Green jade vines hang over a while balcony wall.
A medical professional, wearing a yellow mask and blue gown is blurred as they put on blue gloves in the middle of the hallway

Regenerative Design

The Benefit

We must practice regenerative design principles to improve the economic, social, and physical well-being of individuals, communities, and ecologies. We employ a holistic approach to design that, for Unity, that includes the following:

Health

The outcome of intentionally creating a nurturing environment that considers, integrates with, and promotes the well-being of people and nature.

  • Connection to Nature: views, biofilia, daylight

  • Behavioural Environment: moments, movements, experience, connection, identity, orientation

  • Comfort: control, safety, inclusive

  • Experience & Beauty: material, texture, engagement, inspirational

  • Environmental Quality: light, air, water

Two individuals in reflective vests and hardhats stand on top of a lift as another lift holds a wooden panel of a building

Resilience

The outcome of intentionally creating environments to adapt to changing conditions, regain function, and vitality in the face of environmental or social stress or disturbance.

  • Adaptive Reprogramming: flexibility, contingency planning

  • Ease of Retrofit: structure, height, expansion

  • Longevity: materially assemblies, timelessness

  • Adaptive Systems: accessible, interchangeable,
    open-source

  • Disaster Readiness: environmental considerations (orientation, seismic, elevation, protection, energy security)

A barrier free bathroom with a shower area, toilet, grab bars, and a dark blue accent wall

Universal Design

The practice of designing environments that intentionally promote fairness, equality, and inclusivity.

  • Physical Accessibility: physical, visual, auditory, olfactory

  • Gender Accessibility: accommodate & respect gender diversity

  • Cultural Accessibility: accommodate & respect cultural diversity

  • Generational Accessibility : accommodate & respect generational diversity

  • Accessibility Supports: mobility aids, devices, walkers, service animals

Material Transparency

The intentional selection of products and materials that support health, climate, ecosystem, social equity, and circular economy.

  • Human Health: inert, non-toxic

  • Social Equity: supporting local

  • Circular Economy: recyclable, cradle to cradle, demountable, reusable

  • Ecosystem Health: inert, non-toxic, biodegradable

  • Vernacular: of the place, known practices

Outdoor seating area at front of Canadian Canoe Museum

Active Conservation

Intentionally designing to project and preserve natural and energy resources.

  • Resource Preservation: structure, finishes, material reuse, waste

  • Energy Preservation: systems, materials (production), orientation, envelope, optimization

  • Energy Generation: PV, geothermal, wind

  • Water Preservation: usage, harvesting, grey water, LID

  • Land Preservation: planning, footprint, LID

A close up of the corner of a window on the exterior of a building. Showcasing the metal siding material.