The Circular Economy Show Podcast Applying regenerative design to everyday life | The origins of the circular economy
Jul 30, 2024
Sean Quinn, the Director of Regenerative Design at HOK, dives into the transformative essence of regenerative design. He emphasizes shifting development paradigms to foster harmony with nature and communities. The conversation touches on integrating natural systems into urban planning, showcasing a Stanford case study that highlights local flora’s benefits. Quinn also explores how outdoor workspace designs enhance employee wellness and productivity, linking these concepts to the broader principles of the circular economy and community well-being.
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Regenerative Design Reframes Development
- Regenerative design aims to enrich communities and renew the Earth by returning nature to the centre of development.
- It seeks synergistic relationships where human and natural systems co-evolve and enhance a site's ecosystem beyond its native baseline.
Integrate Disciplines Early
- Use a transdisciplinary process that integrates architecture, engineering, landscape and contractors from the start.
- Design to leverage ecosystem services so landscapes drive solutions, not building technologies alone.
Stanford Arboretum Shrunk Building Size
- At Stanford's School of Medicine, an arboretum and microclimates let designers move 20% of program outdoors and shrink the building by 20%.
- During COVID those outdoor workplaces attracted staff and still outperform adjacent enclosed rooms today.