Is regenerative the new sustainable?

With Architect’s Declare publishing a Primer, IStructE publishing a new book, and with the launch of the Regenerative Design Index, regenerative design is definitely on the rise. But is regenerative the new sustainable? Yes, and no. Yes, we definitely need to move away from just trying to reduce the impacts of the built environment and move towards one that actively helps to restore and enhance the ecosystem. And no, because it shouldn’t be a ‘find and replace’ substitute for the word ‘sustainable’. Regenerative design is a new paradigm, not just a re-brand!

Regenerative design aims to restore the natural systems and processes on which we all depend for every breath of fresh air, sip of clean water and mouthful of food. This is a radical shift from the current approach to sustainable buildings which aims only to reduce the environmental impact of buildings by using less energy, water and materials and generating less waste and pollutants. The drive for sustainability has been invaluable in raising awareness within the construction industry and starting the journey towards improving performance. However, despite the best efforts of the sustainability agenda, the built environment is still destroying habitats and exacerbating the climate crisis though both its direct impacts and the infrastructure and supply chain required to support it.

Instead, imagine if the urban environment could become a functioning part of the ecosystem, with buildings contributing energy and food, capturing water, sequestering carbon, cleaning the air, treating pollutants and reclaiming the nutrients from waste. Imagine local infrastructure that defends against flooding, is a haven for pollinators, reduces overheating and reconnects humans with nature.

This may sound like a pipe dream, but there are projects that are already doing this. In my new book - Regenerative by Design - I have included several case studies that are net positive in energy and water. For example, the PAE Living Building not only captures and treats rainwater to potable standards, but it recycles greywater and even treats blackwater using a composting system. It can also capture the nutrients from the sewage – the nitrates and phosphates – so they can be used as fertiliser. This takes the burden off utilities to provide energy, water and wastewater treatment. Capturing the nutrients from sewage shows how waste can become a resource which, in turn, means that fertilisers would not have to be mined and manufactured.

Examples of truly regenerative building are few and far between, but they show that it is possible and that we don’t have to wait for new technology to deliver them.

It is brilliant that regenerative design is gaining recognition, but it is a powerful concept and we have to protect it and ensure that it remains a way to genuinely restore and enhance ecosystem functions, and that it does not become water-down or devalued.