NEW TOWNS

Build Better, Together
Plot-based custom and self-build housing is gaining momentum in the UK. The potential to match international success is now within reach. With the government targeting 1.5 million new homes within New Towns and Settlements, this approach could play a pivotal role across urban, suburban, and rural contexts.

Design for People
Studio Collective has been exploring its key advantages. Above all, this approach goes beyond increasing housing supply. Custom and self-build creates resilient, characterful, and genuinely affordable communities. These are places where people shape their own homes and development responds directly to local context.

Unlike speculative housebuilding, plot-based development puts people at the centre. Residents become stakeholders from the outset. Consequently, they make informed choices about design, materials, and layout. As a result, homes are better loved, better maintained, and more rooted in their communities.

Lessons from Abroad
International evidence is compelling. In the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia, Custom and Self-Build accounts for a significant share of new housing. Furthermore, these countries consistently deliver higher design quality, greater tenure diversity, and stronger community identity. In short, volume housebuilding alone cannot achieve this.

New Town Futures
We were therefore delighted when Sir Michael Lyons introduced us to a member of the New Town Task Force. This opened a timely discussion on how Custom and Self-Build can shape the next generation of new towns.

New Towns offer a genuine opportunity to embed plot-based development at the masterplan stage. However, integrating Custom and Self-Build early is critical. Without this, land values and procurement decisions quickly close off these opportunities.

A Moment for Change
At its heart, this is not just about delivering homes. It is about creating affordable, inclusive, and diverse communities. Custom and Self-Build widens access to quality housing, supports local builders, and creates places with lasting character.

With 1.5 million homes to deliver, scaling up plot-based development is how we build better, together.

Ready to explore what is possible? Let’s talk.