What is CPO (Collective Private Commissioning)?
CPO (Collectief Particulier Opdrachtgeverschap, also abbreviated CPS) is a building model in which a group of private individuals jointly act as client for the design and construction of their own homes. The group has control over the design, quality and costs of the project.
How does CPO work?
- Group formation — like-minded future residents form an association or cooperative
- Site acquisition — the group obtains a building plot, often through the local authority
- Architect — an architect is engaged jointly for the design
- Builder — the group selects a contractor and signs a building contract
- Individual preferences — within the collective design, individual layouts can be accommodated
Applications
- New housing developments — local authorities reserve plots specifically for CPO projects
- Urban infill — groups of residents develop an apartment building together
- Sustainable building — CPO groups often choose innovative and sustainable construction methods
- Intentional communities — senior citizens or other groups who want to live together by choice
Advantages
The main benefits are: influence over the design, lower costs through collective procurement (no developer margin), a close-knit community before completion, and the opportunity to build more sustainably than standard speculative development.
Related terms
- Building permit
- Contractor
- Specification
- Zoning plan
- Sustainable building
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