Assemble, Hopkins Architects, ECD Architects, and LOKI share their insights on the key issues hindering the transition to regenerative architecture.
Herne Hill Velodrome is a project Hopkins carried in partnership with the local community to preserve it as a resource for both cyclists and locals. (Credit: Simon Kennedy)
Hopkins
“Initial cost associated with regenerative design is usually the most common obstacle. While regenerative approaches often yield long-term savings and benefits, the upfront investment can be a barrier for some projects. Measuring the regenerative impact of design projects can also be challenging in some cases due to what is perceived as absence of standardised metrics along with the lack of existing regulations support.
Complexities and challenges working with existing buildings, particularly the risk associated with developing designs which cannot be verified until detailed surveys are undertaken, often only at the strip-out / construction stage.
Certification of existing materials to be re-used as part of the circular economy, and the cost of storage for materials that are dismantled for re-use are also issues that we are grappling with.”
aA cross section of a home ECD Architects is retrofitting as part of a wider estate plan for Cambridge City Council. (Credit ECD Architects)
ECD Architects
“We are typically asked to deliver a specific brief, bounded in space and time. Few clients see value in paying us to look beyond this. Without metrics to measure better outcomes it can be hard to convince clients to go beyond, and hard to demonstrate that regenerative strategies are more than just greenwashing, but has in fact been implemented to positive effect.
As a practice, we are cultivating discussions about how our designs sit in a wider system and encouraging staff to see our work as a point in the continuum of a site’s life. Even without money allowed for work beyond the outside of the external walls, we push to find ways to bring areas such as gardens into our scope.
While not always possible, we see the benefit when we are able to spend time on site prior to starting to design, understanding a community and its context.”
Assemble
“The principle issue is one of policy. Whilst there are substantial regulatory hurdles for many aspects of construction enforcing us to design things in particular ways and with particular suppliers, or materials. There is nothing that mandates us to design in a regenerative way. Building Regulations that address the amount of embodied carbon, quantities of regenerative materials and other ecological factors would make a massive difference in encouraging suppliers, fabricators and contractors to take more seriously the ecological concerns that we are striving to address.”
LOKI
“Supply chain complexity complicates collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, hindering the alignment of incentives. Measuring and communicating the impact of regenerative practices is challenging due to the absence of standardised metrics and effective communication strategies. Moreover, risk aversion stemming from fear of failure or uncertainty about outcomes deters individuals and organisations from transitioning. Policy changes are crucial for widespread adoption. Short-term thinking exacerbates these challenges, particularly in sustainable project investment.
The built environment poses additional hurdles, as stakeholders like insurance companies often fail to support sustainable innovation, real estate agents lack adequate knowledge, and the UK planning system prioritises expensive reporting over supporting sustainable construction through support streams. I think that what we are looking to focus on now as a society is to overcome these barriers requires advocating for policy reforms, developing standardised metrics, improving stakeholder education, and incentivising long-term thinking in investment and planning processes.”
Visit the Regenerative Architecture Network to read responses from all of the 68 practices who participated in the Regenerative Architecture Index
Source: Architecture Today