23
Levels of complexity, which arise from the unfolding sequence of development in human individuals, cultures
and physical systems, which manifest as developmental sequences such as those values, cognition, biological
evolution, economic systems and worldviews (DeKay, 2011, p. xxiii).
Integral Sustainable Design goes beyond the technical aspect of sustainability, and investigates
technological, ecological, experiential and cultural sustainability. DeKay’s integral theory views sustainable design from four fundamental perspectives and includes (DeKay, 2011, p. xxiv):
• Behaviours perspective – the what of individual parts;
• Systems perspective – the how of complex wholes;
• Experiences perspective – the who that intends, thinks and feels; and
• Cultures perspective – the why of the collective we.
The Integral Theory (Wilber, 2000) combined with principles of sustainable design, is an approach
that unites the art and the ethics of design with its true science. From the four quadrants perspective,
Integral Sustainable Design must include:
• Patterns of form that order social and ecological relationships;
• With individual members and parts including their activities, functions and performance;
• Experiences of systemic members including perception, sentience and awareness; and
• Various levels of complexity from individual members acting with each other sharing meaning and
understanding.
Taking this four-quadrant perspective to the application of sustainable design for sustainable development, a deeper sustainability worldview emerges. As indicated in Fig. 2.3, sustainability as part of
our environment is viewed as experiences – self and conscious; behaviours – science and performance; cultures – meaning worldviews and symbolism; and systems – social and natural ecologies
(DeKay, 2011, p. 17).
Integral sustainable design and development, supports the fundamental requirement that we as
humans need to see our place in the system of life as a whole, collectively being part of Nature. As
noted by DeKay, the overarching principle to design for sustainability is:
… by considering multiple levels of developing complexity in the intersecting domains of self, culture and
Nature (DeKay, 2011, p. 38).
This integral sustainable worldview supports the fundamental theories investigated in this book
and which make up the fine grain elements of the regenerative-adaptive pattern language. The concerns and questions raised by ecological design (Van der Ryn & Cowan, 1996), progression beyond
sustainability to regenerative design (Lyle, 1994), planning at ecological levels of scale to design with
nature (McHarg, 1992 [1969]), and the deeper understanding of and design with living structures
through the nature of order – a pattern language (Alexander et al., 1977; Alexander, 1964, 1979,
2001a, 2001b, 2004); all support a new worldview whose core philosophy is integral.
2.7 Conclusion Statement
We have identified that indeed there is a global desire to move towards a more sustainable world,
recognising that sustainability needs to be at the core at everything we do as a global society. The
efforts by many governments to achieve the SDGs set by the United Nations are encouraging, but as
I have reasoned in Chap. 1 and in this chapter, this is not enough, and we need to move to a more
holistic, all-encompassing method where we move beyond sustainable development towards a regenerative-adaptive paradigm that will include integral sustainable design practices. It is also important
2.7 Conclusion Statement
Levels of complexity, which arise from the unfolding sequence of development in human individuals, cultures
and physical systems, which manifest as developmental sequences such as those values, cognition, biological
evolution, economic systems and worldviews (DeKay, 2011, p. xxiii).
Integral Sustainable Design goes beyond the technical aspect of sustainability, and investigates
technological, ecological, experiential and cultural sustainability. DeKay’s integral theory views sustainable design from four fundamental perspectives and includes (DeKay, 2011, p. xxiv):
• Behaviours perspective – the what of individual parts;
• Systems perspective – the how of complex wholes;
• Experiences perspective – the who that intends, thinks and feels; and
• Cultures perspective – the why of the collective we.
The Integral Theory (Wilber, 2000) combined with principles of sustainable design, is an approach
that unites the art and the ethics of design with its true science. From the four quadrants perspective,
Integral Sustainable Design must include:
• Patterns of form that order social and ecological relationships;
• With individual members and parts including their activities, functions and performance;
• Experiences of systemic members including perception, sentience and awareness; and
• Various levels of complexity from individual members acting with each other sharing meaning and
understanding.
Taking this four-quadrant perspective to the application of sustainable design for sustainable development, a deeper sustainability worldview emerges. As indicated in Fig. 2.3, sustainability as part of
our environment is viewed as experiences – self and conscious; behaviours – science and performance; cultures – meaning worldviews and symbolism; and systems – social and natural ecologies
(DeKay, 2011, p. 17).
Integral sustainable design and development, supports the fundamental requirement that we as
humans need to see our place in the system of life as a whole, collectively being part of Nature. As
noted by DeKay, the overarching principle to design for sustainability is:
… by considering multiple levels of developing complexity in the intersecting domains of self, culture and
Nature (DeKay, 2011, p. 38).
This integral sustainable worldview supports the fundamental theories investigated in this book
and which make up the fine grain elements of the regenerative-adaptive pattern language. The concerns and questions raised by ecological design (Van der Ryn & Cowan, 1996), progression beyond
sustainability to regenerative design (Lyle, 1994), planning at ecological levels of scale to design with
nature (McHarg, 1992 [1969]), and the deeper understanding of and design with living structures
through the nature of order – a pattern language (Alexander et al., 1977; Alexander, 1964, 1979,
2001a, 2001b, 2004); all support a new worldview whose core philosophy is integral.
2.7 Conclusion Statement
We have identified that indeed there is a global desire to move towards a more sustainable world,
recognising that sustainability needs to be at the core at everything we do as a global society. The
efforts by many governments to achieve the SDGs set by the United Nations are encouraging, but as
I have reasoned in Chap. 1 and in this chapter, this is not enough, and we need to move to a more
holistic, all-encompassing method where we move beyond sustainable development towards a regenerative-adaptive paradigm that will include integral sustainable design practices. It is also important
2.7 Conclusion Statement