AIA Strategic Council Redefines Architecture with Focus on Regenerative Design
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Strategic Council's Regenerative Design Study Group has proposed a new definition for regenerative design, emphasizing 'systemic healing across natural, built, and community systems.' This marks a significant shift from the previous focus on sustainability, which primarily aimed to minimize harm. Jeff Seabold, FAIA, highlights that this new approach asks what a building can 'give back' to its site, community, air, water, and soil, rather than just how much less it uses or how it performs against code. This redefinition is part of a broader movement within the architecture profession to lead the conversation on environmental impact and move beyond basic compliance. The argument for regenerative design is presented as being more readily accepted now than sustainability was in 2013, partly due to increasing market pressures like rising insurance premiums in flood zones.
