The green movement arrives in urban backyards

Is it possible to ‘rewild’ our neighbourhoods without demolishing a single house? Three of this year’s Houses Awards nominees show how it can be done.

Dan F. Stapleton

Jun 1, 2022 – 5.00am

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The “shortlist” for the 12th annual Houses Awards pushes that term to its limits. There are 10 categories, some with as many as 30 finalists, and an incredible diversity of dwellings, from hulking concrete bunkers to timber-clad cottages.

Jury chair Alexa Kempton, the editor of Houses magazine, admits that even her fellow judges – all architects – needed time to get their bearings.