Rakan Jandali is the design principal at KCA International and was named CID Awards 2024: MENA Interior Designer of the Year. In this exclusive piece for Commercial Interior Design, Randali shares his thoughts on the rise of regenerative design.
Our world is facing an environmental crisis. From climate change and global warming to the unsustainable consumption of resources, humanity’s impact on the planet is undeniable. Our cities and urban developments, which generate over 40% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, are one of the main contributors to these issues. But what if these cities could become part of the solution rather than the problem?
This is where regenerative design enters the conversation—a forward-thinking approach that aims not just to minimise harm but to actively improve and restore the environment.
From sustainability to regeneration
For years, sustainability has been at the centre of design discussions around environmental change. We often associate sustainability with green practices like windmills, solar panels, and systems such as LEED or BREEAM certifications. Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, but regenerative design goes a step further.
Sustainability, as valuable as it is, primarily focuses on doing ‘less harm.’ It reduces our environmental footprint but doesn’t repair the damage we’ve already inflicted on the planet. As Bill Reed’s framework suggests, sustainability is 100% less bad, but it doesn’t create restorative effects. In contrast, regenerative design is about healing — it’s an active, positive process that improves ecosystems, communities, and even economies.
Regenerative design: A toolkit for the future
Regenerative design is more than just a concept; it’s a toolkit for solving the most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges we face today. It moves beyond ‘net zero’ goals to ‘net positive’ outcomes, aiming to leave places better than they were found—both in terms of the environment and the communities that inhabit them.
Whereas sustainability focuses on the project, regenerative design considers the whole system. It’s a holistic approach that addresses everything from energy use to community health, transforming how we think about our built environment. Designers aim to restore ecosystems and promote resilient communities that can thrive amid disruptions. The goal is to create living systems—places that evolve and improve over time rather than stagnate. Instead of just conserving resources, regenerative design harnesses creativity to provide solutions that are less harmful and even beneficial to nature.
Bosco Verticale: A living, breathing example of regeneration
The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) building in Milan stands as a landmark example of regenerative design in action. This pair of residential towers is covered in trees and shrubs, forming a vertical ecosystem that significantly enhances biodiversity and contributes to urban sustainability. The building hosts over 900 trees and 20,000 plants, providing a home for birds and other wildlife species within the cityscape.
By integrating nature into the architecture, Bosco Verticale helps reduce the urban heat island effect, where cities become significantly warmer due to human activity and concrete infrastructure. The greenery absorbs carbon dioxide, provides shade, cools the surrounding environment, and improves air quality. Additionally, it creates a habitat for various species, allowing humans and wildlife to coexist in a harmonious, regenerative space. The building is a testament to how architecture can actively contribute to the well-being of the environment, offering an example of how urban development can regenerate ecosystems rather than deplete them.
Hotels and tourism: A case study in regenerative design
One industry that is increasingly embracing regenerative design principles is hospitality. Hotels are notorious for producing large amounts of waste and carbon emissions while consuming vast amounts of energy and water. However, by adopting regenerative practices, hotels can not only minimize their environmental impact but also enhance their guest experience and operational efficiency.
For example, many modern hotels are now investing in sustainable building materials like cork, bamboo textiles, and organic linens. They’re also implementing systems to reduce water consumption, use renewable energy, and integrate green roofs and rainwater harvesting. The Form Hotel in Jaddaf, Dubai, is an excellent example of this shift. Complying with Dubai’s Sustainable Tourism regulations, the hotel reports its environmental performance monthly, controls energy consumption through building management systems and trains both staff and guests in sustainability initiatives.
By applying regenerative design principles, hotels can turn themselves into eco-conscious spaces that attract a new generation of travellers. Millennials and Gen Z are particularly attuned to sustainability, and they prefer brands that reflect their values. Moreover, regenerative practices offer long-term financial benefits, as they reduce operational costs, increase energy efficiency, and create a unique market position within the hospitality industry.
The future of regenerative design
At its core, regenerative design is about enabling people and nature to coexist. As designers, we have a responsibility to go beyond sustainability and think creatively about how our buildings, interiors, and cities can heal the environment rather than degrade it. This approach requires us to stop working in fragments—focusing only on water, energy, or light—and start thinking in terms of whole living systems.
Our ancestors knew how to live in harmony with nature, but modern society has drifted from that connection. Instead of inhabiting the planet, we are now occupying it. It’s time for a shift—a paradigm where design fosters healthy, thriving communities and creates spaces that support not only human life but also the ecosystems that sustain us.
Regenerative design is not just a trend; it’s a necessity for our future. It’s a tool that can help us overcome challenges that seem too great to manage. By designing buildings and communities that can adapt, regenerate, and improve over time, we’re not only ensuring a better future for the planet—we’re setting a foundation for a world where nature and humanity flourish together.
In conclusion, regenerative design represents a radical yet essential transformation in how we approach architecture and interior design. It calls for designers to be part of the decision-making process, guiding policies that encourage systems that heal. The time is now for regenerative design to take centre stage, turning our cities and buildings from energy drains into sources of renewal. The future of design is not just about sustainability; it’s about regeneration.