Buckminster Fuller Institute’s Post

🍁 First proposed in 2022 to inspire the development of life-centred design, my Life-centred Design Lab's Framework aims to guide all human activity (design, business, cities, etc.) to respect the needs of all 3 Planetary Life Groups by thinking in Ecosystems and upholding 3 Design Pillars. 🌳 The Ecosystems to nurture 1. Local & Global—Zooming in and out from the micro view (individual), to the meso (lifecycle, business, community, etc.) and macro views (Global) 2. Use & Lifecycle—Optimising the core experience while keeping the lifecycle circular, inclusive, and regenerative 3. Past & Futures—Healing past damage and respecting the needs of future life 🌏 The 3 Planetary Life Groups to respect All non-humans — From large animals (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) to insects and microbes; on land, sea, air, or underground; domestic, livestock, captive, or wild; whether ‘proven’ sentient or not All planet — Vegetation (trees, forests, swamps, etc.), water systems (oceans, lakes, rivers, freshwater), air, soil, climate, landforms (mountains, hills, etc.), sunlight, ecosystems All peoples — Target users, Non-users (Individuals, communities, and employees of organisations working within the product lifecycle); Invisible humans (individuals and communities not involved in the lifecycle but who are impacted by it); All human knowledge and ways of existing 🦋 The 3 Design Pillars to uphold 1. Sustainable and Regenerative—Sustainability perpetuates today’s business models to ensure enough resources remain for future generations to get by, but regenerative design focuses on giving back much more than is taken so that all life thrives harmoniously. 2. Inclusive and Pluriversal—Inclusivity focuses on the diversity of gender and sexual identity, culture, race, colour, age, etc., with a particular focus on the diversity of abilities. Pluriversal thinking takes design even deeper into human diversity by championing diverse ways of existing beyond the Western, capitalistic, hetero, patriarchal, and hierarchical perspective, with its mantra of constant economic growth. 3. Responsible and Aligned—Life-centred businesses and designers are transparent, accountable, and science-based, and they align with partners and global goals to foster responsible stewardship of all life. 🚀 Want to learn how to put this framework into action? Learn LCD by redesigning a product business of your choice over 7 weeks in the Life-centred Design Foundations online course. 16 Aug—⏰ Today is the last day to save $250 with the Early Bird Discount! 23 Aug—Enrolments close 27 Aug—Course Starts! 🌎 Learn more and enrol at—https://lnkd.in/gRazbYpz #lifecentreddesign #lcd #lifecentreddesigncourse #lcdcourses

🍁 First proposed in 2022 to inspire the development of life-centred design, the Life-centred Design Lab's Framework aims to guide all human activity (design, business, cities, etc.) to respect the needs of all 3 Planetary Life Groups by thinking in Ecosystems and upholding 3 Design Pillars. 🌳 The Ecosystems to nurture 1. Local & Global—Zooming in and out from the micro view (individual), to the meso (lifecycle, business, community, etc.) and macro views (Global) 2. Use & Lifecycle—Optimising the core experience while keeping the lifecycle circular, inclusive, and regenerative 3. Past & Futures—Healing past damage and respecting the needs of future life 🌏 The 3 Planetary Life Groups to respect All non-humans — From large animals (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) to insects and microbes; on land, sea, air, or underground; domestic, livestock, captive, or wild; whether ‘proven’ sentient or not All planet — Vegetation (trees, forests, swamps, etc.), water systems (oceans, lakes, rivers, freshwater), air, soil, climate, landforms (mountains, hills, etc.), sunlight, ecosystems All peoples — Target users, Non-users (Individuals, communities, and employees of organisations working within the product lifecycle); Invisible humans (individuals and communities not involved in the lifecycle but who are impacted by it); All human knowledge and ways of existing 🦋 The 3 Design Pillars to uphold (Which also support ESG Commitments) 1. Sustainable and Regenerative (Environmental)—Sustainability perpetuates today’s business models to ensure enough resources remain for future generations to get by, but regenerative design focuses on giving back much more than is taken so that all life thrives harmoniously. 2. Inclusive and Pluriversal (Social) —Inclusivity focuses on the diversity of gender and sexual identity, culture, race, colour, age, etc., with a particular focus on the diversity of abilities. Pluriversal thinking takes design even deeper into human diversity by championing diverse ways of existing beyond the Western, capitalistic, hetero, patriarchal, and hierarchical perspective, with its mantra of constant economic growth. 3. Responsible and Aligned (Governance)—Life-centred businesses and designers are transparent, accountable, and science-based, and they align with partners and global goals to foster responsible stewardship of all life. 🚀 Want to learn how to put this framework into action? Learn LCD by redesigning a product business of your choice over 7 weeks in the Life-centred Design Foundations online course. 16 Aug—⏰ Today is the last day to save $250 with the Early Bird Discount! 23 Aug—Enrolments close 27 Aug—Course Starts! 🌎 Learn more and enrol at—https://lnkd.in/gRazbYpz #lifecentreddesign #lcd #lifecentreddesigncourse #lcdcourses

📢 Accelerating Circular Construction Round Table / FactoryX - 3rd July - Bristol, UK 📢 The construction and built environment sectors need to shift - and radically - away from an outdated, linear model, where resources, performance and resilience are not universal priorities. As a consultant, I enjoy a good framework and unpacking how it might apply to the projects and people I work with (context/scale). BUT I also experience overwhelm at the absolute abundance of guides - often lacking the detail for meaningful interpretation between contexts. So, while I am excited to get stuck into the new RIBA Climate Guide by Mina Hasman - I believe we need these resources to be backed up by regional (central, accessible) built environment hubs. I envisage a multi-stakeholder cooperative of existing and emerging organisations that demonstrate and facilitate this radical shift. FactoryX is a new kind of systems-led show and do facility. Connecting; materials exchange and remanufacturing; a show park for the diverse building typologies addressing the industries core challenges; training/education facilities (for use by local groups and institutions); and a conference/visitors centre. The possibilities for these spaces are huge - but ultimately we want buy-in on those 'new operating models'. If one of the biggest barriers is getting the industry to interact with those frameworks and models, then we need to make them physical, exciting, and very obviously better. On July 3rd Materials in Mind is hosting the inaugural *Accelerating Circular Construction Round Table* event in central Bristol. With an brilliant line-up of speakers, table hosts and case studies, we'll be focusing on the factors that have shaped circular and regenerative solutions across the UK. Understanding the contexts and mechanisms behind the scenes is key to replicating/adapting solutions successfully, with a goal of drawing out blueprints for adoption. We are calling out for developers, clients, engineers, contractors, consultants and designers to join the discussion. #acceleratetozero #circularconstructionhub #factoryx #constructionroundtable #thinktank #lowcarbonlogistics #reusenow #circulareconomy #failforward #adaptation and #resilience Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Excess Materials Exchange, Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP), The Rebuild Site, ALDStone, Bristol Waste Company, Bristol City Council, Goram Homes, Housing Festival , Jan Kattein, Global Generation, British Land, Sir Robert McAlpine, UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), Considerate Constructors Scheme, ACAN!, Built Environment - Smarter Transformation, University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Bath, Bath Spa University, The Studio in Bath, Bristol Digital Futures Institute, Retrofit West CIC, The Green Register, Building Growth South West

To a beautiful edition of our periodical. Give a read to know about the incredible things the experts in the Construction industry are doing out of waste streams!

Architects are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and they’re demanding more from the products they specify. Don't just tick boxes when presenting your sustainability efforts—engage with their expertise. Architects increasingly know the ins and outs of sustainability in design, from cradle-to-cradle concepts to ethical supply chains, and they’ll ask tough questions. Be transparent about your product’s strengths and areas for improvement. Continuous innovation is key; share how you’re pushing boundaries, whether it’s through testing recycled materials or advancing new technologies. Honest dialogue builds trust and positions your product as a vital part of sustainable design. Discover how to communicate your sustainability credentials effectively in the full article on our website: https://lnkd.in/gqJJdr5V? Pictured: Reset Materials at Copenhagen Contemporary explores what a city made out of experimental biomaterials might look like.

On this week’s session at the AIIDEV Africa workshop, it was an introductory class on Design thinking and Innovation, which was led by Mrs Oluwaseyi Olarinde. She talked on circular design. To understand the concept of circular design, it’s good to know what design thinking is. Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative testing. It focuses on understanding the needs and experiences of users, generating a wide array of ideas, and prototyping solutions that can be refined through feedback and iteration. Circular design is the practice of creating durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable products that generates zero waste to support a circlar economy. Product is said to be linear or circular. It is a linear product when it is manufactured, used and eventually turn to waste. A product is circular when it can be recycled, reused over again. In circular design, designers consider all stages of a product's lifecycle and ensure that it is sustainable from manufacturing to disposal. ✅The principles of Circular Design 1. Eliminate waste and pullution, including toxic substances that harm the soil and water. 2. Circulate products and materials at their heighest value for as long as possible. 3. Regenerate natural system by returning natural recources to the earth. ✅Benefits of Circular Design thinking 1. Environmental sustainability; it reduces waste and pollution. It also conserves natural and promotes biodiversity. 2. Economic Advantages; it opens new businesses opportunities and revenue streams. It reduces costs through recourses efficiency and waste minimization 3. Social impact; it promote healthier communities through sustainable practices. It enhances brand reputation and customer loyalty by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.

Architects are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and they’re demanding more from the products they specify. Don't just tick boxes when presenting your sustainability efforts—engage with their expertise. Architects increasingly know the ins and outs of sustainability in design, from cradle-to-cradle concepts to ethical supply chains, and they’ll ask tough questions. Be transparent about your product’s strengths and areas for improvement. Continuous innovation is key; share how you’re pushing boundaries, whether it’s through testing recycled materials or advancing new technologies. Honest dialogue builds trust and positions your product as a vital part of sustainable design. Discover how to communicate your sustainability credentials effectively in the full article on our website: https://lnkd.in/gRegvkaM? Pictured: Reset Materials at Copenhagen Contemporary explores what a city made out of experimental biomaterials might look like.

Winner of The Innovation category at this years Brick Development Association (BDA) Brick Awards was The HyBrick Brick Bench at The Science Museum. Delighted we have a piece of work in the Science Museum? Yes of course I am. Delighted that it’s to do with sustainability? Yes then of course even more so. But this win wasn’t for the brick bench it was for the brick- the HyBrick by Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC. The brainchild of Sarah Le Gresley. While I was a judge at this years brick awards this is a category in which I bowed out and had no say over so I can really say how excited I am by this innovation. It’s amazing! Brick can last on our buildings for years- we can see it as we walk around our cityscapes- it is truly a Whole Life Cycle blessed substance- but by reducing the initial embodied carbon with something as “simple” as the way the brick is baked is amazing and should be something that the industry is getting behind fully. What do our developers, our architects and our planners want? Lower carbon facades is one of these things- this can do that without changing the peoplepower that we need to build with, without changing the face or the structures of our buildings, without compromising the beauty of clay brick. Green hydrogen is possibly one of the way forward on this- like what we are seeing the automotive industry doing now looking at green hydrogen as the future. Our manufacturers should be seeing the benefits of this and exploring the possibilities for the future. Our facades will change and there will be lower carbon alternatives but this can be part of this, and a major part. I had a meeting late last week with a major contractor where I said we don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater on greenskilling our industry and changing everything that we have always done- we invest in the abilities that we have while greening our production techniques to manage and produce a lower embodied carbon construction industry with tried and tested methods, that are A1 fire rated, where our people understand what the products they are seeing are and without changing the beauty of the old cities like London in the stunning buildings that have been here hundreds of years. Great to see U.K. Brick manufacturers leading the way, and all of the manufacturers in the U.K. who are looking at the ways to reduce their embodied carbon on the products they manufacture- not offset- and put brick still as the number 1 choice for our facades and home building- which will follow if not there just yet like commercial demands. #brickisbest #futureofbrick #brickwork #lovebrick #bricklayers

Revitalise - Maximise - Optimise  It goes beyond recycling—it’s about revitalising products, services, spaces, and systems to give them a second life. This decision is made at the very beginning of any project, when the requirements that must be fulfilled for the product are being determined. Here, the decision makers have the ability to set the sustainability direction. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ By considering eco-friendly materials, modular designs, and energy-efficient systems early on, they ensure that sustainability isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation.  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Scientific studies show that embedding these principles early reduces overall carbon emissions, optimises resource use, and enhances project resilience in the face of future environmental challenges.  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How would you design with sustainability from the start? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ hashtag#Sustainability hashtag#Consultant hashtag#SustainableSolutions hashtag#CircularEconomy hashtag#Innovation hashtag#Engineering hashtag#Architecture hashtag#Design hashtag#Scandinavia hashtag#NordicCountries hashtag#EU hashtag#GreenDeal