en.Wedoany.com Reported - London-based architecture firm House of EM has completed a single-family home named Skylark in Shropshire, England. Designed for James and Sam Charters and their family, the project serves as the firm's debut, showcasing a confident, modern architectural style that integrates with its surroundings.
The design of the home draws inspiration from mid-century architecture, with a particular focus on landscape, natural light, and the surrounding scenery. The project site was originally a vegetated plateau overlooking the River Teme. The design team's primary task was to carefully integrate the new building into the landscape. Other design priorities included creating an entrance that leverages the landscape, connecting private and public spaces, and using materials that harmonize with the local historical context.
Inside, built-in furniture such as cabinets and bookshelves bring a sense of cleanliness with their clean lines, with linear details recurring throughout the home. Large windows provide panoramic views, connecting indoor and outdoor spaces, while high ceilings and exposed beams enhance the sense of spaciousness.
The materials chosen for the home are characterized by minimalism. The primary exterior material is a light gray linear Danish brick, used to define the facade, with the client influencing the shape, color, and tone. Inside, natural, authentic materials enhance warmth. Lime plaster from Herefordshire covers the walls, chestnut wood from a nearby sawmill forms the ceilings, and locally crafted custom joinery integrates with the architecture. In the open-plan kitchen and dining area, dark textured marble accents the kitchen countertops and also appears in the bathroom basins. External crenellation details are echoed indoors, particularly at the dining banquette. The combination of lime, wood, and concrete allows the spatial quality and material textures to take center stage.
Considerations for environmental performance and sustainability run throughout the design. Skylark uses an air-source heat pump and a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system. The concrete floor acts as thermal mass, retaining heat in winter and regulating temperature in summer to minimize energy consumption. Most materials were sourced locally.
Outdoors, a biodiverse, expansive planting area featuring 2,000 bulbs, new trees, and pollinator-attracting species transforms the site into a thriving landscape.
Matthew Sanders, founding director of House of EM, which was founded by Emma Bodie and Matthew Sanders, stated that the Skylark project allowed them to explore how architecture can be both ambitious and deeply connected to its site. Working alongside the client enabled the team to create a bold, thoughtful home firmly rooted in its environment.
