Regenerative Design and Poetry

My conversation with Mansi Kakkar a few weeks ago was simply magical. We talked about her work in regenerative design and her unique career journey. Mansi also shared one of her powerful poems, “I will be Loud” with us. (see minute 30) You can view the recording HERE.

So what is regenerative design and how does it differ from sustainability?
The term “regenerate” describes a process that mimics nature itself by restoring or renewing its own sources of energy and materials. Regenerative design is a principle that calls for products or services to contribute to systems that renew or replenish themselves. This ultimately means the materials and energy that go into a product or process can be reintroduced into the same process or system, requiring little to no inputs to maintain it.

At the heart of regenerative design, there’s a strong connection to the place in which a product or process is extracted, produced, used, and disposed of at end of life. To achieve true regenerative design, you must incorporate systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and recognize dependence on natural capital.

While sustainable design seeks to lessen the harm and prevent substantial environmental damage and climate change, regenerative design seeks to not merely lessen the harm of new development, but rather to put design and construction to work as positive forces that repair natural and human systems.

There are four key premises to regenerative design:

  • Understanding the product’s or processes’ relationship to place throughout its life cycle

  • Determine goals that recognize regenerative capacity

  • Become a partner to place instead of purely extracting from it

  • Strive to achieve harmonization between people and place

Mansi Kakkar has been leading the charge in this work and you may check out her portfolio of work and learn more at: https://www.mansikakkar.com/regenerative-innovation.

 

SHARMILA SINGH