The course is fully online and builds on an integrated mode of learning where the knowledge acquired in one unit provides the foundation for the learning in the next unit with a total of four units over two academic years.
The first unit is ‘front-loaded’ in terms of formal teaching as it forms the foundational platform for the rest of the course. As the units progress, the proportion of self-directed and independent study will increase and formal teaching time will be reduced. This is to provide you with space to become confident in developing an individual and creative approach to regenerative design.
Annual ‘knowledge gathering workshops’ will bring the students’ cohort together to exchange and share knowledge and help build and sustain an enriching online community.
Unit two is designed as a collaborative elective unit to broaden access to the wider students’ postgraduate community via interdisciplinary group work addressing theme-based global challenges.
Unit 3 and 4 are dedicated to the development and realisation of an individual regenerative design project located in your home region.
Unit 1: Design for Life
A Living Systems Approach to Design
In order to reach beyond the limitations and pitfalls of sustainable design, we need to facilitate a paradigm shift in how, what and why we design. Informed by deep ecology principles (Naess), living system thinking (Capra, Reed, Escobar, Meadows) and scenarios for regenerative cultures (Whal, Webster), this unit will deconstruct prior learning and challenge students to re-evaluate their design practice with radical new lenses that embody living systems thinking and place biodiversity, climate, cultural and socio-economic equity, and indigenous wisdom at the heart of their creative process.
By integrating knowledge, tools and methodologies from the fields of ecology and cultural anthropology, this unit will enable students to build the foundations to create holistic and regenerative design outputs.
The unit will start with a 3-day induction workshop to build an online cohort dynamic, share and exchange cultural values, design tales and backgrounds and introduce the course ethos as well as provide key induction sessions.
The core of the unit is constituted of a series of short design briefs combined with lectures, knowledge gathering seminars, tutorials, group critiques, and workshops. These design briefs will provide a creative canvas for students to experiment with new knowledge informed by: planetary boundaries, permaculture, circular and regenerative systems, biodiversity framework, climate research and science-based targets, nature conservation and rewilding, international frameworks and governance (UN SDGs, COPs), cultural anthropology, decolonisation and indigenous knowledge, holism, and ethics of care.
At the end of this unit students will submit an annotated portfolio of experimental design work; an annotated bibliography and glossary, a self-assessment and an oral presentation.
This unit is cross-referenced with
UN SDGs: all.
UAL Creative attributes framework:
- Making things happen: Proactivity, Agility
- Life-wide learning: Curiosity, Self-efficacity, Resilience
Unit 2 (Elective): Design with Permaculture Principles
Translating permaculture principles in design to address planetary challenges
This unit is shared with other design postgraduate courses at CSM. Students will work online in interdisciplinary groups to respond to a global planetary challenge via principles of permaculture (Holmgren, Mollison).
The unit will start with an introduction to collaborative working practices so that all students on this elective can be acquainted and share their backgrounds and expertise. The unit will then introduce the design brief including the planetary challenge (identified on an annual basis) and present key principles of permaculture via a lecture and workshop.
Permaculture is a defined school of thoughts based on (living) whole systems thinking. The ethos of permaculture is embedded in a set of clearly defined principles that promote life-conducive collaborations across species for a fair share of natural resources. Often associated with agriculture and gardening, these principles can be adopted in design and become an effective tool to systematically apply living systems thinking in creative practice.
Examples of global design challenges include: How can we design to regenerate ocean life? How and what can we design to support the survival of endangered species? How do we use the principle of reciprocity to regenerate our soils via design-led interventions? How can regenerative design help mitigate and adapt to localised climate shifts?
At the end of the unit each group will submit their regenerative design proposal in the form of an online presentation.
This unit is cross-referenced with:
UN SDGs: a selection of SDGs as identified in the design brief.
UAL Creative attributes framework:
- Making things happen: Proactivity, Enterprise, Agility
- Showcasing abilities and accomplishments with others: Communication, Connectivity, Storytelling
Unit 3: Design For And With Your Local Biosphere
Place-based action research
In this unit students will research, develop and frame an individual regenerative design brief related to their local biosphere via an action research project. They will use living system thinking tools to frame a pertinent research question, establish a relevant network of potential collaborators, and develop bespoke ecological and cultural surveys and observations as well as experimental design work.
This unit will include lectures and workshops on ecological, anthropological and design research tools, ethics, as well as economic frameworks and business models (doughnut economics, circular economy) that can inform the development of a situated practice designed to promote reciprocal eco-cultural abundance.
Regular tutorial support will enable students to discuss their progress and develop a bespoke approach to regenerative principles informed by their local context. At the end of this unit students will present their research proposal, situate their action research (including rationale, research methodology and stakeholder cartography) and map out the regenerative blueprint for their design practice in terms of biodiversity, climate and communities.
For the final summative assessment, students will submit an annotated design portfolio which includes design brief, design experiments, material sampling, prototypes (as appropriate) and final design outputs, a bibliography and relevant documentation (surveys, interviews, analysis...), a legacy forecast, as well as a self-assessment and an oral presentation.
This unit is cross-referenced with
UN SDGs: as identified by the students
UAL Creative attributes framework:
- Making things happen: Proactivity, Enterprise, Agility
- Showcasing abilities and accomplishments with others: Communication, Connectivity, Storytelling
- Life-wide learning: Curiosity, Self-efficacity, Resilience
Unit 4: Design for Regenerative Futures
Regenerative design development and conclusions, critical evaluation and legacy forecast
In this concluding unit students will use the research and outcomes produced in unit three as a platform to develop a well resolved final regenerative design project. They will also evaluate and forecast the holistic impact and regenerative legacy of their project in terms bio-cultural abundance and reciprocity. The unit will start with a ‘knowledge gathering workshop’ when students will come together for a 3-day online workshop to share the outcomes of unit 3, map regional knowledge for regenerative design and generate a world view of key stakeholders based on their individual research and development.
This unit will include a video editing, design narrative and visual communication workshops and regular individual and group tutorial support to develop the final project.
Students will also be introduced to foresight techniques to develop an informed and situated legacy forecast for their regenerative design proposal.
At the end of this unit students will submit a design portfolio, an analytical critical report, a short film and a project presentation at an online public symposium. This presentation will include a project legacy roadmap, a critical evaluation, and a short video to communicate the project.
This unit is cross-referenced with
UN SDGs: as identified by the students
UAL Creative attributes framework:
- Making things happen: Proactivity, Enterprise, Agility
- Showcasing abilities and accomplishments with others: Communication, Connectivity, Storytelling
- Life-wide learning: Curiosity, Self-efficacity, Resilience
