Theory based workshops that explore and experiment with frameworks to cultivate and embed regenerative design and practice, group work, peer relationships, live projects and residentials, all provide a backdrop and context for individual learning.
Each participant holds their own personal enquiry, applying their learnings in their own professional and personal lives too, exploring the meaning of regenerative concepts both within and outside of their working lives.
Their individual learning informs our shared conversations and contributes to our wider understanding of how to create the transition to a regenerative built environment. In this section we summarise take-away themes and patterns from individual reflections on the impact, outcomes and learnings in professional and personal lives .
Professional and industry related outcomes
At the end of the 8 month journey, here are some of the professional and industry outcomes we heard about from participants:
- I am in the process of preparing a vlog to educate the masses in WSP.
- We are also hosting an NLA event where we’ll present a paper on “what if forests were the cities of the future“.
- We submitted a £0.5bn planning application which was assessed using a bespoke regenerative framework in collaboration with Useful Projects.
- I have a much clearer practical understanding of what needs to be done to make this Watershed project a reality and am about to apply for national lottery funding to move this forward.
- I have a much stronger focus on skills and materials that I would have done before. I am trying to create an ensemble of connected projects by cultural organisations in Bristol so we can take a joint approach to these two areas, because you cant be regenerative on your own and the skills and materials piece needs scale to work.
- It has kickstarted a regenerative education group who are now collaborating in a number of ways including organsing an anti-conference.
- I’ve been craving a sense of purpose for the next half of my career. My time in the lab has certainly given me direction and the confidence to develop this further and use my position to influence others.
- I have spoken to management about the regenerative work of the lab and have been invited to sit on a newly formed working group to explore ways of incorporation into our service.
- The 3 Horizons Framework has given me a way of describing things and thinking about change that I’d struggled to convey previously.
- The ideas and thinking really helped me shape my ideas for my Adaptation Pathways project, which I’m excited to keep developing.
- I’ve brought concepts back to my work including introducing outdoor working/ meetings, sharing of 3 horizons and other frameworks, and challenging clients on some projects to do more.
- I will make a more conscious effort to bring in different voices and ‘stories’ of those who are working in the built environment sector and bringing regenerative design/H2 visions into their work
- People see and think about regenerative everything, everywhere:
- I’m struggling to “unsee” regen.
- Not a day goes by without me mentioning the word “regenerative”.
- Day to day, I ask questions about nature and materials in all meetings, to generate conversation/thought amongst attendees.
- Many participants spoke of their growth in confidence; in talking about regenerative practice, in reaching out to other regenerative professionals, or to this community for support
- Some spoke of the RDL community as a new network of professionals in the sector, helping to develop current and future workable policies, campaigns, and live projects such as the Building Blocks Manifesto for Architects Declare.
Policy and regenerative design learnings
Participants came away with a better understanding of the importance and significance of policy making and the role it can play in creating change in the built environment, to enable thriving eco/social systems, alongside grass roots, bottom-up change.
- “Right now policy seems a really long way from regenerative design – it needs to set the tone for the seriousness of the idea. In order to become an important leverage point to enabling change towards regenerative design.”
- “Policy is an important tool and lever for large scale change in addition to bottom up.”
They identified barriers to creating policies that enable regenerative design, rooted in limited perspectives and mindsets, and limited capcity to create the right conditions:
- the policymaking field is lacking a holistic perspective
“there isn’t an overarching policy that considers the entire system and avoids unintended consequences.” - company/client perspectives are narrow, often lacking a nuanced and place based view
“many professionals are restricted by what can be achieved due to company missions and/or client briefs that fall short of RD principles. [And] policies which require adoption of regenerative principles would help to overcome these barriers, however this would not neccessarily result in a change in mindset, just ‘ticking more boxes.’” - Policy is not yet creating conditions for regenerative practices to grow
“policy is not doing enough to enable the seeds of regenerative design and practice that are already taking place”
They also identified areas of opportunities where policymaking could enable regenerative practice, design and outcomes through the built environment.
- We must do more to put forward practical, workable policies that can help nurture these new ways of doing things in the sector.
- There are clear ways that Government can help through new or revised regulation to incentivise
- Policy is hard (really hard) to move forward at a industry / regional level, but easier to implement at smaller scales e.g. company policies.
- In order to make change, we need to understand the existing system and know which bits we want to keep.
- Policy requires a huge amount of collaboration
- There is a need for an evidential basis upon which to put forward new policy is in itself difficult for RD.
- The Horizon model was helpful to understand the importance of supporting emerging innovation rather getting bogged down with changing business as usual practice.