Regenerative Practices in the Built Environment

“Consciousness is the basis of all systems,” says Jason Knoll, Founder of Being Imaginal. Business models and the built space could learn a lot from the natural system of things and from the focus on regenerative building practices that are receiving a lot of attention lately. It all starts with consciousness, and recognizing, especially in a time when society is becoming increasingly separated and tribal, that we are interconnected. Like everything in nature, we each have a genius and something to contribute, and businesses should work to put the right workers in their right positions. When everyone shows up mindfully and authentically, each person thrives as does the whole system. When businesses try to plant themselves where they don’t belong, they fail to thrive and what could have been successful never gets the chance. Often, you must know when to step back, allow old things to die so that new things can thrive in their place. 

 

Everyone essentially has the same core values and the sooner we recognize this and meet together on common ground, the better. When belief systems are put ahead of progress, the natural world suffers as well. Jason discusses legislation in certain countries where localized livestock practices prevent nature from resetting itself. And as it turns out, bare ground causes drought not the other way around, and other precious species will never return to a setting when certain animals are allowed to strip the land to nothing. 

 

Jason and Matt consider what cities, particularly Boulder and Denver will look like as more conscious and community-minded systems are incorporated into the urban space. Life is like a tapestry, Jason says. It’s hard to see the big picture in the weaving stage, and only in stepping back do all the synchronicities become evident. 

 

Quotes

 

• “If we have technology that is truly supporting living systems and supporting life, then it can really add value. If we think that technology will help us dominate nature, or have control over nature, or trick or fool nature, we're going to end up, continuing down the same path that we're on, which is unsustainable.” (6:40-7:05 | Jason)

• “The right approach is to really, as you said, take this into account as we plan something, as we design something. If we're looking in the built environment, how do we take a holistic approach to that project? How do we consider the community in which that project is being built and then bring all of the components of that project from its conceptualization to design into one holistic view, so that we can have a final project that really exists in harmony with life and with nature itself?” (8:44-9:29 | Jason )

• “How do we get to the point where we let things die when they need to die? Sometimes I think one of the greatest challenges that I've seen in businesses is continuing to try and do the same thing even when it doesn't work.” (27:05-27:20 | Jason) 

• “The beginning of any given project is to sit down with all of those players, all the people who are the stakeholders in that project, and come up with a shared context of what is this project? What do we really want this project to represent? What is the purpose of this project? And then how do we work together in that shared understanding to create the structures for communication, and all of these other things so that things flow more seamlessly.” (34:56-35:28 | Jason) 

 

Links

 

Learn more about Jason Knoll:

Website | https://www.beingimaginal.com/

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbknoll/

 

Learn more about Better Buildings, Better Society:

Website | https://www.dma-eng.com/

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/dma-engineering/

Steven’s Personal LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-forrester-36a91517/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dma_engineering/ 

 

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