Charles H. Spurgeon once said, “Every generation needs regeneration,” and it cannot be truer under the current circumstances. Today, as we stand at the precipice of change, our future is precariously balanced against the dangerous path of rampage, weighing heavily on the other end. With numerous resources rapidly depleting around us, some even nearing the point of extinction, it becomes more crucial than ever for us to focus on mitigating the damaging effects by conserving our resources. While our needs continue to grow, the Earth surely does not. Thus, architects worldwide, upon noticing this destructive trend, have over the decades begun to design consciously. By utilising the available resources judiciously, they create ingenious, sustainable designs that function efficiently, giving more than it takes back to the environment. Furthermore, sustainable architecture has grown over the years, constantly evolving by employing several design strategies that have increased its effectiveness and minimised resource consumption considerably. The 30 St. Mary Axe Tower (nicknamed The Gherkin) by Norman Foster is an incredible example of an iconic architectural landmark that functions as a highly efficient and sustainable model.
Sustainable architecture & its goals
Sustainability, as defined by the World Commission on Environment & Development, is a development that meets the current generation’s needs without compromising those of future generations. The corollary, by extension: Sustainable architecture, or green architecture, could be defined as the practice of designing using available technologies and effective methods to create healthy living environments that bear a minimal negative impact on our environment. Such a design ensures sustainable operation throughout its life cycle up until disposal. It requires a smart, intelligent design for long-term energy and resource efficiency. This includes limiting natural resource consumption, adopting passive design strategies, and increasing energy efficiency. It minimises the carbon footprint and uses recyclable, renewable, and eco-friendly materials with prolonged lifecycles, such as bamboo, reclaimed wood, recycled steel, cork, adobe, rammed earth, etc.
Is sustainable architecture enough?
However, looking at the exponential rates of resource consumption and waste production, these strategies fall short when posed against the demands of the ever-growing population. The purpose of sustainable architecture is to mitigate damages and limit usage, and unfortunately, that is its limitation as well. To maintain ecological balance, it is imperative to reduce the use of our resources and move one step ahead to “regenerate” them. Regenerative architecture, a highly evolved counterpart of sustainable architecture, does exactly so. It encompasses a design framework that simulates the cyclical processes that occur in nature to achieve similar conditions within an artificial environment. This ensures the smooth functioning of the built structures by “restoring” natural processes.
Regenerative architecture: A giant leap towards green innovation
“Regenerative design doesn’t seek to recreate the pre-human world somehow. Rather, it’s about exploring how today’s and tomorrow’s infrastructure, buildings, and spaces can perform the vital functions those earlier ecosystems provided.” – Josef Hargrove, Global Foresight Leader, ARUP.
As architects aim to work towards greener means of production, regenerative architecture comes to their aid as a vital, sustainable, and restorative tool. While most green buildings are designed to behave as independent systems—rarely connecting with the natural ecosystems around them—regenerative designs are created to function as a module integrated within a larger ecosystem. These systems respond to fluctuations in the environment and adjust their parameters accordingly to generate the required energy. This not only reduces the harmful effects but also reverses ecological damages, resulting in a net positive impact on the environment. Regenerative designs facilitate resilient systems that are adept at resisting natural challenges by mimicking natural processes.
Sustainable architecture vs. Regenerative architecture
Although sustainable and regenerative design may appear as different approaches, one works towards conserving the resources, while the other towards replenishment. The difference lies in the scale of intervention—sustainability being another component of the much larger regenerative initiative. Regenerative design is a complex, data-driven, forward approach that seeks to exert itself as an extension of the natural biome—the site, the flora & fauna, and the ecosystem. It is an evolving model owing to its dependence on several site-specific factors. Unlike sustainability, regeneration employs a systems thinking approach. Every aspect of the site (e.g., the microclimate, flora, fauna, soil, and groundwater systems) is studied extensively, and the design is conceived to coexist and contribute to these systems. This in turn strengthens the natural systems, making them more resilient and resistant to severe changes. It also involves the distribution and management of resources and materials so they can be used to prolong the life cycle of the structures and can be repurposed for future projects as well.
Regenerative architecture in practice
Regenerative architecture, as mentioned earlier, is capable of working on many scales. Design interventions could include large-scale systems such as biomimicry, air-cleansing building skins, water-purifier systems, or even carbon-capturing systems. On a smaller scale, it also involves the use of conventional renewable materials such as bamboo, hemp, bark, cork, straw, and timber, along with new, innovative materials such as mycelium bricks, algae-grown limestone, biochar, and mineralised CO₂ in zero-carbon cement & gypsum, cross-laminated timber, and photovoltaic glass that reduce carbon footprints and help the building to “grow” over time. For example, a new strain of cyanobacteria (belonging to the genus Synechococcus) has been synthesised as a “living building material” to mitigate carbon emissions by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere (as per the Armstrong study). The CO2 coupled with the sunlight can be used for photosynthesis, thus releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. These materials are not only known for their durability but also for their ability to prolong the life cycle of a building by imitating natural processes via the inclusion of natural elements.
Keeping in line with the principle of sustainability, regenerative architecture follows a closed-loop system of operation. The use of sustainable, eco-friendly materials reduces the dependency on non-renewable materials. The process employs a multiple-pathway system to effectively reduce the waste generated. The waste is either transferred back to the system for repurposing or released into nature post-filtration. This results in a symbiotic relationship that restores natural elements faster and ensures that the rate of renewal is greater than that of consumption. As a result, this also increases the health and well-being of the people and the ecosystem by improving indoor air quality, cleansing groundwater sources, and overall creating healthy living environments.
Furthermore, the emergence of innovative solutions such as AI and 3D printing in technology and construction fields has proven beneficial for the development of regenerative designs. These programs, combined with new regenerative materials, have facilitated the rise of built structures and landscapes that have a net positive impact on their surroundings. The “Sustainable City” project in Dubai is a perfect example—a resilient, scalable, and replicable working model that strives to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Another project in Detroit—the AGRIHOOD—endeavours to create agricultural neighbourhoods using unconventional methods & cost-effective solutions to improve food security and blight removal.
The merit of regenerative architecture lies in its holistic approach—the integration of the built with the unbuilt, the union of artificial and natural ecosystems. Urban landscapes, thus, experience a transformative, dynamic shift in their character as they gently reintegrate themselves with the biodiversity, blurring the edges between the built and unbuilt. Including regenerative strategies as part of the design program facilitates the engagement of users in the drive towards sustainability. The collaborative techniques encourage the involvement of various professions from scientific and technological sectors—architects, engineers, building developers, ecologists, scientists, and researchers.
As architects and designers, we have always endeavoured to deliver the best design—one that fulfils the needs and wants of the user, the community, or the market. Now, however, as we find ourselves at the threshold of change, we must cater to the most important stakeholder—Mother Earth. It is high time we segue into sustainability. For it is no longer a recourse for the future but the path at present. Including the regenerative mindset as part of design proposals indubitably requires a fundamental shift in our design decisions and values. While it may face scepticism from the clients, it is crucial to negotiate and push these interventions forward to bring about a shift in the way urban structures function. Instead of giving in to market incentives and short-term profitable goals, we must consider the bigger picture and advocate for the betterment of our planet. For, without the Earth, there is no cause for existence.
References list:
- Barker Associates (2022). What is Sustainable Architecture – Barker Associates. [online] Barker. Available at: https://www.barker-associates.co.uk/service/architecture/what-is-sustainable-architecture/ [Accessed 22 Jan. 2025].
- Gattupalli, A. (2022). What is Regenerative Architecture? Limits of Sustainable Design, System Thinking Approach and the Future. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/993206/what-is-regenerative-architecture-limits-of-sustainable-design-system-thinking-approach-and-the-future [Accessed 22 Jan. 2025].
- Jafari, S. (2024). Practical Insights for Implementing Regenerative Design. [online] Buildings.com. Available at: https://www.buildings.com/resiliency-sustainability/article/55142363/practical-insights-for-implementing-regenerative-design [Accessed 23 Jan. 2025].
- Nast, C. (2021). Sustainable Architecture: What are living building materials? [online] Architectural Digest India. Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/imagine-a-building-material-that-grows-organically/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2025].
- Novatr (2019). 11 Best Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Building Materials in Use Today. [online] Novatr. Available at: https://www.novatr.com/blog/sustainable-building-materials [Accessed 23 Jan. 2025].
- Rohlfing, C. (2020). 6 Things to Know About Regenerative Design | HDR. [online] www.hdrinc.com. Available at: https://www.hdrinc.com/insights/6-things-know-about-regenerative-design [Accessed 22 Jan. 2025].
- Christina-Florian, M. (2022). 10 Start-ups Creating Innovative and Sustainable Building Materials, from Mycelium Bricks to Water Purifying Tiles. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/988017/mushroom-mycelium-bricks-and-water-purifying-tiles-10-innovative-and-sustainable-building-materials [Accessed 23 Jan. 2025].
- Arath Jacquez (2015). 15 Best Green Building Projects Around the World. [online] Novatr. Available at: https://www.novatr.com/blog/green-building-projects [Accessed 23 Jan. 2025].
