An architect who spent over 20 years delivering homes and hospitality projects has launched a systems-led design company after concluding that construction is “the only major industry that hasn’t modernised.”
Ranjay Judge founded THE HYVVE seven years ago to replace what he describes as “slow, opaque, wasteful” processes with precision manufacturing and integrated infrastructure.
The Oxfordshire-based company combines modular architecture with precision manufacturing to deliver homes faster and with greater environmental responsibility than traditional construction.
But Ranjay, who lives in London, says the journey hasn’t been straightforward – and that he’s still waiting for the milestone that matters.
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“I’m not proud of anything yet,” the 41-year-old told Founder Insights..
“We haven’t earned that feeling.
“We’re still a long way from changing the game and that’s the only milestone that matters to me.
“THE HYVVE exists to raise the standard of how people live, and to shift mindsets about what housing and sanctuary can be.
“Until we deliver places that genuinely improve lives and demonstrate a better model for the industry, pride would be premature.”
Ranjay’s two decades in architecture and development gave him what he calls “a front-row view of how fragmented, inefficient and outdated the industry had become.”
“I saw talented teams constrained by broken systems and legacy processes that no longer served clients, environments, or communities,” he said.
“THE HYVVE was the logical next step, the moment I stopped adapting to the system and decided to rebuild it.”
The catalyst came during a project.
“It was during a project where every stage, planning, design, procurement, construction, was slowed down or compromised by processes that simply shouldn’t exist in a modern industry,” Ranjay said.
“Everyone was working hard, yet the system produced waste, delay and frustration as if by default.
“I realised the problem wasn’t the people, it was the operating model.
“In that moment it became clear: the only way forward was to build a new system from first principles rather than keep patching a broken one.”
THE HYVVE helps landowners, families and anyone requiring high-quality buildings without traditional construction friction.
The company’s first clients were internal projects to prove the model before approaching external partners.
“We made a deliberate decision to develop our own projects first, because the fastest way to prove a new system works is to build it with no compromises and full control,” Ranjay said.
“By acting as our own client, we were able to refine the model, validate the economics and demonstrate the quality and speed that THE HYVVE system can deliver.
“Those pilot projects are now the foundation for our wider pipeline and the reason partners and landowners have approached us.”
But building a future-facing company in an industry shaped by legacy forces hasn’t been easy.
“Brexit disrupted supply chains, increased costs and created uncertainty across the sector,” Ranjay said.
“At the same time, many of the major players resisted change, often because existing inefficiencies worked in their favour.
“Add to that a slowing economy, and the environment was designed to hold innovation back.”
The solution was to stop relying on the old system altogether.
“Instead of trying to reform traditional processes, we built an integrated model that reduces dependency on fragile supply chains and entrenched intermediaries,” Ranjay said.
“That challenge ultimately clarified our direction: if you want progress, you have to design the conditions for it yourself.”
Ranjay co-founded THE HYVVE with Tomas Otto Hansson, who previously built and scaled companies in telecommunications.
“My biggest source of support has been Tomas,” Ranjay said.
“He’s built and scaled companies before, in telecommunications, where complexity, regulation and infrastructure challenges aren’t far from what we’re tackling now.
“He’s been there, seen it, done it, and that experience brings a level of clarity and composure that’s invaluable.
“He challenges my thinking, tests assumptions and helps keep the strategy disciplined.”
Running THE HYVVE has fundamentally changed Ranjay’s approach to decision-making.
“It removed fear from the decision-making process,” he said.
“When you stop operating inside someone else’s system, you gain the freedom to think clearly, not reactively, not defensively, and not out of habit.
“That shift has made me a far more rounded professional.”
The business has evolved significantly since its inception — from a modular construction company to what Ranjay calls “a systems company.”
“The deeper we went into the industry, the clearer it became that the problems weren’t isolated, they were systemic,” he said.
“We started out focused on modular construction, but it didn’t take long to realise that modular alone can’t fix an industry built on fragmented processes, outdated workflows and misaligned incentives.
“Instead of improving one part of the process, we’re redesigning the entire operating model, how places are conceived, designed, manufactured and delivered.”
When asked about momentum, Ranjay’s response is characteristically measured.
“Things haven’t fully clicked yet and that’s exactly what we expected,” he said.
“We’re building a system that’s ahead of where the market currently sits.
“What has changed is the market’s mindset.
“Over the past year investors have started to realise that the old construction model can’t meet future demand.
“Their thinking is catching up to where we’ve been from the start.”
Ranjay describes his leadership style as “architectural” – not just because of his background, but because of his systematic approach.
“I think in structures, systems, relationships, dependencies and I design before I act,” he said.
“Every decision sits within a larger framework, every move has a purpose, and nothing (almost nothing 🙂 is accidental or reactive.
“Leadership, for me, is about building the conditions for good decisions to happen consistently.”
Looking ahead, Ranjay’s north star remains clear.
“My north star is to rebuild how we live,” he said.
“Not by adding another housing product to the market, but by creating a whole new system that makes high-quality, low-impact, beautifully designed homes and sanctuaries the norm rather than the exception.
“If we can change the operating model of construction, how places are conceived, manufactured and delivered, we can improve people’s lives, restore and reconnect to the environments they inhabit, and prove that progress and responsibility can coexist.”
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