“We think place is about space but in fact its about time”
Rebecca Solnit: The Faraway Nearby
The most recent Regen/Notes explores Place …. and forever chemicals
Place in the vast scope of time
Within the built environment we to often consider ‘place’ as the snap shot of the present, rarely considering all that has occurred in the past, in deep time, those geological, ecological and cultural events that shape the place we see today. Or indeed to consider how our short term plans have long term consequences in “the vast scope of time”… more
Forever Chemicals
It is fifty years since the first instalment of Silent Spring made its debut in The New Yorker. Those instalments went on to become the book that started the environmental movement in the 1970’s yet sadly remains too relevant and current.
The substances and pesticides that Rachel Carson talked about are today known as forever chemicals, in an odd recognition of their consequences though future time, yet with our continued use of them in everyday products. And in the case of construction through COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) as though we can can control their impact ‘for ever’.… more
“What, I wondered would the world look like if industrialised civilisation had been designed in concert with the fundamental principles of ecology“
The latest edition of Regen/ Notes features Denis Hayes as coordinator and cofounder of the Earthday movement back in 1970. The theme for 2022 is Invest in Our Planet.
The Regenerative Playbook landed at the World Book DayZoom Regenerative special event on the 1st of March. Below we present a collection of comments, observations and reviews from the launch, and on the playbook.
Joanna Watchman: Last night, we had the great pleasure of launching The Regenerative Playbook – a collaboration with (and for) two incredible changemakers, Anna Williamson MSc, FRSA, LFA & Martin Brown. It was inspired by the Content Coms Little Books series which have been such a force for good. Both Anna and Martin (kick-starters of Zoom Regenerative) give far more than they ever receive or ask for in return. I urge anyone who is looking to “go beyond sustainability with aspirational and transformational ideas” to download it. Also, a huge thank you to Josie Warden at the RSA for her inspirational foreword.
The Regenerative Playbook is all about taking things to the next level with sustainability. A journey that all of you – and your customers – find yourself upon.
Joanna Watchman
We need to be regenerative. But what does this mean?
As this playbook shows, it means asking different and better questions, ones which can help us to recognise and work with the true interdependencies of our living world; it means nurturing the potential that all people and communities already have to be sources of health for all life on earth and giving that potential space to grow and be realised; and it means working not only to change ‘out there’ but also to change ‘in here’, our own mindsets and behaviours, and those of our organisations.
Josie Warden
Martin Brown: “Against the backdrop of Monday’s IPCC report that triggered headlines of the earth hurtling to destruction, the Regenerative Playbook provides a framework for moving sustainability beyond business as usual through asking better and different questions. By seeing ourselves as part of rather than apart from the living systems that sustain us. As Robin Wall Kimmerer has often said “had we respected the earth, learned from our elders, taken only what was needed and used what we had taken, then today we wouldn’t fear our own atmosphere”.
Regenerative Playbook
The Regenerative Playbook is in many ways a milestone, the cumulative effort of two years of Zoom Regenerative’s, journey and opens a new chapter. In addition to our nourishing Tuesday regen gatherings, the playbook adds deeper and wider advocacy, nursing and support for those embarking on regenerative journeys. I am honoured and humbled to be part of such a vibrant regenerative collaborative of awesome friends from around the world”
Martin Brown
Josie’s words regarding ‘those communities who have stewarded traditional knowledge about how to live in good relationship with our world’ resonates with Anna, and she asks:
Anna Williamson: Are technical solutions the answer? “I used to think that the top global environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change. I thought that with thirty years of good science we could address these problems, but I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy, and to deal with these we need a spiritual and cultural transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.”— Gus Speth, American environmental attorney and past dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Foundational wisdom can guide and teach: “(to) our brothers and sisters out there, get to know where you live, because it’s place-based. The land is alive, the rivers are alive, the living systems are alive, the birds and the fish – everything communicates. Don’t see yourself as a human being as elitist and above other living systems.” – Dr. Anne Poelina, Indigenous community leader, human and earth rights advocate.
The Regenerative Playbook seeks to help businesses and organisations translate foundational wisdom into their own culture, to deliver regenerative practice that sticks.
I’m up to my eyeballs with Zoom which I love but the most nourishing has been your zRegen series – really fantastic to meet such a broad selection of people with such wonderful ideas. This sense of accessibility and advocacy to wider networks is really very core.John Ennis
A jewel of a book, a guide for the future, a blueprint for change…however you describe it, this is a publication that anyone that cares about where we go from here should own and read! What a great collaboration! I’ll share the Regenerative Playbook far and wide.Terry John
On the zoom regen (Playbook) meeting with some amazing collaborations and working at going about things a different way. Excellent meeting of the mind and spirit of regeneration. A very fulfilling engagement indeed.Walter Lourie
Thank you for both hosting such an energising evening yesterday, and for forwarding a link to join as well … the uplift was exactly what I needed. Look forward to seeing what comes next – all the very best.Scott McAulay
I am part of a postgraduate (Building Beyond Borders)and we will have an exhibition in Belgium together with the studio BC architects soon in april. Its about experimenting with regenerative / circular/ biodiversity positive/ waste materials within the postgraduate studio of Building Beyond Borders. One part of the exhibition is a library of books that works inspiring for the visitor. Maybe this regenerative playbook can be presented as well.Jasper Goris
I love that point about mindful connection being the start. Emphasises that it’s a daily mindset habit and not something you do as a wellbeing modality. Great conversation everyone. An antidote to the bleakness of events in the last few days. It’s so good to be part of a network of hopeful, positive, heartful and mindful people. I was thinking this morning how the playbook looks like the wisdom cards I use with my students when I teach meditation. It has that spirit of ‘invitations to reflect’. Beautiful.Sophie Lacey
100 copies for Belgium!Alexander Mijts
I’ve just seen the playbook. Congratulations – it’s excellent.Chloe Bullock
Definitely will work as a conversation starter in class! Congrats on your achievements with this book.Giovanna Di Monte-Milner
Just what I needed today after the devastation of floods pushing the war down the front pages of the news today… sigh. There is a better world out there – lets help concrete it 🙂Caroline Pidcock
Thank you so much for this inspiring and hopeful book launch! I look forward to the hard copy book (and will start reading the soft copy) 😉Britt Puhlmann
It was a lovely event last night. Thought provoking conversations in the company of good and supportive humans was just what we needed after the last few days. Well done for launching the playbook. Ordered it and will review soon!Oliver Riley
Wonderful conversations and observations as ever! Well done to Martin Brown and Anna Williamson & congratulations on the Regenerative Playbook. Ann Vanner
Great publication Martin. Well done. Inspiring as ever!Vassos Chrysostomou.
Would be great to share it in The Ecosystem Incubator, as we are bridging a lot there – and good to give to clients too.Rachel Sheila Kan
Downloaded and have to agree it is a great read. A thought provoking read too.Michael McGowan
If you’d like a hard copy, or to order multiple copies for company libraries and reception areas, please get in touch and we can quote you – and we are only looking to cover printing, postage and admin costs.
We are thrilled to share news of the launch of our Regenerative Playbook on the 1st of March. The Playbook is aimed at those not yet initiated into the ways of regenerative thinking. It is designed as a first step in introducing regenerative thinking, bringing sustainability and environmental approaches alive with questions and challenges to shift thinking. In a good way.
With all its tactile richness across 28 pages, The Regenerative Playbook will be a mighty regenerative conversation starter in any organisation looking to do sustainability differently.
Further, we are honoured and delighted that the playbook includes a foreword from Josie Warden Head of Regenerative Design at the RSA which is doing so much good (and positive) work in this space.
Why not buy two copies and give one away as an act of reciprocity.
If you have seen the beautiful Anti-Greenwash Playbook that Content Commslaunched at COP26 then you will be aware of the ability that these small books have to open conversations.
This book aims to provoke a new way of thinking among those involved in design and development. FutuREstorative is about our relationship with nature and how this translates into our understanding and ‘sustainable design’.
Brown has brought together thinkers and practitioners linked to the Living Building Challenge, and they advocate not just sustainable development or limiting our environmental impact, but a restorative approach, working with nature and making a positive contribution. It is a well argued, hard-hitting and ambitious philosophy.
The book is accessible and thought-provoking, avoiding the trap of previous ‘deep green’ texts, and whilst some points are repeated, their importance warrants this. Each section is well balanced between prose, diagrams, case studies and quotes.
One of the most useful sections sets out the principles of the restorative approach alongside checklists of existing standards such as BREAM and the Well Standard. It is here that the value of its holistic approach to designers becomes clear. It offers principles which value place-making and beauty alongside environmental aspects, making the links crystal clear. If its themes, and the thinking behind them, were adopted by planners and designers, it could mark an important shift in how sustainability informs planning and design.
Whilst this book will not give you all the answers, it will change how you think about the problem. In putting forward the restorative approach, Martin Brown draws together all the buzz words and current strands of thinking into a robust framework, from the future of zero-carbon, Passivhaus, well-being and the circular economy, right through to building information modelling or BIM, social media and the fourth industrial revolution. In doing so, he has created a onestop- shop for ambitious policy makers.
Brown and his contributors’ aim is to ‘inform and change the conversation, reframe the debate, and advocate for a radical change in direction for built environment sustainability’.
This book marks an important milestone in doing that.
Much has changed since the idea for FutureRestorative was conceived back in 2015. What have we achieved in 6 years? We have new regenerative agendas, we are leaving a pandemic portal, we had Code Red for Humanity reports and we prepare for COP26. FutuREstorative pointed out we have the technology and tools, yet we are missing and desperately need the ‘regenerative self’
The self that can make informed and conscious decisions. Decisions not only at a project level but for human and non-human communities through time. Decisions where reciprocity actions do not expect a personal or immediate return but heals the future for generations way down the line. A regenerative self recognises all is connected and nested, understands carbon ecology, how nature works and the interplay and importance of biodiversity. Interbeing.
Watch out for a follow up to FutuREstorative … FutuREgenerative Self maybe
Regen Notes is a Fairsnape fortnightly newsletter of regenerative news, stories and more, with a sideways focus on the built environment.
“Everything we need to avoid the exponential impacts of climate change is doable. But it depends on solutions moving exponentially faster than impacts.”
Christina Figueres
Regen Notes is a companion to Zoom Regenerative, where we join regenerative dots, share themes and work that invigorates, inspires and feeds our curiosity.
Regen Notes 16, the latest newsletter off the press covers Pollinator Loss, Consulting, Biodiversity Net Gain, Carbon Peak, Peatbog Super Heroes, Mushrooms, Zoom Regenerative, Locus, LFE Masterclass, Folk on Foot, Spell Songs.
Somehow, whilst we had all been busy, while had been doing all the small things that add up to life … the future had slipped into the present.
To Fairsnape blog followers and subscribers: Firstly thank you for your support. Posts here, on the fairsnape blog, will continue. However the newsletter format of substack gives a longform, newsletter based approach, joining the dots of regenerative thinking and practice with the built environment.
“We are on the cusp of something regeneratively wonderful
regenerative or something irreversibly disastrous”
Along with the increased use of the term ‘regenerative’ we have a changing narrative. And this is important, as it is narratives that define us and contribute, in turn, to how we define and shape our future. The future is not something that just happens to us, but it is something that we create. As Arundhati Roy noted in April 2020, we need ‘to imagine the future we want and be prepared to fight for it’. Yet, unless we urgently address the level of ecological and climate literacy, and levels of climate awareness within all areas of education, we will not have the narratives, insights and knowledge to imagine our future, to recognize goodness and what it looks like and to be able to fight for it.
Martin Brown RESTORD 2030
Over the past four years, the RESTORE Cost Action has created an important and significant Regenerative Body of Knowledge, (rBOK), for the built environment, A collection that includes many thought-leading publications, videos, presentations and more, covering the built environment spectrum from changing mindsets and system thinking, to design, construction, operations and internal environments.
Free downloads are listed at end of this post and watch out for forthcoming of workshops, courses and other dissemination events based on the wide scope of the rBOK Regenerative Body of Knowledge.
RESTORY. FAD_RestoryThemain results and insight into the project management strategies for RESTORE. Editors Carlo Battisti and Martin Brown
RESTORE Final Book: Rethinking Sustainability Towards a Regenerative Economy 22 Chapters, 45 Authors, 22 Countries, Free open access ebook Editors: Andreucci, M.B., Marvuglia, A., Baltov, M., Hansen, P.
SUSTAINABILITY, RESTORATIVE TO REGENERATIVE An exploration in progressing a paradigm shift in built environment thinking, from sustainability to restorative sustainability and on to regenerative sustainability. Editors Martin Brown and Edeltraud Haselsteiner
REGENERATIVE DESIGN IN DIGITAL PRACTICE A Handbook for the Built Environment. Editors: Emanuele Naboni and Lisanne Havinga
REGENERATIVE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION Bridging the gap between design and construction, following a Life Cycle Approach consisting of practical approaches for procurement, construction, operation and future life. Editors: Giulia Peretti, Carsten K. Druhmann.
REGENERATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT Inspirational guidelines for practitioners. Editors: Roberto Lollini, Wilmer Pasut
SCALE JUMPING Regenerative Systems Thinking within the Built Environment Editors: András Reith, Jelena Brajković.
RESTORD 2030 A Regenerative Guide for Educators, Students and Practitioners.
A primer for the (re)imagination of a city ten years into the future. The City of RESTORD.
We are on the cusp of something regeneratively wonderful or something irreversibly disastrous. Use of the word ‘regenerative’ has seen a welcome resurgence, applied to everything, from farming to leadership, fashion, culture, economics and the built environment.
Its current use reflects the urgency we now face as climate change and ecological breakdown become increasingly palpable. It represents a desire and a focused switch in mindset, away from the mechanistic, away from being only less bad, the common and dominant discourse, to one that is living and sees ourselves and the built environment as interactive parts of the beautiful and complex ecosystem web.
RESTORE: {verb} to bring back to a state of health, soundness, and vigour.
RESTORD: {noun} a city that is socially just, ecologically robust and culturally rich.
RESTORD2030, a guide for educators, students and practitioners, will be of interest to teachers in primary and secondary education, to lecturers and teachers in university education and those delivering sustainability courses, and workshops, including continuous professional development for (planning, design, construction, facilities management) practitioners. It is available for free download below.
RESTORD 2030 aims to inspire users to create new and enhance existing sustainability modules with a regenerative climate and ecological focus.
It is pinned on the need for us to understand what good looks like and to imagine a regenerative future, and then to identify the steps that will move us towards that goal.
It is not that regenerative thinking is new. It has been at the core of ecological thinking for decades, traced back to acclaimed and influential writers on nature and ecology such as Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson and many others. Importantly, it has likewise been the foundation of many indigenous cultures since time immemorial.
Along with the increased use of the term ‘regenerative’ we have a changing narrative. And this is important, as it is narratives that define us and contribute, in turn, to how we define and shape our future. The future is not something that just happens to us, but it is something that we create. As Arundhati Roy noted in April 2020, we need ‘to imagine the future we want and be prepared to fight for it’.
Yet, unless we urgently address the level of ecological and climate literacy, and levels of climate awareness within all areas of education, we will not have the narratives, insights and knowledge to imagine our future, to recognize goodness and what it looks like and to be able to fight for it.
“to all who work in the built environment – the explicit purpose of your work must be to craft and cultivate the fertile conditions for life to thrive.”
Michelle Holliday preface to RESTORD2030 ‘‘Love Letter to Those Who Shape our World’.
Amanda Gorman The Hill We Climb. Image Unsplash/Yannick Pulver
Part One contains a selection of new thoughtful articles on education and awareness interventions based on, and enhancing the work from RESTORE publications, relating to the need for a new mindset and a nar-rative for a regenerative future.
Part Two provides insights into what modules are available through RESTORE members and the wider regenerative fraternity.
Part Three provides a reference portal into the myriad publications, presentations, articles, papers, videos and more from the four years of the RESTORE action.
Part Four provides a listing with details of the authors and contributors who can be contacted to facilitate elements of regenerative focused education and to give relevant advice on those themes.
The most important aspect of regenerative business today is to inspire future generations, future projects and future ideas to reach higher, to be bolder and to be far, far, more disruptive.
Martin Brown. Author
Image Unsplash/Paweł Czerwiński
EDITORS Martin Brown, Carlo Battisti.
CONTRIBUTORS Ann Vanner, Alison Watson, Blerta Vula, Giulia Sonetti, Ivan Šulc, Jelena Brajković, Zvi Weinstein, with Michelle Holliday (Guest Preface) Anna Williamson (TM and Vastu Architecture). Scott McAulay (Climate Literacy) Francesco Gonella (Systems Thinking) and Lydia Singh (RegenVast)
The Zoom Regenerative Pollinator series Pollinator Series – a series of three one hour sessions, commences on May 4th with Regenerative Minds.
We invite you to participate in three collaborative modules, hosted online by Martin Brown and the ZR team with guest contributors. The three modules will provide an immersion into regenerative topics, trends and thinking – to refresh existing knowledge and skills and/or begin to understand regenerative principles from the ground up and to view them holistically.
Regenerative Minds. 4th May A deeper understanding of what regenerative is and means within our built environment context. Perhaps all too often we use the Einstein quote that “we cannot solve problems with the same mindset that created them”. Yet we may not fully appreciate the mindset now needed to move forward with the regenerative, do more good, not just reduce impact, approach. This session will explore, using design and living systems thinking, how we can acknowledge that we inhabit a biosphere that is interconnected and interdependent.
Reciprocity. 6th May An understanding of a reciprocity based connectivity with nature and each other, through, and beyond biophilia. This module examines and goes beyond biophilia (love of life) to explore an understanding of what reciprocity can mean for us in the built environment. There are no transactional relationships in nature where living systems are based on reciprocity.
Regenerative Practice.11 May Exploration of project management approaches for regenerative projects. Moving from ‘systems thinking to ‘living systems thinking’ to provide a new form of symbiotic collaboration. Where we have power with, not over. Like the roots of a tree, or a complex web of mycelium, our collaborative strength is dependant on the strength of others, and vice-versa.
Fairsnape 