A Regenerative Approach to DesignBecoming Whole in a Disconnected World A Regenerative Approach to DesignBecoming Whole in a Disconnected World

Bill Reed Integrative Design Collaborative, Arlington, MAwww.integrativedesign.net© All rights reserved. Integrative Design Collaborative and Regenesis 2006 –Contact Bill Reed, reed@integrativedesign.net for permission to use

An object seen in isolation from the whole

is not the real thingMasanobu Fukuoka

Moving towards the Whole ?Sustainability: Noun or Verbdesigning Whole Systems ???

Moving towards the Whole

Design as the “Process of Becoming”

EFFICIENCY

applied technologies

EFFECTIVENESS

restoring the health of natural systems(using the genius of nature)

Biohabitats, IncBaltimore, MD

CONSCIOUSNESS

bringing a new and evolving relationship between people and place into being(becoming participants in the genius of the Whole System)

Regenerative

Less Energy RequiredMore Energy Required

Restorative

Sustainable

Green

Conventional Practice

Relative Improvement (LEED, GB Tool, Green Globe, etc.)

Neutral –“100% less bad” (McDonough)

Humans (Hominids) PARTICIPATING AS nature –Co-evolution of the Whole System

Humans DOING THINGS TO nature – assisting the evolution of Sub-Systems

“One step better than breaking the law” (Croxton)

Technologies / Techniques

Fragmented

Living Systems Understanding

Whole System

Regenerating System

Degenerating System

Trajectory of Environmentally Responsible Design© All rights reserved. Integrative Design Collaborative and Regenesis 2006 - Contact Bill Reed, reed@integrativedesign.net for permission to use

“The Salvages are accustomed to set fire of the Country in all places where they come, and to burne it twize a year, viz: at the Spring, and the fall of the leafe.”

-Thomas Morton

Natural systems have the ability to self organize and heal themselves –

if we participate with them and act as they do

We are nature –it is essential to refocus our relationship

Learn from Feedbackhumility required - avoid hubris

Moving towards the Whole

Instead of doing things TO natureParticipating WITH nature

What’s stopping us . . . ?500 years of powerful, but bad, thinking habits.

A view of a living, organic and spirit infused universe,

was replaced with the metaphor-of the universe as a machine.

move beyond the concept of NATURE as a RESOURCE or MODEL . . .

to full, integral PARTICIPATION with PLACE

Re-Membering

Place Based Design

CONTEXERE

Placecore inter-relationships of human,other biotic, earth systems and the consciousness / spirit that connects them.

Integrating inner developmental processes with our outer development work

"...Therefore, we may consequently state that: this world is indeed a living being endowed with a soul and intelligence ... a single visible living entity containing all other living entities, which by their nature are all related."Plato, Timeus, 29/30; 4th century B.C.

In order to see places as living systems:

Land is not a commodity, but a whole system of life giving processes.

• One can’t reduce life to inert building blocks and expect to understand it. We destroy the systemic properties that give a living system its identity when we dissect it.

In order to see places as living systems:

Understand that life-giving processes are stabilized within systems.

• “The best life insurance for any species in an ecosystem is to contribute usefully to sustaining the lives of other species . . .” Elisabet Sahtouris

Biohabitats, IncBaltimore, MD

In order to see places as living systems:

It is necessary to see all things as components ofliving systems.

• A living systems is not a collection of static components.

• It is a dynamic network of life processes through which eachcomponent and the network as a whole are continually“making themselves.”

Partnership with nature . . .

Healing the planetin concert with human activities

Can development be healing?

Regeneration:

- spiritually reborn- formed or created anew- to give new life and energy to . . .

Life is continually making itself

Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.“

Einstein

Sustainable Designmoving towards the Whole

a Developmental Process

Personal ChangeOuter physical Development requires Inner Developmental work.

Organizational ChangeOrganizational Development cannot happen without Inner Development

Experience Whole System (Living System) Thinking

Understand Relationships, Connections,Possibilities, and Purpose – Paradigm Shifting

The Story of Place (changing understanding)Human Aspirations (changing understanding)Marry them (changing relationship)

Sustain SustainabilityIdentify the Core Purpose of the CommunityCore Team development processBuild capability to create and respond to feedback Evolve

1. Develop Understanding of the Master Pattern of Place- Experience the Place “story of place”- Understand and align human aspirations re: the place and project

1a. Sketch/outline the “story of the place”- Identify key leverage points / key systems

2. Dialogue: Align the potential of healing the place with aspirations for future- Re-conceptualize our place in this place and theworld - (Conceptual Design Framework and HumanDevelopmental Work – our Core Purpose in this place)

Rege

nera

tive

Des

ign

Nature of Place(Restraining Force)

Project Aspirations(Activating Force)

(Rec

onci

ling

Forc

e)

Dimensions of Regenerative Design

Rege

nera

tive

Des

ign

Nature of Place(Restraining Force)

Project Aspirations(Activating Force)

(Rec

onci

ling

Forc

e)

3. Identify indicators and performance targetsLevels of Effort (Work)Operate / MaintainImproveRegenerate

Water Strategy-Increasing efficiency & maintaining effectiveness of existing water system -Improve our recycling capacity (increase value of water we have through multiple uses).-Generate new sources of water in a way that serves regeneration of whole of the landscape (and that

does not lead to degenerative processes)

Energy Strategy-Increasing the energy and maintaining the effectiveness of how we generate, transmit, and utilize

energy.-Increase the value of built environment (buildings/courtyards/villages, etc) by harnessing the

capacity of natural systems to modulate and translate energy extremes into life supporting forms (eg. Estuary)

-Generate new energy from renewable sources.

Habitat Strategy-Maintain prime habitat and corridors-Improve the capacity of existing habitat and corridors for resilience.-Create regenerative habitats and corridors (that contribute to the evolution of the whole landscape).

Community Strategy-Maintain existing levels of community fabric-Improve value-generating capacity of community infrastructure to create a self-reliant, ecologically

appropriate local economy and society-Inspire new dimensions and expression of community (expanded potential and significance)

4 Integrative Design / Construction Process

SD DDPrelim CD B&N Constr & Maint

VE

IEQE

W / HM

$

Discovery

5 Sustain Sustainability- Form a Core Team to hold the aspirations - Create a Process of Conscious Learning andParticipation - Ongoing Feedback

Consciously Evolve

Can we reach the highest human potential if we are not fully engaged in that which supports our existence?

Role of the Core TeamThe Purpose is to Develop the participants and Evolve the Vision

Staying focused on where we want to end up –not what we’re trying to avoid

- to dialogue- to hold the core purpose- to bring something new into being- to inspire (to breathe in)- to evolve with feedback

Evolutionary Role of Humanity

Co-e

volu

tionReestablishing the healthy web of planetary systems

Developing Human Potential

Stewardship

• Transcending paradigms – letting go into unknowing

• Mental Model – an awareness of how things are connected and interrelate and new purpose for these connections

• Process – integrated, all parties engaged

• Tools – metrics, benchmarks, modeling programs

• Techniques / Products / Things (Stuff)