Richard Parr Associates tops Suffolk boathouse with thatched roof

British studio Richard Parr Associates has completed the Alde Boathouse on the Alde-Ore Estuary in Suffolk, England, featuring a pitched roof clad in Norfolk reed thatch. The timber structure, supported on 12 ground screws, uses oak for its frame and cladding, which will weather to a silvery tone. Designed to reference local waterfront and agricultural buildings, the boathouse is raised to allow floodwater to pass beneath. Thatcher Dominic Meek crafted the roof, which slopes over the rear end. Inside, a built-in table and bench seating are paired with vertically sliding timber shutters that open to estuary views. An exterior timber deck with a lifting beam facilitates boat movement and extends the social area. The building serves both as boat storage and a family gathering space within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Founder Richard Parr stated the design aims to blend with the marsh landscape and draw on rural coastal traditions. Photography is by Paul Dosanjh.