A Call to a More Regenerative Future on Campus

Photo: Members of the firm's education team toured Georgia Tech's Kendeda Building during the 2024 Living Future Conference.

We often talk in broad terms around “green” efforts, and “sustainability” without really having a global understanding of what those terms mean. The lack of clarity on language and terminology here leads to a loss of direction on practical paths to change and implementation. How do we maximize our impact and bring a level of understanding to co-design a newer healthier reality?  

Might we first take small steps of clarification in our language, and instead use terms like “regenerative” or “restorative” in addition to setting more aspirational goals at a district or community level. Not only are similar terms more focused on giving back in a net-positive way, but they also provide a broader systems-level view on the social and environmental impact of our decisions.

There is substantial pressure on universities and colleges to provide leadership in this large undefined area of “sustainability.” That pressure comes partially from the world around us grappling with climate change, mounting temperatures, and global disagreement around methods for slowing our impact. The other pressure point stems directly from the students these institutions serve. Young people are often taught and shown the impacts of climate change through primary school, and given a strong call to action for positive change.  

This is an incredible burden to place on young folks, and higher education does not always pick up the baton in a meaningful way, showing them the way to make substantial changes and impact on their world. Often, students feel anxiety resulting from a lack of clarity around what they should do, how to move the needle, and what are actions they can take to help. How is this worldwide problem boiled down to practical steps we can implement as individuals? Without practical applications, there is a loss of hope and desperation that results, adding to the other myriad of social issues young people deal with as they grow into young professionals. Climate Despair is increasingly contributing to the mental health of college students. Leveraging regenerative or restorative solutions is a direct antidote to these students’ need to meaningfully contribute, positively affect change, and to find meaning and fulfillment.  

While students may wish to drive campus efforts, a major barrier to institutions themselves is funding. Discussions of this nature are familiar, yet institutions which are able to financially support a new regenerative building remain few and far between. Some successful examples have partnered with adjacent communities for bigger efforts like solar projects or implemented a “green fee” where students financially partner on college-level initiatives. The latter gives students a way to participate without the hindrance of time, often prioritized and allocated for studying or social endeavors.  

Having recently attended the 2024 Living Future Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, we were given a glimpse into the many paths higher education teams have taken and are taking to further commit to thinking in systems-level change, more than simply the scope of a single project. Systems-based thinking often leads to more regenerative outcomes, versus net-zero efforts which simply do less harm than has been done before.  

Higher education is the leading sector for the adoption of the Living Building Challenge, “a philosophy, advocacy tool, and certification program defining today’s most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment.” The most successful colleges have already baked sustainability and “green” initiatives into their long-term master plans and visions for the future, and (more importantly) are poised to take real action when the funding and opportunity arises.  

A primary example, the Kendeda Building on Georgia Tech’s Atlanta campus, was constructed between 2018 and 2020 and received it’s LBC Certification in March of 2021. It is the only Living Building in the southeast United States, the first in Georgia and the 28^th in the entire world. The facility tours tens of thousands of visitors each year and offers insight into its innovative systems and journey to completion. From composting to greywater, the site (which was previously a parking lot) has brought not only global attention to the 47,000 square-foot facility, but inspires action towards a regenerative future. Having non-departmental programming, the college has ensured all undergraduate students can have at least one class within the building, offering the experience to all who attend school there.  

Georgia Tech’s efforts will undoubtedly lead to greater enrollment and interest of students, as students call for greater sustainability in their institutions, most notably in the areas of energy use and waste management. Not only is this the students’ future, but it also promotes avenues for career paths, intellectual study and a better approach to hopeful, healthy planet solutions.  

In our most recent efforts with our higher education partners, much of the above has been reflected. Students are continually pushing and asking to further define and support initiatives on campus. Composting and recycling are often seen as step one to managing the waste generated from dining operations, and many students are hoping for even more capacity to capture energy from natural waste, and for more resilient, climate-sensitive eating options. Many of these student groups are not afraid to vocalize what they see as imperatives for their universities; asking for allocations of space, opportunities to facilitate change through partnership, and transparency around the programs/improvements happening on campus.  

Poised for change, many are ready to answer this call in a very real, visible way with their newest additions to campus – often residential-focused upgrades to further grow student population on-campus and augmenting the in-person experience. These efforts provide benefits beyond the energy meter and grid offsets, often leading to larger conversations around social impact and belonging on campus.  

Discussions around inclusivity, accessibility and complex social development often take center stage when working with our higher education partners, and the Living Building Challenge offers additional requirements for designers within their Equity and Beauty performance areas to “round out” the student experience. Priorities like “inclusion” and “universal access” take the typical approach to a higher level and aim to do more than the minimum when it comes to enabling all people to participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. If we are able to compound and densify our compelling stories to adequately respond to more current issues facing students today (ie: resilience, social justice, on-campus belonging), our interventions more deeply connect to a broader range of lived experiences, a diverse range of possibilities, and increased advocacy for meaningful change.

Learning institutions have always pushed boundaries and now have the opportunity to pivot from our current mindset of “do not harm” and advance toward regenerative design strategies, which very well may come in the form of Living Buildings on campus. While colleges may have priorities and visions that compel them to be more “green”, and more “sustainable” when looking at on-campus initiatives, there is room to do more and be intensely ambitious for the improvement of not only their built environments but also their surrounding communities. Initiatives and efforts can be more impactful, diverse, and globally strategic when utilizing the strength of community partners. This provides not only growth opportunities for institutions and their context but also improves the comprehensive education experience and promotes the thoughtful advancement of the next generation.