The Crown Estate announces development partners for three housing demonstration projects

The Crown Estate has appointed three leading UK SMEs to deliver its housing demonstration projects across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Cheshire. These partnerships mark the next stage in a project that seeks to find solutions to some of the UK’s housing challenges.

The chosen partners – gs8, igloo Regeneration, and TOWN – are leaders in sustainable development and have been selected for their innovative approaches to delivering high-quality, sustainable housing. The demonstration projects will explore cutting-edge solutions initially to better understand the challenges and opportunities of building homes to quality standards, and ultimately to deliver an accelerated pipeline of sustainable and inclusive housing. By exploring new approaches to develop 200 homes across the three sites, The Crown Estate hopes to understand how the industry can better improve the quality of homes, improve the energy security for those living in them, and then explore how to deliver them at scale across the UK.

Sustainable innovation at the heart of each project

Each pilot project has ambitious targets, including achieving upfront carbon levels of less than 300kg CO₂/m² and operational energy use intensity of 35kWh/m²/year. The developments aim for a minimum 15% biodiversity net gain, on-site renewable energy generation, and alignment with the Passivhaus standard; promoting healthy and energy-efficient living.

The three demonstration projects are designed not only to deliver exemplary homes within new communities, but also to provide valuable insights into sustainable construction and design. The lessons learned will inform future projects across The Crown Estate’s portfolio and the broader housing sector. The three development partners bring a wealth of expertise and award-winning design capabilities to the projects:

• gs8 will deliver 50 net zero carbon homes in Wootton, Bedfordshire. Known for its award-winning, planet-positive developments, gs8 will pioneer regenerative development principles, including a market leading approach to carbon reduction and de-constructable homes for future reuse.

• TOWN will oversee 80 homes at Westwick Row in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, adjacent to The Crown Estate's East Hemel site. The project will explore innovative community engagement methods and alternative housing models, including collaborative housing and intergenerational living.

• igloo, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of socially conscious fund manager Thriving Investments, part of the Places for People group, will lead the development of 60 homes in Knutsford, Cheshire, exploring low-carbon infrastructure delivery and adopting a community-first approach to design and construction.

Driving innovation in housing

The housing demonstration projects aim to address challenges such as the affordability crisis and lack of innovation in housing design. By working with SMEs, The Crown Estate can explore new commercial models and building capacity for smaller developers to deliver sustainable housing at scale across the country, while exploring new building materials, construction methods and technologies.

The Crown Estate has a diverse national footprint and occupies a unique position between the public and private sectors that allows it to bring together a range of partners. Coupled with its unique structure, which compels it to act in the long-term national interest, it is well placed to use both its existing development pipeline and extensive portfolio of land to embed innovation and sustainable design.

Rob Chesworth, Head of Strategic Land at The Crown Estate, said: “The UK’s housing sector desperately needs more innovation if it is to deliver the quality, affordable homes that the current and future UK population needs.

“These housing demonstration projects are an opportunity for us to test innovative approaches to sustainable design and help us understand how to scale up across the country. By partnering with gs8, igloo and TOWN – all of which have proven track records in this space – we are confident that we can play a key role in addressing some of the UK’s significant housing and environmental challenges, while setting new standards for the development of thriving, sustainable communities.”

Josh Gordon, Co-Founder of gs8, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been chosen to partner on this groundbreaking project with such a prominent and forward-thinking partner. We approach every scheme from a holistic perspective, with this project going beyond best practice to engage the local community to help shape the development, which, combined with our regenerative housing approach, will leave a positive mark on Wootton’s community and environment.”

Guy Rochez, Associate Director at TOWN, said: “We are delighted to partner with The Crown Estate and local residents to create a neighbourhood that puts community first. Westwick Row will not only deliver much-needed, high-quality homes but will also serve as a blueprint for how innovative approaches to housing and meaningful engagement can create more inclusive, connected, and sustainable communities.”

Peter Connolly, Chief Executive at igloo, said: “As the UK’s first real estate B Corp and having set up the world’s first sustainable real estate fund, igloo is known for leading innovation in the sector to set new standards for people, place and planet.  We therefore wholeheartedly support the aims of The Crown Estate in embarking on these cutting-edge demonstration projects and are excited to contribute our experience and share learnings that drive forward the transformation of housing development in the UK."

Programmes of public engagement are underway at Westwick Row and Wootton, and is expected to begin in Knutsford later this year.