regenerative design lab Archives

October 4, 2023October 31, 2023

The Library of Systems Change

Two participants at the regenerative design lab stand in front of three bookcases situated in a forest clearing. The books on the left bookcase are red, in the middle are blue and on the bookcase on the right they are yellow. The different colours represent H1, H2 and H3 respectively in the Three Horizons model

The Library of Systems Change helps us understand how we can make systemic change over time. It combines the future thinking of Bill Sharpe’s Three Horizons Model with the systems organisation of the Systems Bookcase. It is another model James Norman and I developed in ‘the Regenerative Structural Engineer’, but which can apply to any system in engineering. The overall effect is a compelling visual model for how a system might change over time.

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023

Shifting the systemic barriers to regenerative design

The 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, and adaptable after we build something? This, in essence, is what a regenerative construction industry is all about.

However, when we start translating this approach to individual projects, we quickly encounter a plethora of barriers: supply chain restrictions, legislative hurdles, planning constraints, contractual structures, questions of long-term ownership, measurement and metrics, to name a few.

July 18, 2023July 18, 2023

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 we transition from envisioning a regenerative built environment industry to figuring out how we can start to build the transition.

June 23, 2023June 23, 2023

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 Design Policy Lab. Bill is best known as the creator of the Three Horizons Model, which is so valuable for helping us envisage a transition to a regenerative built environment sector.

June 19, 2023June 20, 2023

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 work they’ve engaged in over the past month. Additionally, in these sessions we host skill development activities designed to bolster our understanding of regenerative practices.

June 12, 2023June 12, 2023

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 Hazel Hill Wood. This event brings together a group of dedicated professionals who have immersed themselves in the world of regenerative design.

April 24, 2023June 12, 2023

Regenerative Design Spring Residential – welcome to the woods.

Image showing post-it notes on a piece of paper lying down on some leaves to illustrate the post '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 the seasons. We held interviews in the winter (when it was actually snowing) and are meeting in the spring where first shoots of ideas will emerge. Over the summer we will turn these ideas into experiments. And and we will harvest and share the fruits of these experiments in the autumn.

In this find out about what we do on our residential retreats and how it fits into the Lab programme.

March 30, 2023June 12, 2023

The journey begins for Lab cohort 2

Screenshot of the 18 participants in the Regenerative Design Lab second cohort

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 deep dive into the principles of regenerative design. Our aim is to experiment with regenerative principles and translate theory into practice for wider adoption by the construction industry.