 - 00:00

In a city of some 3 million households, the piecemeal adaptation of London’s existing housing stock is necessary to ensure their longevity as homes of the future. While house prices in the capital con...

Find out more