Notes from our recent workshops training engineers (and other humans) and news of upcoming events and courses.
- Sleep, subconscious and napping at work.
This week we ran an online session in our Critical Thinking series exploring a topic not usually found in professional training agendas: sleep and the subconscious. We often ask the question: When do … - From Ideas to Evidence — testing early concepts in structural design
This week marked the final session in our Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers series, where we moved from generating ideas to something more demanding: whether the ideas are any good or …Continue reading “From Ideas to Evidence — testing early concepts in structural design”
- The Map Room – mapping systems, horizons, and change
This week we ran The Map Room, the second workshop in our Critical Thinking for Engineers (and Other Humans) programme. If the Observatory was about looking outwards, this session was about making sense …Continue reading “The Map Room – mapping systems, horizons, and change”
- What to Do When You’re Stuck – Turning the Kalideascope in Conceptual Design
This week, we delivered Session 3 of our Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers, part of the ongoing programme we run with the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE). In …Continue reading “What to Do When You’re Stuck – Turning the Kalideascope in Conceptual Design”
- Exploring Ecosystem Intelligence in Design and Critical Thinking
This week, we delivered the next module in our Critical Thinking series: Ecosystem Intelligence. As we navigate ever more complex systems—whether in infrastructure, urban development, or organisational change—we need better …Continue reading “Exploring Ecosystem Intelligence in Design and Critical Thinking”
- Join us for the London launch of The Pattern Book for Regenerative Design
We’re delighted to announce the London launch event for The Pattern Book for Regenerative Design — happening on Wednesday 19th June, 6–7.30pm at the Society Building in Clerkenwell. This is an evening for engineers, …Continue reading “Join us for the London launch of The Pattern Book for Regenerative Design”
- Exploring Policy and Place – a Regenerative Design Gathering at Chatham House
On 7 May, we brought together members from all four cohorts of the Regenerative Design Lab, along with a wider group of thinkers, policymakers and practitioners, for a special event at Chatham …Continue reading “Exploring Policy and Place – a Regenerative Design Gathering at Chatham House”
- Today’s webinar — Gathering inputs for the creative processToday we ran Session 2 of our Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers, part of the ongoing programme we deliver through the Institution of Structural Engineers. Titled Filling the Kalideascope, this …
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- Critical Thinking — Learning from Experienced DesignersAs part of our Critical Thinking Training Programme, we offer an optional module where participants learn directly from the experiences of senior designers and leaders. Rather than relying solely on …
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- Kicking Off a New Round of Critical Thinking TrainingToday we launched a new round of our Critical Thinking Training Programme, designed to help teams make better decisions in a world of complexity, ambiguity and change. The first session …
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- Designing experiments in policy change – lessons from RDL Cohort 4 Session 6 hosted at Chatham House
On February 4th, our current cohort of the Regenerative Design Lab returned to Chatham House London. In this session hosted by our delivery partners, the Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator, our … - Exploring Regenerative Design with Hawkins Brown
On 30th January 2025, Oliver delivered the keynote for Hawkins Brown’s Regenerative Design Research Week, bringing together ideas on how regenerative design can reshape architectural practice. As the final session …Continue reading “Exploring Regenerative Design with Hawkins Brown”
- How to have ideas – workshop for DYSE
On 29th January 2025, we ran our ‘How to Have Ideas’ workshop with DYSE Structural Engineers in Manchester, exploring the creative process in design and how engineers can generate and … - Unlocking the Power of Design Briefs: Workshop at the IDBE Masters Programme
Today, Oliver was in Cambridge delivering his workshop “Things to Think and Feel about a Brief,” as part of his teaching on the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) …Continue reading “Unlocking the Power of Design Briefs: Workshop at the IDBE Masters Programme”
- Just updated, our regenerative design reading list
With the launch of our fourth Regenerative Design Lab cohort next week, we’ve updated our regenerative design reading list. Interestingly many of the books don’t even mention the phrase regenerative …Continue reading “Just updated, our regenerative design reading list”
- Report Release Announcement: Exploring Policy and Regenerative Design
We are happy to announce the release of our latest report, detailing the findings from the third cohort’s six-month exploration into how policy changes can unlock regenerative design. Our report …Continue reading “Report Release Announcement: Exploring Policy and Regenerative Design”
- How to Have Ideas: Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There
Last week, we were at the Institution of Structural Engineers delivering our ‘How to Have Ideas’ workshop to graduate engineers from Ridge Consulting. Creative thinking is often the gap in …Continue reading “How to Have Ideas: Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There”
- Buying Bags of Kaleidoscopes: reflecting on how far ideas in teaching can travel
Today, Oliver concluded his series of six workshops as part of the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) Masters program in Cambridge. In this final session, participants reviewed the material covered over the last five sessions, spread out over two years, and set objectives for their continued professional growth. - The Pattern Book – a new collaborative project in regenerative thinking
Earlier this month, we unveiled the Pattern Book project, an innovative workbook designed to guide professionals in the built environment towards regenerative design principles. The Pattern Book is the next …Continue reading “The Pattern Book – a new collaborative project in regenerative thinking”
- Models and frameworks for regenerative design – cohort 2 report now live
The news is that we have now published our report from the second cohort of the Regenerative Design Lab. Each cohort of the Lab represents an evolution in our shared …Continue reading “Models and frameworks for regenerative design – cohort 2 report now live”
- Cohort 4 Applications now open
Applications are now open to join Cohort 4 of the Regenerative Design Lab. For this cohort we are partnering with Chatham House Sustainability Accelerator to ask how can we create … - Announcing the Regenerative Design Lab Summer Research Workshop
An opportunity for the members of the Regenerative Design Lab community to connect, learn from each other and explore new opportunities for collaboration - 5 questions on regenerative design
With five days to go until the launch of the Regenerative Structural Engineer, here are some questions that we would hope you can answer once you have read it. Intrigued? … - Shifting the systemic barriers to regenerative designThe idea that construction should enhance ecosystems and communities rather than depleting them might sound like a given. After all, shouldn’t the world be genuinely better off, more resilient, thriving, …
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- Regenerative Design Lab Summer Residential
We’ve just returned from an enriching experience at our Regenerative Design Lab Summer Residential – the programme’s midpoint for Cohort 2. This marks a crucial stage in our journey, where …Continue reading “Regenerative Design Lab Summer Residential”
- Bill Sharpe x Regenerative Design Policy Lab
The news we have been waiting to share with you is that systems thinker and futures practitioner Bill Sharpe is going to be joining us as part of the Regenerative …Continue reading “Bill Sharpe x Regenerative Design Policy Lab”
- Systems Mapping and Abundance Thinking: A Glimpse into RDL Cohort 2 Session 3
Today we held the third session for Cohort 2 at the Regenerative Design Lab (RDL). Our monthly online sessions offer a platform for participants to discuss and digest the reflective …Continue reading “Systems Mapping and Abundance Thinking: A Glimpse into RDL Cohort 2 Session 3”
- Upcoming CRDL Cohort 1 Reunion: A Step Forward in Regenerative Design
Hello! This week marks an exciting time for us as we prepare for the upcoming Constructivist Regenerative Design Lab’s Cohort 1 reunion, taking place from June 13th to 14th at …Continue reading “Upcoming CRDL Cohort 1 Reunion: A Step Forward in Regenerative Design”
- Eva MacNamara on taking part in the Constructivist Regenerative Design Lab
Interview by Alexie Sommer Let’s hear about Eva Eva MacNamara is leading structural & civil engineer, and innovation consultant. She has led a career working on cutting-edge projects including bridges, …Continue reading “Eva MacNamara on taking part in the Constructivist Regenerative Design Lab”
- Kick-off of An Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers
Today we kicked-off our latest round of ‘An Introduction to Conceptual Design fro Structural Engineers’ for the Institution of Structural Engineers. This introductory course, delivered by Oliver Broadbent, is designed …Continue reading “Kick-off of An Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers”
- Regenerative Design Spring Residential – welcome to the woods.
We are looking forward to welcoming our second cohort on the Regenerative Design Lab to Hazel Hill Wood for their spring residential visit. The Regenerative Design Lab programme works with …Continue reading “Regenerative Design Spring Residential – welcome to the woods.”
- The journey begins for Lab cohort 2
This morning we said a big hello and welcome to our second cohort of participants in Regenerative Design Lab. Today, this group of 19 engineers and built-environment professionals begin a … - Register your interest the next Regenerative Design Lab programme
These last two weeks the Constructivist team have been working to finalise details of the next Regenerative Design Lab programme. Applications for Cohort 2 will open in January. See our …Continue reading “Register your interest the next Regenerative Design Lab programme”
- Things to think and feel about a design brief
How should we think about a design brief? As a source of certainty; a point of reference? Or as a starting point for a journey of co-exploration with the client? …Continue reading “Things to think and feel about a design brief”
- Download our Universal Workshop HandoutWe were getting tired of creating new handouts for each of our workshops. And so we asked ourselves, what are the things that all workshop handouts need to contain? Can …
- Action learning and understanding design as a process – teaching in CambridgeI was back in Cambridge this morning to teach my first of four modules this academic year on the Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment Masters module. This first workshop …
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- Fourth IStructE Net-Zero Structural Design wrapped up
Today Will Arnold and I wrapped up our fourth IStructE Net-Zero Structural Design course, this time delivered in-house for a public sector client with a considerable estate portfolio to manage. …Continue reading “Fourth IStructE Net-Zero Structural Design wrapped up”
- Back to face-to-face conceptual design teaching
I am very happy to be teaching once again face-to-face at the Institution of Structural Engineers. Today we ran our first in-person Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers in …Continue reading “Back to face-to-face conceptual design teaching”
- Introducing plans for the Constructivist Regenerative Design Learning LabIn 2022, we plan to launch the Constructivist Regenerative Design Learning Lab. The Learning Lab will be a six month experimental programme for 15-20 individuals that aims to broaden and …
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- New alumni group for Training After Declaring
News is we’ve launched an online alumni group for people who have attended our course ‘Training on what to do after declaring a climate emergency’. One of our aims for …Continue reading “New alumni group for Training After Declaring”
- Trainee feedback: training on what to do after declaring a climate emergency
We asked members from our first cohort of ‘Training on what to do after declaring a Climate Emergency‘ participants what they thought of the course and why other people should …Continue reading “Trainee feedback: training on what to do after declaring a climate emergency”
- Zoom magic tricks
Today I’m working with Nick Francis to develop some playful breakout activities for a conference. Here’s what we came up with. - Designing your learning process – week one of IDBEAt Constructivist we talk lots about models for learning and also about models for understanding design. In this workshop we are combining the two: thinking about how to design your …
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- The Return of Training on what to do after declaring a Climate EmergencyIt’s been a year since many engineering and construction firms declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. Six months since the pandemic struck. But the climate clock is still ticking and …
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- All online for an introduction to conceptual designThis month our face-to-face and webine cohorts for our Introduction to Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers course joined to form one online group, enabling us to deliver to both groups …
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- Giving the gift of knowledge
To celebrate the start of a new decade Constructivist is experimenting with the gift of knowledge. From now until the end of February we’re offering you the opportunity to join … - Conceptual Design at Plymouth University
Last week Dr Boksun Kim Lecturer in structural engineering at Plymouth Univesity invited me to the engineering department at Plymouth University to talk about creativity with staff and students. Boksun … - Magnificent flying machines, creativity and action learning
Here are some reflective notes in video form from Day 1 of January creative design week at Imperial College department of civil engineering.