Regenerative Design Performance assessment: a critical review

The global sustainability movement has developed a variety of new design and building methodologies. Regenerative Design (RD) focuses on understanding the dynamic relationship between people, a place and ecosystems. By weaving together the natural and social systems, RD maximises humans' and nature's creativeness and abundance. Projects are not seen as an end product but rather as the beginning of a process that will continue to evolve long after completion. RD approaches to building are receiving increased attention in industry and academia. In this context, developing a clear shared understanding and evaluating the practical implications of this new approach remains an open issue. This critical review attempts to fill this gap by reviewing the concept, its aims, the existence of any performance measurement criteria, design methods and the expected outcomes of the RD approach to design and building. A summary process workflow diagram and an Assessment Methodology (AM) for evaluating RD project progress are proposed. The AM is presented as a series of questions to be answered qualitatively and quantitatively to aid track progress through time. Both diagram and AM may become valuable tools for further discussion about the methodological implications of RD project delivery for the architecture profession and for upgrading architectural education accordingly.