Exploring concepts of Regenerative Design

ssistant Professors, Veronica Madonna and Trevor Butler present on A New Integrated Approach of the Regenerative Design Process for Academia and Practice.

Regenerative design and its practices seek to move beyond sustainability to form a positive partnership between buildings, communities, and nature. As the industry seeks strategies and skills to address the climate emergency, we must move beyond sustaining current systems and look towards a restorative framework for future generations.

This paper explores the critical question around the building industry's methodology in addressing the climate emergency and the necessary shifts toward regenerative design. The investigation identifies three steps that lead towards the regenerative design solution: firstly, creation of the programmatic needs through listening and dialogue with the local indigenous community; secondly, a deep understanding of the site – its cultural context, climate, and physicality; and thirdly, the weaving together of the program with natural systems to optimize the passive design opportunities while enhancing the celebration of the environmental.