1e master architecture - KuLeuven
Integrated
Regenerative
Design
Luc Eeckhout
2023-2024
,Course 1 - 25/09
1.0 Introduc�on:
- Design a healthy and regenera�ve future -> Regenera�ve design is an approach to designing systems
that aims to work with natural ecosystem processes. Such as biodiversity, water conserva�on,…These
systems sustain and enrich nature.
-> Goal: make regenera�ve design with circular materials without waste.
- Video: ‘Warhol on climate change’
htps://www.krisdemeester.com/warhol-on-climate-change
-> The film portrays Warhol as an observer of nature's
metamorphosis in the face of environmental upheaval. As the
city pulses with life, Warhol's detached yet profound gaze
highlights the juxtaposi�on between urban vivacity and the
impercep�ble shi�s occurring within the natural world.
DE FILM PORTRETTEERT WARHOL ALS WAARNEMER VAN DE
METAMORFOSE VAN DE NATUUR IN HET LICHT VAN DE ONRUST IN
HET MILIEU. TERWIJL DE STAD BRUIST VAN LEVEN, BENADRUKT
WARHOLS AFSTANDELIJKE MAAR DIEPGAANDE BLIK DE
NEVENSCHIKKING TUSSEN STEDELIJKE LEVENDIGHEID EN DE
ONMERKBARE VERSCHUIVINGEN DIE PLAATSVINDEN IN DE
NATUURLIJKE WERELD.
1.1 Sustainability is not enough
- Be careful, we are approaching the red zone. We did too litle too late. Therefore sustainability is not
enough anymore, we need regenera�ve design because there is only one planet.
-> SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT ENOUGH: As architects, we have a responsibility to consider the impact of
our work on the environment. We cannot ignore the facts that are staring us in the face, even if they
are uncomfortable to accept. We must draw conclusions based on the evidence and act accordingly.
However, we understand that for some, the truth may be too harsh to accept. It may be temp�ng to
bury our heads in the sand and deny the reality of the situa�on. But this is not a luxury we can afford.
We must take the �me to educate ourselves, gather as much informa�on as possible, and make
informed decisions. For more than half a century, the scien�fic community has been warning us
about the dangers of climate change. Despite this, there are s�ll those who refuse to acknowledge
the severity of the problem. This is not just a mater of opinion - it is a fact that cannot be ignored.
The consequences of inac�on are grave. We are already seeing the effects of climate change in the
form of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity. If we con�nue this path,
the damage will only get worse. As architects, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference.
We can design energy-efficient buildings, that use beter materials, and minimize their environmental
impact. We can advocate for policies and prac�ces that promote regenera�ve design. And we can
educate ourselves and others about the importance of taking ac�on to address climate change. The
luxury of ignoring the problem is no longer available to us. We must act now before it is too late. By
doing so, we can help to create a beter future for ourselves, for our communi�es, and the planet.
,- Video: ‘the latest science on climate �pping points’ Global Commons Alliance
htps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP-2NIljFdM
-> In the latest science on climate �pping points, there are 16 main systems at risk. These systems
regulate the climate on Earth. They have been stable and resilient for 10,000 years, enabling humans
to flourish. Within each system is a �pping point - push them too far, and they will irreversibly shi�
from suppor�ng humanity to undermining humanity. Today… from the Arc�c to the Amazon the
majority of these systems are showing signs of destabiliza�on. At 1.5°C we are likely to cross four
�pping points. This will change the world as we know it. Yet every month, we use 1% of the remaining
carbon budget for 1.5ºC. Every. Single. Month. It's �me to change our ac�ons and change our systems
so that we can ensure a safe and just future.
- Video: ‘breaking boundaries: the science of our planet doc preview’ Sir David Atenborough
htps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPduu1D84PI
-> Breaking Boundaries tells the story of the most important scien�fic discovery of our �me - that
humanity has pushed Earth beyond the boundaries that have kept Earth stable for 10,000 years, since
the dawn of civiliza�on. The 75-minute film takes the audience on a journey of discovery of planetary
thresholds we must not exceed, not just for the stability of our planet, but for the future of humanity.
It offers up the solu�ons we can and must put in place now if we are to protect Earth’s life support
systems. Producer Ne�lix.
1. Take what you need (for free) ->
the exploita�on of our planet
without any limits is growing. We
take more than we need, we never
give anything back. We use our
planet on a daily basis: water, energy,
materials, food, space, fresh air,…
What if each extrac�on means less
planet ? Then our future is self-
destruc�on.
2. Produce and create a market to sell (as cheap as possible)-> The exploita�on of people, too
many people work for unfair minimum wages. We produce as cheaply as possible, in loca�ons with
large numbers of workers.
For example: Manufactured landscapes by Jennifer Baichwal about the topic Edward Burtynsky.
htps://archive.org/details/ManufacturedLandscapes_201902
-> The film follows Burtynsky to China as he travels the country photographing the evidence and
effects of that country's massive industrial revolu�on. Sites such as the Three Gorges Dam, which is
bigger by 50% than any other dam in the world and displaced over a million people, factory floors
over a kilometer long, and the breath-taking scale of Shanghai's urban renewal are subjects for his
lens and our mo�on picture camera.
3. Consume (as fast as possible) -> We make products that break down quickly. This allows us to sell
more. We dump cheap products in the market in large numbers, fast consump�on is the emphasis.
, 4. Bad design quickly becomes
waste (dump waste as cheaply as
possible) -> Our earth becomes a
giant wasteland. We dump literally
everything in our environment.
What we have to offer our planet is
waste, pollu�on, CO2 and foreign
substances that unbalance nature.
What do we have to offer our
planet ? Do we ever give anything
back ? Or are we just exploiters ?
For example: Clothes aren’t killing
the planet, but mass consump�on is.
The construc�on industry is the biggest polluter. Waste is an important part of building. The
disrespec�ul exploita�on of our earth causes an ecological catastrophe, we life in a landfill.
5. The limits to growth, 1972 – Club of Rome
-> The report discussed the possibility of exponen�al economic and popula�on growth with finite
supply of resources.
Book: the limits to growth -> since the report limits of growth we are increasingly aware of the fact
that our way of life is damaging our planet. What we ask for on a daily basis is no longer balanced
with the capacity of our planet.
THE LIMITS TO GROWTH Commissioned by the Club of Rome, Is a 1972 report
that discussed the possibility of exponen�al economic and popula�on growth
with finite supply of resources, studied by computer simula�on. The study used
the World computer model to simulate the consequence of interac�ons between
the earth and human systems. The report concludes that, without substan�al
changes in resource consump�on, "the most probable result will be a rather
sudden and uncontrollable decline in both popula�on and industrial capacity”.
Al-though its methods and premises were heavily challenged on its publica�on,
subsequent work to validate its forecasts con�nue to confirm that insufficient
changes have been made since 1972 to significantly alter their nature.
The graphic of limits to growth 1972 is a diagram that
illustrates the main findings of the report by the Club of Rome.
The diagram shows the projected trends of five variables:
popula�on, food, industrial output, pollu�on, and resources,
from 1900 to 2100. The diagram is based on the World
computer model, which simulates the interac�ons between
the earth and human systems. The standard run or business-
as usual scenario. This scenario assumes that no major
changes are made in the physical, economic, and social
rela�ons that have governed the development of the world
system in the past century. This scenario leads to a collapse of
popula�on and industrial output around 2030, due to
overshoo�ng the limits of resources and pollu�on. -> We have passed “the limits to growth”
