As the government grapples with its plans to build 1.5 million new homes, we find ourselves asking what kind of homes they will be. Britain has spent decades normalising the kind of “Noddy” houses that are cheaply built, poorly insulated, materially extractive and often do not provide good quality living environments. If we continue to replicate that model at this scale, we will be missing a huge opportunity and locking in another generation of energy-inefficient, carbon-intensive housing that leaves residents paying the price.

The urgency is not just to build more homes but to fundamentally rethink how we build them. Environmental performance and quality of life must be embedded from the outset, not added as optional extras when budgets allow. If done right, this approach does not necessarily mean higher costs.