Why context should be at the heart of residential design
From a family home in rural Shropshire to a brownfield site in Charlton to a house tucked into the Devon coastline, we take a look at a handful of schemes around the country where context is one of the guiding architectural principles.
As housing development becomes increasingly shaped by standardisation and efficiency, architects are making the case for a more considered approach: one that responds to local character, materials, heritage and community to create places all over the country with a genuine sense of belonging.
Pic credit: Itago Media Andy Semple
Context is also something highly regarded by the British Homes Awards judging panel so it’s no surprise to find a project like Black and Stone (pictured above) on the 2025 shortlist. Designers Mallett saw an opportunity to create a home In West Perthshire which was deeply rooted in the local vernacular and the site’s rural history. A timber-framed structure was built inside the existing stone shell of what was once a stone farmworker’s cottage. This meant close collaboration between the client, the structural engineer the local authority, as well as a team of skilled craftspeople. This sensitive retrofit balances bold architecture with sensitivity to place, with locally sourced materials and traditional techniques. Durable, natural materials, including blackened larch cladding and five distinctive gables, root the building in its landscape, while a restrained interior palette of timber, stone, white walls and micro-cement flooring creates calm, daylight-responsive spaces. The minimalist design prioritises texture, light and views of the Scottish Highlands.
Pic credit: Jack Hobhouse
In a very different type of site, architects Gibson Thornley completed Leon House in southeast London earlier this year. This five-storey housing development (above) which offers 48 apartments, harnesses an unassuming brownfield location between a former quarry and an existing housing estate and yet also takes many design cues from the local vernacular. Originally developed for housing developer Pocket Living, Leon House is now being brought to the market by Schroders Capital. Schroders Capital is currently leasing up the property as Discounted Market Rent apartments, with rents capped at 80% of local market levels. The building's shape and pre-cast details take inspiration from Charlton House, a nearby Jacobean stately home. Like the landmark, the design features repeated windows set in deep brick reveals, divided by a decorative stone bay. The brick façade, meanwhile, features repetitive horizontal bands, referencing the brick-led buildings that form Charlton’s Victorian and post-war expansion and the dog-tooth brickwork of the splayed entranceway echoes the brick features of neighbouring semi-detached homes.
Pic credit: Gunner Gu
A couple of hundred miles drive north, in Manchester, Buttress Architects has delivered 119 thoughtfully designed apartments across two buildings at No.1 Ancoats Green (above) for This City, Manchester City Council’s housing development company. Jasper Sanders + Partners were appointed directly by Buttress Architects to design and deliver the scheme’s resident amenity spaces plus a cohesive interior specification for both the apartments and townhouses. Architecturally, the scheme’s material palette takes cues from the immediate neighbourhood of Ancoats, adopting a palette of red brickwork in complementary tones while inside, Rebecca Finney, Creative Director of Jasper Sanders + Partners, explains, “Subtle, grounded hues evoke a sensory connection with the surrounding landscape. The palette is warm and inviting, yet purposefully avoids predictability through distinctive tonal combinations - rich claret, soft cornflower blue, buttery cream, and shaded taupe with undertones of khaki.”
Pic credit: Richard Gaston
Contrasting with the gritty urban grain of Manchester, Skylark by London-based architecture and interiors practice House of EM evokes the Shropshire countryside where this new build family home (above) can be found. The design brief called for an impactful arrival harnessing the views overlooking the River Terne and connecting private and communal space using materials that complemented the nearby historic market town of Ludlow. Natural and honest elements were the order of the day, reinforcing a sense of warmth and continuity. Lime plaster sourced from Herefordshire covers the walls, chestnut timber from a nearby timber yard forms the ceilings, and clever bespoke joinery crafted locally integrates with this private residence. Says Matthew Sanders, Founding Director at House Of EM summing up the scheme, “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.”
Pic credit: Jim-Stephenson
Bay House in north Devon also strongly respects its location. Designed by architecture practice McLean Quinlan, on one side of the steeply sloped site are wide views over the nearby coastline, and the other overlooks bucolic farmland. The architects have cleverly designed the home to unfold down the site; levels step down from one to three storeys in line with the natural topography of the plot to form a layered family home. The open plan living, kitchen and dining areas benefit from floor-to-ceiling glazing which provides an abundance of natural light and the feeling of being ensconced in the natural elements (pictured above). Underpinning this, for the garden design, McLean Quinlan worked with Devon-based consultancy and design practice Eden Design, using local dark grey granite and native coastal grasses to tuck Bay House into the hillside.
With the results of the British Homes Awards due at the opening ceremony on 23 September 2026, this offers a further timely reminder that the best new housing doesn't just meet a brief, it truly belongs somewhere.
