Young architects in the UK are making a name for themselves, not just because of the buildings they design, but also because of the ethos they share – one that embraces concern for the environment and makes a virtue of limited budgets. In New Arcadians, Lucy Bullivant profiles 18 cutting-edge UK-based practices, presenting recent key projects as well as interviews with the architects. The architects’ ecological awareness is evident in a wide range of schemes, from Nord’s Shingle House in Dungeness, Kent, which makes use of sustainable and recyclable materials, to GroundLab’s Flowing Gardens for the 2011 World Horticultural Expo at Xi’an, China, an inspiring example of urban regeneration. Other projects employ ecologically intelligent building materials or demonstrate a commitment to protecting and increasing biodiversity. Complete with an introduction exploring key trends in contemporary British architecture and full biographies of all the featured practices, New Arcadians is an exciting overview of the work and attitudes of a rising generation of UK architects who are reinvigorating the profession.