Real jobs in the regenerative design and build sector?
Schools and homes made of healthy materials?
No cost to live in? No cost to school districts to operate?
No additions to overburdened water and septic systems?
Instead of asking, "how can we do less harm," regenerative design asks, "how can our built environments restore and renew?"
Instead of asking, "how can we do the bare minimum while still expanding our profits," regenerative builders ask, "how can we engage local people in healthy and profitable work, purchase our materials and supplies locally, and still make a profit?"
Before asking, "where can we build new developments," regenerative planners looking for mixed-income housing first ask, "where is there existing space that could be used for healthy housing with net zero or net positive energy?"
Here is an article from a builder : https://www.builderonline.com/design/beyond-green-from-sustainability-to-regenerative-housing_s
Regenerative design has been around for a while. Pequot people have lived in the Mystic River Watershed continuously for nearly 12,000 years, and for almost all of that time, their shelter, food, medicine, clothing...everything they needed was a functioning and interconnected part of the ecosystem in which they lived. Learning from them by making built systems that function the way flowers do, by generating their own energy, filtering water, and generating nutrient-rich soils allows humans to live in such a way that they are contributing to the ecosystem's ability to support and regenerate life.
Jason McClennan's now famous (97,000 views) TEDTalk (2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSMecC6pcGo) explains regenerative design and shows how the Living Building Challenge, and the certifications within it, is already changing how we build.
The Living Futures Institute now has supported hundreds of living communities and affordable housing complexes. Best of all, they do not trap people into poverty and homelessness through high energy costs and unhealthy living spaces! Learn more about those opportunities here. https://living-future.org/affordable-housing/ (there's a short video with great examples)
Importantly, the ANSI Standards for regenerative buildings are being drafted that will help drive building codes in every state. But we don't need to wait to start training up a skilled regenerative design and construction workforce here. If we can bring in the funds and shape the pilot projects, they will be ready to ride the coming wave of conversion away from fossil fuel-based materials and systems.
Here are a few of the CT projects that are achieving at least some of the Living Building regenerative design challenge certifications. Manchester School District. Southern CT State University School of Business. University of CT Institute for the Environment (https://environment.institute.uconn.edu/living-building/). Yale University Divinity School Living Community. Slate School, North Haven.
Hebron Affordable Living Community (https://www.commonscdc.org/)
Tyler School Senior Housing, East Haven (https://www.architecturalteam.com/projects/the-tyler/)
Why so many schools? Partly, because these schools have the three E's going for them: Education  (kids learn better with access to daylight, outdoors, and healthy air), Economics (school ratepayers save millions over the life of the school), Environment (the ecosystems around the schools benefit). The state is supporting healthy schools because our children deserve them. https://ctclimateandjobs.org/carbon-free-healthy-schools/
If you are interested in learning more about regenerative development's potential in our area, contact z@alliancemrw.org
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