186
“From the twentieth to the twenty first century humans have passed through a unique period, one in which the planning, design and construction of the built environment has been almost un- imaginably bad and unacceptable. The way
we have designed and built our cities has resulted in a degeneration of the earth's natural systems, now eventuating in
the unprecedented impacts of a changing climate. Undeniably a more volatile climate and rising sea levels threaten
coastal settlements and will bring change to the coastal zone impacting nature as well as built environments. Humans
need to mitigate the causes of, and adapt to climate change as well as the loss of natural systems” (Chap. 1)
This is indeed a planetary issue.
When I started my in-depth research investigations back in October 2011, I believed that I would find
‘the answer’ to how to address this planetary issue. What was clearly missing from the sustainable design,
planning and adaptation practice discourse is a more deeply integrated approach to the design and planning of human settlements that considers ‘the whole’, which moves away from the current view that
humans stand apart from nature, rather than participating, co-evolving and adapting with it. Consequently,
in this book I proposed and tested a regenerative- adaptive pattern language theory towards investigating
the possibilities of a holistic integrated design and planning method – one that incorporates the principles
of regenerative design as well as an adaptive pattern language, attempts to re- establish our wholeness
with nature, and considers the vulnerabilities of a changing landscape (Fig. 12.1).
I believed that the development of a model that could apply the proposed regenerative- adaptive
pattern language theory to the design and adaptation planning of vulnerable coastal towns would
provide an answer to this planetary issue. Even as I approached the end of this book, I still held tight
to the belief that in its final pages I would sculpture the exact formula for the resilience of the coastal
environments, human and nature combined, through the application of the ‘regenerative-adaptive patterns equation’. Yet, the more I tried to write this concluding formula, the more evident it became that
this proposed approach, the theory, the model and the equation are just starting to delve into the depths
of this tremendously complex subject matter. That said, I believe that this book explored and established new foundations for the regenerative-adaptive design (and pattern language) narrative – hopefully to be further developed, refined and tested on real life projects by others to come.
12.2 The Regenerative-Adaptive Pattern Language Theory
The ‘notion of a regenerative-adaptive patterns equation’ forms the foundation of the regenerativeadaptive pattern language theory, informing a design process that fundamentally supports a proposed
new integral sustainable worldview. The application of the equation indicates a progression based on
an ecological systems process that considers the whole, rather than an industrial or mechanical process that is a collection of individual parts. The ‘notion of regenerative- adaptive patterns equation’
collectively mimics the wholeness of place in a complex, cyclic system where the entities of evolution
of place (built and natural combined) become distributors and producers of materials, water, food, and
energy as well as adaptors of change. This is in direct contrast to the current status and ‘production’
of the built environment. Inherently this process needs to include the features of the living process that
creates life (as noted by Alexander, 2001–2005), a step-by-step adaptive procedure which includes the
opportunity for feedback and correction at every incremental stage (Alexander, 2001–2005, p. 225).
The activity of regeneration – and of life, for that matter – happens gradually; as noted by Alexander
the living structure of wholeness emerges slowly, step-by-step in an adaptive fashion (Alexander,
2001–2005, p. 230). This is fundamental in the adaptation of natural environments.
Applying the process of a regenerative- adaptive pattern language would require an integral sustainable design approach. This is where a planning, design and construction team needs to work
closely in collaboration with the local community to be deeply rooted into place, and to have an
understanding of the climatic, ecological, natural and cultural context of the site (Wahl, 2006). It will
be necessary for the people of that specific place to be involved as part of the professional team, and
an increased collaboration between professional fields that seldom work together – such as the archi12 The Living Earth: Revenge or Celebration?
“From the twentieth to the twenty first century humans have passed through a unique period, one in which the planning, design and construction of the built environment has been almost un- imaginably bad and unacceptable. The way
we have designed and built our cities has resulted in a degeneration of the earth's natural systems, now eventuating in
the unprecedented impacts of a changing climate. Undeniably a more volatile climate and rising sea levels threaten
coastal settlements and will bring change to the coastal zone impacting nature as well as built environments. Humans
need to mitigate the causes of, and adapt to climate change as well as the loss of natural systems” (Chap. 1)
This is indeed a planetary issue.
When I started my in-depth research investigations back in October 2011, I believed that I would find
‘the answer’ to how to address this planetary issue. What was clearly missing from the sustainable design,
planning and adaptation practice discourse is a more deeply integrated approach to the design and planning of human settlements that considers ‘the whole’, which moves away from the current view that
humans stand apart from nature, rather than participating, co-evolving and adapting with it. Consequently,
in this book I proposed and tested a regenerative- adaptive pattern language theory towards investigating
the possibilities of a holistic integrated design and planning method – one that incorporates the principles
of regenerative design as well as an adaptive pattern language, attempts to re- establish our wholeness
with nature, and considers the vulnerabilities of a changing landscape (Fig. 12.1).
I believed that the development of a model that could apply the proposed regenerative- adaptive
pattern language theory to the design and adaptation planning of vulnerable coastal towns would
provide an answer to this planetary issue. Even as I approached the end of this book, I still held tight
to the belief that in its final pages I would sculpture the exact formula for the resilience of the coastal
environments, human and nature combined, through the application of the ‘regenerative-adaptive patterns equation’. Yet, the more I tried to write this concluding formula, the more evident it became that
this proposed approach, the theory, the model and the equation are just starting to delve into the depths
of this tremendously complex subject matter. That said, I believe that this book explored and established new foundations for the regenerative-adaptive design (and pattern language) narrative – hopefully to be further developed, refined and tested on real life projects by others to come.
12.2 The Regenerative-Adaptive Pattern Language Theory
The ‘notion of a regenerative-adaptive patterns equation’ forms the foundation of the regenerativeadaptive pattern language theory, informing a design process that fundamentally supports a proposed
new integral sustainable worldview. The application of the equation indicates a progression based on
an ecological systems process that considers the whole, rather than an industrial or mechanical process that is a collection of individual parts. The ‘notion of regenerative- adaptive patterns equation’
collectively mimics the wholeness of place in a complex, cyclic system where the entities of evolution
of place (built and natural combined) become distributors and producers of materials, water, food, and
energy as well as adaptors of change. This is in direct contrast to the current status and ‘production’
of the built environment. Inherently this process needs to include the features of the living process that
creates life (as noted by Alexander, 2001–2005), a step-by-step adaptive procedure which includes the
opportunity for feedback and correction at every incremental stage (Alexander, 2001–2005, p. 225).
The activity of regeneration – and of life, for that matter – happens gradually; as noted by Alexander
the living structure of wholeness emerges slowly, step-by-step in an adaptive fashion (Alexander,
2001–2005, p. 230). This is fundamental in the adaptation of natural environments.
Applying the process of a regenerative- adaptive pattern language would require an integral sustainable design approach. This is where a planning, design and construction team needs to work
closely in collaboration with the local community to be deeply rooted into place, and to have an
understanding of the climatic, ecological, natural and cultural context of the site (Wahl, 2006). It will
be necessary for the people of that specific place to be involved as part of the professional team, and
an increased collaboration between professional fields that seldom work together – such as the archi12 The Living Earth: Revenge or Celebration?