Judges

This year’s Don't Move, Improve! Jury Panel brings together leading industry experts with experience across architecture and sustainable design, architectural journalism, and environmental consultation. With a keen eye for the latest trends and innovative sustainable solutions, the judges will be looking out for the best examples of home renovations across London.

The submissions will first be whittled down to this year’s longlist by the Peer Review Panel, made up of last year’s winners. The judges will then pick out the very best homes to feature on the 2024 shortlist and visit these projects first hand to determine the overall winner and prize winners.

Jury Panel

Ed Jarvis

Ed Jarvis

Urban Design Manager, London Borough of Camden

Edward has 20 years public sector experience in regeneration and planning. He has both heritage and design expertise, and currently leads the Urban Design Team at the London Borough of Camden.

Edward enjoys unlocking complex city making challenges that respond to and benefit all.  An intuitive design negotiator and facilitator, he had driven best practice outcomes across the built environment.

He has helped deliver well regarded and awarded places, buildings and public realm including the regeneration of Kings Cross; housing and schools projects on the Council’s Community Investment Program; and growth within the Knowledge Quarter.

Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki

Architecture Editor, Wallpaper* magazine

Ellie Stathaki is architecture editor at Wallpaper* magazine.

A trained architect, she studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London, and after a brief time in architecture practice, she focused on architecture journalism.

She has contributed to Blueprint, Financial Times and The Guardian; co-authored New Modern House: Redefining Functionalism, Todd Saunders: Architecture in Northern Landscapes, and The Contemporary House; authored House London, the Wallpaper* City Guides for Antwerp and Athens; and curated exhibitions in London, Athens and Milan.

Image: © Anna Stathaki

Jennifer Dyne

Jennifer Dyne

Associate, David Kohn Architects

Jennifer is an Associate at David Kohn Architects and leads the Houses & Interiors team within the practice.

Jennifer was recently nominated for the MJ Long Prize at the W Awards – an award that recognises excellence in practice – and in 2022 was named an RIBAJ Rising Star for being a “practice lynchpin and project architect extraordinaire”. Jennifer oversaw the Red House, a new future-proof home in rural Dorset that was named RIBA House of the Year in 2022.

Her most recently completed project, the Cowshed, a radical agricultural conversion, is again in the running and was also commended in the AR's New into Old Awards.

Marie-Louise Schembri

Marie-Louise Schembri

Sustainability Director, Hilson Moran

Marie-Louise is an environmental designer and consultant with a focus on zero carbon, energy efficiency and sustainability.

In her role as Sustainability Director at Hilson Moran, Marie-Louise leads the zero carbon, net positive, sustainability and DEI agenda. A qualified architect and engineer, she has worked in the sector for over 20 years. Her experience scales from strategic masterplans to detailed design and refurbishment of buildings.

She has contributed to a number of industry publications, including Architects' Journal, CIBSE Journal and Building Magazine. In recent years she has sat on the Environmental and Net Zero Carbon expert panels for the NLA, including the New London Awards.

Peer Review Panel

Ben Ridley

Ben Ridley

Founder, Architecture for London

Ben founded Architecture for London in 2009 and has since designed a number of widely published and award-winning projects. He is a Passivhaus designer with significant technical expertise in the design of low energy buildings. He was a member of the jury for the RIBA / Grand Designs House of the Year Award 2022.

Emily Rissom

Emily Rissom

Director, R2 Studio Architects

After training in the UK Emily has worked in London, New York and Chicago on a range of projects from underground stations, offices and schools to private residences. Emily lives and works in southeast London and enjoys pushing the standards for sustainability as well as the quality of the interior aesthetic.

Helena Rivera

Helena Rivera

Founder and Director, A Small Studio

Helena Rivera is founder and sole director of the architecture firm A Small Studio, longlisted by Dezeen as ‘Emerging Architect of the Year’ in 2020 and selected by the Architecture Foundation in their ‘New Architects 4’ series in 2021. Helena holds a PhD in regional planning, with expertise in British New Town Policy.

Hugh McEwen and Catrina Stewart

Hugh McEwen and Catrina Stewart

Co-founders, Office S&M

Co-founded by Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen in 2013, Office S&M Architects is an award-winning practice with a varied portfolio. The studio has gained recognition for its inventive approach, collaborative practice, and experimentation with materials and colour to create drama.

Joe Williams

Joe Williams

Principal, Trewhela Williams

Joe is a former associate at McLaren Excell and co-founder of the award-winning practice Trewhela Williams based in London, Jersey and Oslo. The practice works across a range of sectors with a particular passion for the creation of bespoke homes that are poetic in form and human-centric in detail.

Mariia Pashenko

Mariia Pashenko

Founding Director, Pashenko Works

Mariia Pashenko is an experienced architect, and a founder of Pashenko Works - architectural and urban design practice, delivering projects across the UK, Belgium, and Ukraine. Prior to starting her own studio, Mariia worked for various world renowned architectural practices in London such as Foster + Partners and Allies&Morrison.

Michael Rees

Michael Rees

Founder and Co-Director, District. Architects

Michael graduated from the Welsh School of Architecture and the RIBA with a Distinction in professional practice in architecture. He has considerable experience within private and commercial residential sectors including listed properties. His passion through practice is in making architecture and considered design accessible to all. Furthermore, he serves as a RIBA part 3 external examiner.

Natalie Savva and Mark Rist

Natalie Savva and Mark Rist

Co-Founders, Studio naama

Mark Rist is an Architect and educator, dedicated to invigorating our built and natural environments. He cofounded Studio naama, having established an expertise in Japanese architecture and the cross-over of programmes to create adaptive buildings, spanning high density housing, spatial planning and furniture. Natalie Savva is an Architect, educator, exhibition designer and scenographer. She cofounded Studio naama as a multidisciplinary platform for blending architecture, art and performance as point of creative discourse.

Nic Howett

Nic Howett

Nic Howett Architect

I am an RIBA chartered and ARB registered architect from Camberwell, London with over 15 years experience in practice. I design carefully crafted spaces that can change your way of living, working and being. I believe that good architecture should be available to all.

Theo Games Petrohilos, Ben Hayes & Kaowen Ho

Theo Games Petrohilos, Ben Hayes & Kaowen Ho

Founding Directors, Unknown Works

unknown works is an award winning design studio based in London. The studio’s work spans the fields of architecture, urban design, immersive events, exhibition design, installation art, graphics and digital media.