Office for Environmental Programs - Theses
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ItemIntegrated design as a vital element in the process of progression from sustainable to regenerative design: transitioning from the mechanistic to ecological paradigm as the basis for sustainable building design( 2007)Since the Brundtland Report, there has been a significant impetus towards establishing more sustainable modes of development. The majority of these efforts have been restricted by a mechanistic world view. This world view based on reductionist science has enabled rapid progression in technology and standard of living for portions of the population. However this science is unable to deal with the complexity issues that surround sustainable development. With advances in ecological theory, systems thinking, quantum physics and complex adaptive systems, there has been the emergence of a new ecological or holistic paradigm which views the world as an interconnected whole. The sustainable building industry has evolved in conjunction with sustainable development and is currently restricted by the same mechanistic thinking. Advances in sustainable design, such as restorative and regenerative design posit a new approach to building design that embodies the ecological paradigm. Regenerative design utilises a whole-systems strategies and recognises the human-nature connection in its approach. The Integrated Design Process is an iterative design process, which enables whole-systems thinking to be employed to improve the performance and cost of current sustainable design practice. The Integrated Design Process also has the capability of incorporating progressively deeper levels of systems thinking, therefore establishing a framework for sustainable design that spans current practice to possible future regenerative design practice