Rooted in Place: Inside the Architectural Vision of Richard Parr
people • designers
British architect Richard Parr doesn’t just design buildings; he creates a deep sense of place. Renowned for his rural architecture that draws from local materials, heritage, and the Cotswolds landscape, Parr brings a measured and poetic sensibility to every project. His architecture feels timeless and grounded, honouring British tradition while shaping modern countryside living.
From reimagined farmsteads in the Cotswolds to contemporary country homes across the UK, the work of Richard Parr Studio is a study in restraint, craft, and emotional resonance. His buildings whisper rather than shout, celebrating beauty through integrity and place-specific design.
In this exclusive Designeers interview, Richard shares his thoughts on designing with place in mind, the rituals that guide his creative process, and the evolving role of architecture in how we live today, plus a few quick-fire insights into the man behind the studio.
Words: designeers
juLY 2025
WEBSITE: richardparr.com
INSTAGRAM: @richardparrassociates
DESIGNEERS
How would you describe your design ethos in three words?
Richard Parr
Patient, contextual, caring.
DESIGNEERS
Your projects often feel deeply rooted in their landscapes. How would you describe your design philosophy in a sentence?
Richard Parr
My practice is investigative, responsive, and both rooted in and born out of its genius loci.
DESIGNEERS
What does “contemporary rural” mean to you, and how do you bring it to life in your work?
Richard Parr
Living and working in the British countryside profoundly shapes my architectural philosophy. Choosing a rural lifestyle means choosing to be in rhythm with nature. At Richard Parr Associates, we take cues from vernacular architecture and traditional craftsmanship, but we never replicate the past. Instead of creating pastiche, we reinterpret heritage through a distinctly 21st-century lens, using contemporary materials and technology.
I’m fascinated by people’s daily rituals, how they live, and how architecture can enhance rural life. For me, designing countryside homes is not about overcoming nature, but about creating harmony with it. We aim to craft architecture that respects tradition while pushing forward an architecture that feels timeless yet modern, grounded in local identity but with a global perspective.
DESIGNEERS
Can you tell us about the balance between permanence and lightness in your architecture?
Richard Parr
It’s a common misconception that architectural permanence and lightness are opposites. I don’t believe they’re in conflict. At our studio, we aim for structural efficiency, not minimalism for its own sake. True lightness in architecture comes from clarity and purpose, not from stripping away, but from refining.
Elegance and restraint are central to the way we design. Whether we’re working on a contemporary country house or a restored farmstead, the goal is always the same: to create spaces that feel rooted, enduring, and quietly powerful, where material weight and spatial lightness coexist in harmony.
“Luxury is an overused word, often distorted and diluted. The trend toward calling it quiet luxury is just the latest attempt to reframe it. But to me, true luxury needs no explanation. It’s natural, crafted, and imbued with subtlety, meaning, and emotional resonance.”
RICHARD PARR
DESIGNEERS
Materiality is a strong thread in your work. Do you have any materials you return to again and again?
Richard Parr
Absolutely. Natural stone is one material I return to time and again. It’s universal yet deeply local, grounding a project in its geographic and cultural context. Whether it’s limestone in the Cotswolds or rugged granite in Wales, stone brings both authenticity and permanence to our work. It gives our architecture a sense of place, connecting buildings to the land and lending them a quiet, enduring strength.
DESIGNEERS
You split your time between London and the Cotswolds. What does each place give you creatively?
Richard Parr
London feeds my creative energy in a completely different way. I’m inspired by its cultural vibrancy, the pace of life, and the constant evolution of its urban architecture. It offers my fix of people, ideas, and innovation—being immersed in that is creatively vital.
In contrast, the Cotswolds give me space, peace, and perspective. I’ve designed and built my creative studio on a working farm, filled with books and light, surrounded by nature. That connection to the landscape is grounding and deeply inspiring. The contrast between city and countryside keeps my work balanced, responsive, and rooted in both worlds.
DESIGNEERS
What does your ideal Sunday in the Cotswolds look like?
Richard Parr
An ideal Sunday in the Cotswolds countryside starts early—with a run through the fields with my dogs, followed by cooking something nourishing for family, friends, or just for the week ahead. Later, I’ll spend quiet hours in the studio on the farm, where Sundays become a space for creativity and reflection. The perfect Sunday doesn’t involve going anywhere, it’s about staying grounded, surrounded by nature, and allowing ideas to unfold without interruption.
DESIGNEERS
Is there a building, either historic or modern, that you return to for inspiration?
Richard Parr
I often return to the early buildings of Álvaro Siza Vieira, especially Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, the Boa Nova Tea House, on the Atlantic coast of Portugal. It’s a poetic example of architecture in harmony with nature. I’m also deeply moved by Siza’s tidal pools at Leça da Palmeira. Both are masterclasses in materiality, restraint, and landscape-driven design, values that deeply inform my own architectural work.
DESIGNEERS
A building you wish you’d designed?
Richard Parr
Anything by Andrea Palladio or Mies van der Rohe. Palladio’s mastery of classical proportions and timeless symmetry continues to inspire generations, while Mies’s work distils architecture to its purest essence: clarity, structure, and restraint
DESIGNEERS
A material that always grounds a project?
Richard Parr
Stone, always.
DESIGNEERS
Best book on architecture or creativity?
Richard Parr
An obscure but deeply formative choice: The Earth, The Temple, and The Gods by Vincent Scully. I read it as a student, and it profoundly shaped my understanding of the relationship between architecture, place, and the natural landscape. It’s a book that explores how built environments reflect deeper cultural and spiritual connections to the land, an idea that continues to influence my own approach to site-responsive design.
DESIGNEERS
Most inspiring place to recharge?
Richard Parr
Southern Spain.
DESIGNEERS
Signature scent in your studio?
Richard Parr
It changes with the seasons, but anything with essence from figs or, of course, fresh flowers, honeysuckle being my favourite, which I bring from the country to London in the summer.
DESIGNEERS
Quiet luxury, in a sentence.
Richard Parr
Luxury is an overused word, often distorted and diluted. The trend toward calling it quiet luxury is just the latest attempt to reframe it. But to me, true luxury needs no explanation. It’s natural, crafted, and imbued with subtlety, meaning, and emotional resonance. Its richness lies in what’s hidden, in the details you only notice if you care enough to look.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
Rich Stapleton, Gilbert McCarragher, Brotherton Lock AND Jasper Fry
