The regenerative structural engineer

Author: O Broadbent and J Norman

Date published

12 January 2024

Price
Standard: £34.95
Member: £24.95
Student Member: £19.95
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The regenerative structural engineer

Thought leadership

Author

O Broadbent and J Norman

Date published

12 January 2024

Author

O Broadbent and J Norman

Price

Standard: £34.95
Member: £24.95
Student Member: £19.95

How to design for the climate & biodiversity emergency: thought leadership from the Institution of Structural Engineers.

“The authors have done the general reader a great service by digesting a huge amount of material — particularly on systems thinking — and synthesising it into a coherent case. The book is illustrated with excellent case studies where structural engineers have played a pivotal role in aiming higher in the system to create new business enterprises. I commend the authors for engaging with this challenge so effectively.”
Michael Pawlyn - Exploration Architecture, and co-author of Flourish

“I especially appreciated the structure used to organize the book (the bookshelf metaphor), it made it very tangible and clear... and the case studies are fabulous.”
Lindsay Baker – CEO, International Living Future Institute

“The regenerative structural engineer is a strong call to action for all built environment professionals to implement systems thinking; from changing their mindsets, thinking deeply about the source of materials to reimagining design such that we not only live in harmony with nature but regenerate and revive it for future generations” Prof. Anusha Shah, President, ICE

Sustainable design’ asks; How we can design while aiming to do no harm? Unfortunately, when we don’t reach that aim, we end up doing harm. ‘Regenerative design’ asks a different question; How can we design in a way that increases biodiversity, reduces carbon and leads to flourishing communities? In short how can we design so that people (and the ecosystems that support them) thrive. In this book we explore how, as structural engineers, we can bring about change. Using creative metaphors and case studies we:

• Explain how engineers can change their practice now — to create a regenerative future

• Explore the different levels of change — from individual projects to the culture of our industry

• Illustrate how we can learn from living systems

• Show how, by considering not just our site but the whole supply and waste chain, we can reimagine our impact — both positive and negative

The book is a creative call for radical change; encouraging engineers, and anyone else involved in the built environment, to think and design differently — to do more good. 

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Regenerative design: reshaping the future of structural engineering

Regenerative design: reshaping the future of structural engineering

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Date – 4 August 2025
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