What HUMAN+NATURE LTD does

Human Nature (Places) Limited is a UK-based sustainable property developer founded in 2007 and headquartered in Lewes, East Sussex. The company develops and delivers mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhoods using natural building materials sourced from host bioregions, walkable urban design, and shared infrastructure for mobility, energy, and amenities. Its core methodology is the proprietary Circle of Impact, a 12-dimension framework covering Energy, Buildings, Homes, Mobility, Stewardship, Enterprise, Affordability, Catalytic Conversations, Land Use, Bioregion, Behaviour & Culture, and Public Health, designed to deliver 'Exponential Sustainability' at the neighbourhood level.

The company operates across four place typologies: New Settlements (3,000+ home planned communities, 15,000-home 5-year goal), New Life Neighbourhoods (brownfield regeneration, 4,000-home 5-year goal), Urban Blocks & Refurbishments (block-scale mixed-use, 1,000-home 5-year goal), and Housing Clusters (village/town infill, 2,000-home 5-year goal). Its flagship project, The Phoenix in Lewes, received planning approval for 685 homes positioned as the UK's 'most sustainable' neighbourhood and largest all-timber development.

Human Nature generates revenue through one-time property sales (individual homes, shared living units, institutional affordable housing blocks) complemented by recurring revenue streams including shared living services (co-housing, co-living, co-working, storage, laundries), CoMo co-mobility services (EV-cargo bikes, car share, shuttle buses), and localized renewable energy services. The company's go-to-market is enterprise field sales combined with a 'Future Customers' database for pre-qualifying end-user demand. The 11-50 employee firm is led by Founder/CEO Jonathan Smales and Founder/Co-Chairman Michael Manolson, with David Cowans (Co-Chairman), Katy Whelan (CFO/Investment Director), Joanna Yarrow (Chief Impact Officer), and James Simmons (COO).

Name

HUMAN+NATURE LTD

Legal name

Human Nature (Places) Limited

Website

https://humannature-places.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Human Nature (Places) Limited is a UK sustainable property developer that designs and delivers mixed-use neighbourhoods using natural materials, walkable design, and shared mobility and energy infrastructure. It serves individual residents, housing associations, and institutional investors across four development typologies totaling a 22,000-home 5-year pipeline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Real Estate Development

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Co-Living Property Management (BPAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainable real estate
• Neighbourhood development
• Co-mobility services
• Shared living services
• Affordable housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lewes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Property Development and Sales: Human Nature develops and sells residential properties across multiple typologies including new settlements, urban neighbourhoods, housing clusters, and urban blocks. Revenue is generated through property sales to buyers ranging from individual homeowners to institutional investors for affordable housing.
2. Shared Living Services: Revenue from shared living arrangements including co-housing, co-living options, micro-rented apartments, and associated services such as storage, laundries, and co-working spaces.
3. CoMo (Co-mobility) Services: Co-mobility services including EV-cargo bike hire, car share clubs, and shuttle buses generating ongoing revenue from residents.
4. Energy Services: Localized renewable energy grids and shared energy services reducing cost of living while generating revenue from energy management and distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HUMAN+NATURE LTD is a sustainable neighbourhood development company that designs and builds walkable, mixed-income communities using natural materials sourced from local bioregions. The company delivers four typology services (New Settlements, New Life Neighbourhoods, Urban Blocks & Refurbishments, and Housing Clusters) and operates shared services including CoMo (co-mobility) and shared living, alongside an in-house Investment & Asset Management function. Its work is anchored in a proprietary framework called the Circle of Impact spanning 12 interconnected sustainability dimensions.

Product overview

Human Nature (Places) Limited is a sustainable urban development and placemaking company that operates as a service-oriented business rather than a software product company. The core offering is the 'Circle of Impact' — a proprietary framework for delivering exponentially sustainable neighbourhoods. This framework is delivered through four distinct place typologies: New Settlements (planned new communities of 3,000+ homes), New Life Neighbourhoods (brownfield/urban extensions), Urban Blocks & Refurbishments (block-scale mixed-use development), and Housing Clusters (in-fill homes in existing communities). Supporting services include CoMo (co-mobility) services, shared living solutions, and natural building methodologies. The company also offers shared living amenities (co-working, storage, laundries, playrooms), renewable energy systems, and community wealth building services. The four typology services represent distinct development scales and approaches, while the Circle of Impact framework unifies them under a common sustainability methodology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Settlements A typology service for designing and delivering new, large-scale sustainable settlements using natural materials, walkable layouts, and mixed-tenure housing.
• New Life Neighbourhoods A typology service for transforming and revitalising existing neighbourhoods into sustainable, mixed-income, mixed-tenure communities.
• Urban Blocks & Refurbishments

Quantifiable outcome

• Target of 22,000 homes across all typologies within 5 years (15,000 New Settlements + 4,000 New Life Neighbourhoods + 1,000 Urban Blocks + 2,000 Housing Clusters)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Atelier TencoreTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental design consultancy providing expertise in sustainable building design and engineering services. Partner logo displayed on website indicating ongoing working relationship.
• Useful Simple TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner providing sustainability and environmental expertise. Partner logo displayed indicating collaborative relationship.
• PeriscopecoreTechnology or IntegrationUrban design and masterplanning consultancy. Partner logo displayed indicating ongoing collaboration on place-making projects.
• Addleshaw GoddardcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal consultancy providing legal services for development projects, planning, and corporate matters. Partner logo displayed indicating ongoing relationship.
• Whitby WoodcoreTechnology or IntegrationStructural and civil engineering consultancy. Partner logo displayed indicating collaboration on development projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pocket Living: London-based developer of affordable homes for first-time buyers using innovative design and shared space models. Directly comparable on mission of affordable, well-designed urban housing with mixed-tenure elements, although Pocket Living focuses primarily on single-site urban infill rather than multi-typology neighbourhood-scale developments.
• Ilke Homes: UK modular homes manufacturer focused on factory-built, energy-efficient housing for housing associations and developers. Comparable on the system-built, low-energy construction methodology and partnership with housing providers, though smaller scale and more focused on panelised manufacture than neighbourhood design.
• Legal & General Homes: Institutional-backed UK housebuilder (part of Legal & General) focused on modular construction, affordable housing, and build-to-rent schemes. Comparable on the institutional capital model and mix of tenure innovation including PRS/build-to-rent, though broader and more capitalised than Human Nature.
• Peabody: One of the UK's largest housing associations and community developers, providing affordable homes and mixed-tenure neighbourhoods. Comparable on the affordable, mixed-income, community-wealth focus, though Peabody operates a non-profit/charitable model at much greater scale across London and the South East.
• Etopia Homes: UK sustainable housebuilder focused on zero-carbon, timber-frame homes with high energy efficiency standards. Closely comparable on the natural materials, low-carbon construction methodology and UK-market sustainability positioning, though at a smaller residential scale rather than full neighbourhood masterplans.

Broad incumbents

• Berkeley Group: Major UK housebuilder focused on brownfield regeneration, mixed-tenure developments and sustainability standards in London and South East. Comparable on mixed-tenure urban regeneration typologies and sustainability emphasis, though operating as a broad residential developer rather than a niche sustainability specialist.
• Lendlease: Global real estate and infrastructure developer with a stated commitment to sustainable development and community regeneration. Comparable on neighbourhood-scale masterplanning and sustainability positioning, but operates at vastly larger scale across commercial, residential and infrastructure, not specialising in UK affordable/sustainable neighbourhoods.

Emerging players

• Cohousing Plus / UK Cohousing Network members: UK cohousing and collaborative living schemes deliver shared amenity, community-led design and sustainability at a smaller, community-organisation scale. Comparable on the co-living, shared-space and community-design elements of Human Nature's typologies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-nature-places-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HUMAN+NATURE LTD