ReportClimate
Regenerative Building: Examples, Processes, and Narratives from an Ongoing Paradigm Shift
The first in a three-part series, this report provides a literature review of the term 'regenerative building' and its core principles. It explores methods for quantifying regenerative approaches and presents a long-list of over 50 innovative international projects.
Lotte M. Bjerregaard Jensen, Elizabeth Donovan, August Sørensen, Peer Näthke·27 Apr 2026·55 min read·88 pages
Key findings
- 01Regenerative design demands a shift from a mechanistic, harm-reduction mindset to an ecological worldview focused on co-evolution with nature.
- 02Effective practice is place-based, working with nested living systems (site, community, bioregion) to realize a location's unique potential.
- 03Barriers to adoption include policy misalignment, professional knowledge gaps, and economic models that don't account for long-term socio-ecological value.
- 04A long-list of 50+ projects showcases innovations in material reuse, community-led design, carbon reduction, and bioregional construction.
For
Architects, planners, developers, engineers, and researchers in the built environment.
Continue exploring
More from the library
Report
ReportCircularity
Co-making and Prototyping Community Housing Futures
How a coastal UK town is bypassing global supply chains to build affordable homes using local timber, hemp, and 'automation-in-place'.
·12 min read
Report
ReportCircularity
Doughnut for Urban Development: A Manual
This manual translates Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics into a practical framework for the building industry to use in urban development projects.
·90 min read