Moving Heaven and Earth with Buried Treasure: The Urgent Need for Multigenerational Cohousing
The need for multigenerational cohousing has never been more pressing. Families are seeking ways to support one another as parents age, children grow, and the realities of modern life make independent living increasingly challenging. Yet, despite the demand, delivering these projects quickly enough remains a massive hurdle, particularly in the UK’s rigid planning landscape.
In Abbots Leigh, we moved heaven and earth to achieve planning permission for a multi-generational cohousing project. Now, we’re doing the same to ensure it gets built in time. The challenge is stark: our clients need to bring their ageing parents into the fold, creating a home where they can care for each other. Yet, navigating the planning system - especially in sensitive areas like the greenbelt feels like an uphill battle. Policy and guidance simply don’t evolve fast enough to meet the needs of real families in real time.
Arial view of Abbots Leigh site.
The new homes in Abbots Leigh are designed as earth-sheltered dwellings, sunken into the landscape and hidden from view. They embody a philosophy of minimal impact and maximum benefit - both environmentally and socially. In doing so, they reflect an approach we believe is essential: working with the land rather than against it and using what’s already available to create something new.
A key feature of this project is recycling ‘buried treasure’ - salvaged materials from the original farmhouse that will be repurposed to form 'wapan' walls in the new homes. This circular approach to material use is something we are deeply passionate about. By integrating elements of the past into the future, we create continuity, both physical and emotional in the places we build.
This work isn’t just theoretical. It’s personal. Just this morning, I spoke to my own mother, who has been unwell recently. Living away from her makes it difficult to provide the support I want to. Immediately after, I took a call from a client who had just lost his mother-in-law. They had hoped to build a new home together but couldn’t get it done in time. Stories like these are far too common, and they underscore the urgency of what we do.
Stage 3 design with separate dwelling
Planning policies are simply not keeping up with the real needs of families. Multi-generational living and community support are essential if we are to address the loneliness epidemic and the challenges of an ageing population. The human and social value of these projects is undeniable, and yet, we cannot build them fast enough.
As a practice, we are committed to making these projects happen - no matter the obstacles. We will continue to push for planning reforms to enable cohousing and multi-generational housing to be delivered more easily. But in the meantime, we will take the hard path, with grit and determination, because it is the right thing to do.