We often think of design as starting with a design brief—a set of requirements outlining what we want.
But when seen through a regenerative lens, design begins differently. The goal of regenerative design is not just to meet human needs but for human and living systems to survive, thrive, and co-evolve.
This shift in focus changes the design process in significant ways.
The first difference is that our goal is not simply the creation of a building. Instead, the building itself must contribute to greater thriving within the system it inhabits.
This leads to a different starting point. Instead of asking, “What building do I need?” we ask, “What is the overall state of the system I’m working within?” Part of that system might include the immediate need for a building. But in this framing, we also consider the broader system needs.
- What is the health of the ecosystem? Where is it thriving, and where is it depleted?
- What is the health of the community? In what ways is it flourishing, and where are there unmet needs?
By starting from these wider perspectives—and including many other factors we might observe—a more holistic design brief emerges. One that has the potential to address far more than our own immediate needs.
But there’s another important reason to start design with observation. More on that tomorrow.