This blog has been produced based on a recent discussion involving the IStructE’s Structural Futures Committee, the Sustainability Panel and Oliver Broadbent, co-author of The regenerative structural engineer.
With global temperatures already exceeding the Paris Agreement 2030 targets, the construction industry is at a crossroads. Will we continue along the well-trodden path of resource extraction, free-flowing carbon emissions and environmental degradation? Or will we embrace a new era: one where buildings and infrastructure don’t just minimise harm but actively improve the world around us? Enter regenerative design, a revolutionary approach that redefines sustainability, shifting from damage limitation to environmental and social enhancement.
The University of East Anglia Enterprise Centre used locally sourced timber and is a winner of the IStructE Award for Sustainability
Beyond net zero
Traditionally, sustainability design has focused on achieving net zero - reducing upfront embodied carbon and offsetting what’s left. Regenerative design goes further: how can our buildings heal ecosystems, restore biodiversity and enrich human communities? Although measuring and reducing embodied carbon is important, it should be considered a stepping stone to more holistic thinking about how structures can enhance nature.
At the heart of regenerative design is systems thinking, a mindset that considers entire ecosystems, not just individual buildings. This requires breaking free from conventional constraints, such as prescriptive codes of practice and cost-based decision-making, and instead prioritising resilience, adaptability and the regeneration of natural resources. An example is the Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture (RICA).
Ruhehe Primary School in Rwanda
Ruhehe Primary School in Rwanda, where the project brief was written to maximise local benefits throughout the design and construction process
Current barriers to regenerative design and how to overcome them
Despite its potential, regenerative design faces significant hurdles:
- We operate in a profit-driven industry: financial incentives still favour the ‘business as usual’ case. To change this, asset owners and developers must set aside a portion of profits for innovation and development of community infrastructure
- Regulatory constraints: current building regulations often restrict the use of cutting-edge sustainable technologies. Advocating for policy reform is critical
- Lack of awareness: many stakeholders, including clients, engineers and the public, aren’t familiar with regenerative principles. Education and compelling case studies can bridge this gap and help shift mindsets
- Scalability concerns: most construction impact occurs beyond the project site, sometimes thousands of miles away. Solutions must consider global supply chains and embodied carbon impacts
- Leadership: who is able, and willing, to take on the role of leading and coordinating the shift to regenerative design. The industry is highly resistant to change and we have an approach that ostensibly reflects the paradigm of 150 years ago
- Procurement and delivery: with the changing landscape of building safety and the use of novel systems, processes and emerging technologies, how can a risk-averse industry innovate into regenerative design?
Skills for the engineers of tomorrow
To lead this transformation, engineers not only need to shift their mindset but must also expand their toolkit:
- Holistic thinking: understanding projects in their full ecological and social context. Some target metrics have already been developed to help drive this
- Innovation focus: embracing new materials and methods, such as bio-based construction and maximising locally sourced resources
- Collaboration: working across disciplines to better integrate architecture, ecology, social impact and cost
- Advocacy: demonstrating to clients the value of regenerative design. It’s not just a tagline, it’s good business
Competence and related skills
So, how do I prove the value of regenerative design?
Within the principles of Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics, value can mean many things aside from financial returns, and engineers must pitch the following to clients:
- Biodiversity gain: we can now quantify and track the embodied biodiversity of a design
- Long-term innovation: encouraging the funding of novel materials and systems to tackle the climate emergency, and proving their concept for use on future projects
- Adaptability: should we be looking at how structures evolve in the long-term and maintain their value in areas that grow or shrink?
- Social impact: how can my design upskill local labour? How can the scheme draw upon and enhance the local intelligence of a community?
The path forward for the IStructE
The momentum for regenerative design is growing and the IStructE must focus on action, such as the potential activities and initiatives detailed below:
- Establishing a regenerative design conference to drive industry-wide discussions
- Publishing educational materials and case studies to inspire widespread adoption
- Encouraging cross-industry collaboration to integrate regenerative principles at scale
- Doubling down their commitment to bring sustainability in line with structural safety
- Advocating for development of a regenerative design metric, similar to SCORS
Regenerative design isn’t just a concept, it’s a necessity, and there are a growing number of case studies that demonstrate its potential. The question is no longer if we should embrace regenerative design, but how fast can we make it the new standard.