A serene riverside home in the British countryside unites minimalism and nature
Tour this riverside home in Shropshire – Skylark by House of EM is a project built around its natural setting
This new riverside home's leafy patch in Shropshire was a defining element in its creation. The scheme – young architecture studio House of Em’s very first completion – is set by the River Teme, engulfed in foliage and crafted using earthy materials, such as timber and brick. The result is a serene home that feels at once warmly minimalist and in touch with nature, which takes centre stage through views, planting and considered materiality.
Discover this riverside home and its lovely setting
The elegant riverside home was commissioned as a family base for a private client. Founded by former Michaelis Boyd directors Emma Bodie and Matthew Sanders, House of Em is well versed in striking a fine balance between spatial generosity, pared-down elegance and cocooning warmth – a skill the architects employed amply in this project.
‘Skylark allowed us to explore how architecture can be both ambitious and intimately connected to place. Working closely with the clients enabled us to deliver a home that is bold, considered, and deeply rooted in context,' says Sanders.
Drawing on modernist architecture and design and the plot's leafy context, the team articulated the building's volume in the landscape, negotiating the terrain in an F-shaped floorplan. A 'sequence designed for a grand arrival', the architects explain, leads into a flowing social ground floor. A guestroom suite forms a connected-but-separate block beyond. This level also includes a range of amenities, such as utility areas, a home office and a gym.
The bedrooms and more private spaces are located upstairs, in a formation that allows independence between parents and children but keep everyone close. The total of four bedrooms is supported here by a variety of spaces 'designed to support flexible family-oriented living', the architects add.
The home's sustainability credentials include thermal balance through material and ventilation choices as well as energy efficiency features, such as air source heat pumps and MVHR systems. Additionally, nodding to the natural context, the architects worked on implementing extensive planting throughout, including 2,000 bulbs, new trees, and pollinator-friendly species – both around the house and on its green roof. This has the added benefit of ensuring better insulation and stormwater management throughout.
The architects' close collaboration with their clients, James and Sam Charters and their young family, was central to the design development too. Bodie says: 'Collaborating with James and Sam made the process seamless. The result is a home that feels modern, distinctive, and entirely in harmony with its surroundings.'
