REGENERATE
Moving beyond sustainability to create better future for the planet.
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Where sustainable design is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations, regenerative design is meeting the needs of the present whilst enhancing the opportunities for future generations.
Regenerative design reverses historical damage to have a positive impact on the planet. It is about being proactive rather than passive, making the earth better, not just less bad. Regenerative design asks not how we construct our buildings but why – where do they fit in the ecosystems of our planet? We must design spaces where both humans and nonhuman species can coexist and flourish, spaces that possess greater natural beauty, ecological health, and productive capacity than the most pristine landscapes.
The planetary crises that we are experiencing stem from separate treatment of the human and natural environments. In a move to improve our human environments, we’ve removed the complexity that surrounds us, using highly processed materials to create homogeneous, predictable environments. The complexity that nature needs no longer exists, creating the in-balance between the two environments.
Regenerative design asks humans to recognise that they are part of the Earth’s ecosystem and make moves to co-evolve with nature to realise a long-term regenerative future for all of the Earth’s inhabitants. If we want to conserve nature and ensure the survival of humanity we have to alter the fundamental paradigm on which human development has been based. We must shift from humans being a disruptive force on the planet to humans inhabiting the planet in a manner that is mutually beneficial.
RECONNECTING WITH NATURE FOR A REGENERATIVE FUTURE
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A disused gasworks in Dundee’s docklands is being reimagined and recreated through the regenerative power of nature as Eden Earthworks, a place to explore how we can learn from and reconnect with nature to achieve a regenerative future for people and planet.
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The brownfield docklands site and its former gasholder will be embedded within a landscape and reconnected to the city via a new pedestrian bridge. Through a world of immersive and interactive experiences, the venues will encourage visitors to think, feel and act differently by revealing how we can learn from and be inspired by nature.
Following Eden's Regenerative Charter, our collaborative design will start to restore the site through a resilient scheme that restores biodiversity to the site, reusing existing materials to create an immersive pedagogic facility. Building a regenerative future requires a commitment to positive transformation and Eden Project Dundee aims to show how this shift in perspective can become a reality.
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In this short film, Caishlan Sweeney, Project Engagement Manager, Eden Project, talks about why regenerative design is being placed at the heart of this transformative project.
FCBStudios was founded with a specific ambition to produce environmentally and socially responsive design. We continue to lead the field internationally with a reputation for pioneering environmental expertise, developing innovative approaches to support the transition to regenerative design and a zero-carbon economy.
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Learn more about our regenerative design and sustainable architecture on the FCBStudios website.