Our 12 May session on the Buildings and Materials Stage brought together three speakers who are putting regenerative design into practice right now, and the conversations that followed reminded us exactly why this work matters:
“We are no longer talking about doing less bad. We are talking about becoming a genuine force for good, for biodiversity, for communities, for nature, for people.”
David Cheshire of AECOM drew on his book Regenerative by Design to make the case for buildings that actively restore ecosystems rather than simply reducing harm. Joanna Yarrow of Human Nature brought the Phoenix Project in Lewes as a real-world example of what a regenerative neighbourhood can look like. And Charlie Luxton of Charlie Luxton Design shared the award-winning Hook Norton Housing project as evidence that thoughtful design can serve communities and the environment in equal measure.Chaired by Jon Bootland, the session closed with a rallying call: give a damn. Look in the mirror. Think big, think systems, think future.
