Description
Cohort 6 of the Regenerative Design Lab (March–November 2026)
An eight-month, part-time programme for leaders and future leaders across the built environment who want to put regenerative design into practice. Combine online workshops, residential retreats, and peer-led enquiry to reshape how you lead projects, organisations, or policy.
Since launching in 2022, the Lab has welcomed over 70 participants, seeded two books (The Regenerative Structural Engineer and The Pattern Book for Regenerative Design), and built a growing alumni network shaping practice across engineering, architecture, education and policy.
Cohort 6 is your chance to join this movement — to test regenerative design in your own projects, develop new approaches for your organisation, and connect with a powerful community of change-makers.
Application timeline
- Complete your application by 18 December 2025 to be included in the first review of applicants on 19 December 2025.
- A second short application window will open in January.
- Interviews mid-January.
- Places confirmed in early February.
At a glance — Cohort 6 snapshot
- Dates: March to November 2026.
- Format: Hybrid — three residential gatherings at Hazel Hill Wood and five online workshops.
- Location: Online and at Hazel Hill Wood, near Salisbury.
- Group size ~ 20 participants
- Weekly commitment – 1 hour reflective work (ideally integrated into your live work)
Fees
- £2,800 + VAT – corporate / commercial / large organisation rate
- £1,900 + VAT – public sector / NGO / small organisation rate
- £950 + VAT – self-funded / micro-organisation rate
- Equity places: £600 + VAT (up to two places)
Who it’s for
Leaders and future leaders in engineering, architecture, policy-makers, educators and strategists working in the broad sector of the built-environment, who want to lead regenerative practice in real contexts.
What makes Cohort 6 different?
In Cohorts 3 and 4 we ran specialist Labs focused on policy. Cohort 5 we are running in-house for the team at Hazel Hill. For Cohort 6, we are returning to an open Lab format — a space where participants can pursue a wide range of enquiries, and where the diversity of interests creates a rich learning ecosystem.
Our aim is to create a space where people can study anything from:
- applying regenerative design on projects,
- to developing regenerative business strategies,
- to shaping policy and governance,
- to designing products and supply chains,
- to exploring their own regenerative practice.
The richness of the Lab comes from this diversity of interests. Your enquiry is held alongside those of others, creating surprising connections and fresh perspectives.
The Pattern Book as our companion
At the heart of this journey is The Pattern Book for Regenerative Design. The Pattern Book emerged from the Lab, and now it serves as manual within it — offering tools, methods, and maps of enquiry. As participants use the Pattern Book in practice, their experiences feed back into future editions. The Lab and the Pattern Book breathe each other in and out, continually evolving together.
Why join?
The sixth cohort of the Regenerative Design Lab aims to help you
- Grow regenerative thinking in your projects and organisation — apply regenerative principles to a live challenge, supported by peers and facilitators
- Build your leadership capacity — gain skills in systems thinking, facilitation, and creative practice that extend beyond technical expertise
- Renew your energy — reconnect with living systems at Hazel Hill Wood and develop practices that support resilience and wellbeing
- Shape the field — contribute to an alumni community that is actively advancing regenerative design in industry and policy
How it works
Over eight months, Cohort 6 blends online and in-person learning:
- Five online workshops (2–3 hours) for systems tools, peer learning, and project coaching
- Three residential gatherings at Hazel Hill Wood, an off-grid woodland retreat, where you’ll connect with nature, deepen relationships, and reflect on practice
You’ll also dedicate around 1 hour per week to reflective work and developing your enquiry — ideally woven into your day-to-day projects rather than “extra” work.
Programme details
- Dates: March – November 2026
- Format: Part-time, designed to complement professional work
- Location: Online and Hazel Hill Wood, near Salisbury
- Group size: Around 20 participants
Session schedule
- Session 1 | 3rd March 10am – 12noon | Kick-off | Online
- Session 2 | 24th March 11am – 25th March 3pm | Spring residential (one night)| Hazel Hill Wood
- Session 3 | 5th May 9:30am – 12:30pm | Online session
- Session 4 | 1st June 9:30am – 12:30pm | Online session
- Session 5 | 1st July 11:00am – 3rd July 3:00pm | Summer residential (two nights) | Hazel Hill Wood
- Session 6 | 2nd September 9:30am – 12:30pm | Online session
- Session 7 | 28th September 9:30am – 12:30pm | Online session
- Session 8 | 20th October 11:00am – 21st October 3pm | Autumn residential (one night) | Hazel Hill
- Session 9 | 24th November 3:00pm – 6:00pm | Final event in London – venue tbc.
Application process
- Complete the online application form — opens 18th November.
- Complete the application by 19th December to be part of our initial short-listing. We’ll also have a second short application window in early January.
- If shortlisted, join a short informal interview with one of the facilitators in mid January to learn more about you, your work, and your hopes for the Lab and to answer any questions you may have.
- Places will be confirmed at the start of February 2026.
Fees
Cohort 6 is sustained entirely through participant fees. We offer three tiers:
- £2,800 + VAT – corporate / commercial / large organisation rate
- £1,900 + VAT – public sector / NGO / small organisation rate
- £950 + VAT – self-funded / micro-organisation rate
Many organisations support participants as part of leadership development, sustainability, or innovation budgets. We can provide supporting information for funding applications.
Equity places
Each cohort also includes up to two equity places at £600 + VAT. These are designed for applicants who would not otherwise be able to attend, due to financial barriers or underrepresented perspectives.
Equity places are an intentional part of how we design the Lab. They exist to help ensure financial barriers don’t prevent diverse perspectives being present in the cohort.
Selection criteria
We aim to bring together a cohort that is ambitious, thoughtful and diverse — in interests, in lived experience and practice. When reviewing the applications we will consider the following criteria:
Engagement with regenerative design and adjacent fields
This is not a beginner course. You don’t need to have a detailed understanding of regenerative design, but we are looking for applicants who are already engaging with the ideas—whether through circular economy, systems thinking, sustainability, nature-based solutions, or other adjacent fields.
We want to work with people who are ready to go deeper and apply these ideas in real contexts.
Potential for impact and influence
This Lab is designed for leaders and future leaders — people with the intent and ambition to bring others with them. We’re looking for participants who are positioned to stimulate change, whether in their teams, organisations, networks or communities. That doesn’t always mean formal authority — it could mean influence through credibility, storytelling, practice or convening power.
We’ll ask about your leadership experience and the ways you might be able to share your learning with others.
Balance across the cohort
We design each cohort to bring together a rich mix of sectors, roles, and types of professional experience—from engineering and architecture to policymaking, consultancy, finance, and grassroots practice. We also pay attention to lived experience and underrepresented identities.
Together these factors help us build a well-balanced cohort, where different experiences, needs and strengths can shape the conversation, deepen understanding and make space for mutual thriving.
Equity & accessibility
We seek to create safe and brave spaces for participants from diverse backgrounds and lived experience. We are committed to embedding equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression at the heart of our programmes.
If you have additional support or access needs, please let us know in the application form. We are happy to arrange a call to discuss how we can support your learning.
Applications close at midnight on 18th December 2025.
