Co-Generative: A Generative Design Paradigm for Fostering Regenerative Communities

Holistic sustainability literature argues that many of the most serious problems we face today are a result of innovation that is disconnected from its local ecological context. One of the innovations being explored to address the challenges of designing complex built environments is generative design; a collaborative design process that augments human design capabilities with computational power to explore a multitude of design alternatives. Regenerative design is a holistic design approach that builds on understanding ecosystem patterns that regenerate a system’s health and vitality. In this Major Research Project, I explore the bridge between generative design and regenerative design to propose a computationally-augmented design approach that contributes to fostering the health of the system as a whole. Using a strategic foresight framework, I deconstruct the current computational generative design paradigm and construct a new one based on a metaphor of perpetuity and a worldview that values collective flourishing, abundance, and appropriate participation. Building on this new paradigm, I propose a revised generative design workflow that emphasizes collaboration, connectedness with the land, participatory foresight, and emergence. I conclude that a regenerative generative design approach is community, context, and complexity-sensitive