Architecture for life : exploring regenerative and resilience thinking

Abstract

As built environment theory evolves, so does the awareness that built environments form an integral part of natural systems. Living systems are capable of renewal and regeneration, resiliently adapting to pressures and disturbances in order to sustain life and avoid environmental collapse. Through this perspective, the role of architecture in our cities can be seen as an opportunity to catalyse renewal in the urban system by working with and integrating various systems of life. Using the theme of water, this paper explores the latent potential of degraded urban sites to inform architecture that unlocks processes of renewal, resilience and regeneration in natural and social systems.