Regenerative Design and Sustainability
Regenerative design is all about thinking for the future instead of the now
What is Regenerative Design?
Regenerative design is all about thinking for the future instead of the now. As opposed to sustainably designed buildings, which are based on the concept of using the minimum necessary resources, regenerative buildings are designed and operated to reverse their effects and have a net-positive impact on the environment.
Bronzeville Lakefront will use regenerative and community centered design to set a new standard for healthy living. Spearheaded by Jason F. McLennan—strategic advisor to Bronzeville Lakefront—this development project is fueled by the philosophy of regeneration. From regenerating the local economy with 75,000 jobs to incorporating 9+ acres of green space, the result is a lifestyle centered around sustainability, health, and well-being. The Bronzeville Lakefront development project will leverage the native ecology of the land itself to define a vibrant, walkable, and livable community.
Read more about our regenerative design principles here.
Go Green for Long Term Resilience
This 100+ acre community development serves as a blank slate for equitable, green, cutting-edge development. Bronzeville Lakefront will be home to “living buildings,” which connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community. Jason F. McLennan, CEO of McLennan Design, explained it best.
“From the very beginning, the planning principles of the project I helped develop were really about trying to embed a philosophy of what I call regeneration into the development. Really looking at not only how do we regenerate this land, which is an abandoned corner site, there's nothing much on it now, how do we revitalize it and regenerate it so that it's filled with life? Literally with people, of course, but also with a functioning ecosystem. Regenerating the local economy by providing more jobs, more opportunities, more things to do in the area. And we really embedded these principles into all aspects of the plan.
We started with understanding the traditional things like view corridors to the lake and connections on the street grid to the existing street grid, all those things that you normally would do. But we layered into that real thinking around ecology. There is a real powerful green network that runs through the development that's handling storm water, that is providing recreation, providing habitats, providing food production, all nested together in the development. So that's pretty unique at this scale, and it's really trying to create a lifestyle and a focus that is centered around sustainability and health and wellbeing.”
On top of this innovative regeneration plan, all buildings will strive to use eco-friendly materials, solar panels, and rooftop plantings to promote a healthier environment for all. The additional green spaces will contribute to the neighborhood’s air quality, ultimately improving the quality of life.
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