Build a settlement in three phases tied to population: at 20-50 people the communal core, the first housing cluster, basic farming and one workshop; at 50-100 more clusters, more farmland, stores and a water system; at 100-150 the remaining zones, specialised buildings such as a clinic and school, and formal paths. Fire spacing and the layout framework are set in the first phase, because they cannot be corrected once buildings stand in the wrong places.
Part of Settlement Layout for 150 People
A phased construction plan sequences a settlement’s buildings and infrastructure by population stage, so that each stage is complete and safe while leaving room for the next.
Each Phase Must Stand On Its Own
The layout guide gives the sequence:
| Phase | Population | Build |
|---|---|---|
| 1, founding | 20-50 | Communal core, first housing cluster, basic agricultural infrastructure, one workshop |
| 2, growing | 50-100 | Additional housing clusters, expanded agriculture, storage buildings, the water system |
| 3, established | 100-150 | All zones complete, specialised buildings (medical, education, defence), formalised paths and infrastructure |
The gathering hall guide describes the hall as usually the first large building in a settlement of 30-150 people, which fits Phase 1: the core comes first because it houses governance, dining, school and first aid before separate buildings exist (Community Gathering Hall).
Worked Example: Housing Per Phase
Inputs: 3.75-5 people per unit (the layout guide’s 30-40 units for 150); clusters of 8-10 units.
- Phase 1 at up to 50 people: 50 ÷ 5 = 10 to 50 ÷ 3.75 ≈ 13 units, about one cluster.
- Phase 2 at up to 100 people: 20 to 27 units, two to three clusters.
- Phase 3 at up to 150 people: 30 to 40 units, four clusters.
Each phase therefore adds roughly one or two clusters, a manageable build for a community of that size. The housing guide’s own sequence applies inside each cluster: shared walls first, then unit features, then one continuous roof (Multi-Family Housing Design).
What You Need
- The full plan, staked out on the ground at the start
- A population forecast — births, arrivals and a margin
- A materials and labour plan for each phase
Method
Step 1: Stake the whole plan — core, clusters, corridors and zones — before building anything.
Step 2: Build Phase 1 complete. The core, a cluster, a water point, a workshop at its full 30 m distance from the housing. Set the fire spacing now.
Step 3: Trigger Phase 2 by population or season, not by date. Add the water system, stores and the next cluster before the existing ones are overcrowded.
Step 4: Add specialised buildings in Phase 3 only once the basics are secure.
Step 5: Review at each transition. Compare real population, yields and water flow with the plan.
Common Mistakes
- Building the workshop close to the first cluster “for now” — it is never moved.
- Delaying the water system until phase 2 if the source is far or the settlement is on poor ground.
- Starting a new cluster before finishing the last roof.
Safety
A partly built settlement is still a fire risk
In every phase, keep the spacing, the water barrels and an alarm in place. Construction waste, stacked timber and straw are fuel; keep them 10 m from occupied buildings, as the fire guide requires for fuel storage.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Expansion Corridors — protecting the room for later phases
- Combine with: Infrastructure Scalability — services sized for the last phase