Academic Edi o : Giouli Mihalakakou
Recei ed: 21 Oc obe 2024
Re ised: 8 May 2025
Accep ed: 15 May 2025
Published: 29 May 2025
Ci a ion: Naboni, E.; Azzali, S.;
Impa a o, M. Tes ing a Digi al
Sus ainable Regene a i e Teaching
F amewo k in an A chi ec u al
Unde g adua e Design S udio.
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004. h ps://
doi.o g/10.3390/su17115004
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A icle
Tes ing a Digi al Sus ainable Regene a i e Teaching F amewo k
in an A chi ec u al Unde g adua e Design S udio
Emanuele Naboni 1,2,3,4, Simona Azzali 2,* and Massimo Impa a o 2
1Depa amen o de Cons ucciones A qui ec ónicas 1, Ins i u o Uni e si a io de A qui ec u a y Ciencias de la
Cons ucción, Uni e sidad de Se illa, C/Reina Me cedes 2, 41012 Se illa, Spain;
[email p o ec ed]
2School o A chi ec u e and In e io Design, Canadian Uni e si y Dubai, Ci y Walk, Dubai P.O. Box 117781,
Uni ed A ab Emi a es; [email p o ec ed]
3Ins i u e o A chi ec u e and Technology, Royal Danish Academy, Philip de Langes Allé 10,
1435 Copenhagen, Denma k
4No man Fos e Ins i u e, Fundación No man Fos e , Calle de Mon e Esquinza 22, 28010 Mad id, Spain
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac : We a e con on ed wi h an u gen impe a i e o ansi ion om me ely min-
imizing ha m o de eloping sus ainable, egene a i e, and ne -posi i e solu ions ha
sys ema ically es o e ecosys ems, achie e deca boniza ion, and enhance heal h ou comes.
This s udy p esen s a phased Digi al Sus ainable Regene a i e Design S udio amewo k,
which was implemen ed in a hi d-yea a chi ec u e s udio a he Canadian Uni e si y o
Dubai. This me hodology inco po a es bespoke en i onmen al simula ion ools alongside
quan i a i e me ics o clima e adap a ion, biodi e si y, ca bon seques a ion, and heal h
ou comes o in o m c ea i e design solu ions. The s uden s de ised in e en ions ac oss 20
u ban plo s in Dubai. A comp ehensi e analysis, encompassing eal- ime engagemen wi h
compu a ional ools, e lec i e jou nals, eedback sessions, p ojec analysis, and su eys,
was conduc ed o assess he amewo k’s e ec i eness in enhancing s uden s’ comp ehen-
sion o egene a i e design and o examine hei esponses o complex, in e disciplina y
challenges. Key indings e eal imp o ed s uden pe o mance in applying egene a i e
design p inciples and he o mula ion o s a egies o clima e-adap i e u banism. The
esul s sugges ha his educa ional amewo k has he po en ial o in luence and en-
hance pedagogical app oaches, os e ing a chi ec s commi ed o ad ancing sus ainable,
egene a i e, and clima e-adap i e u banism.
Keywo ds: a chi ec u al educa ion; sus ainable egene a i e design; ne -posi i e a chi ec u e;
clima e change; ecosys em es o a ion; deca boniza ion; biodi e si y enhancemen ; digi al
ools in a chi ec u e
1. In oduc ion
A chi ec s ace he cul u al and echnological challenges o being he i s gene a ion
ully awa e o he buil en i onmen ’s con ibu ion o clima e change and i s consequen ial
ise in empe a u e. The implica ions o clima e change, om localized and la ge-scale
ab up ecosys em deg ada ion o biodi e si y loss and human heal h c ises, demand a
e-e alua ion o hei p ac ices. These challenges necessi a e a shi om minimizing he
nega i e impac s o buildings on he en i onmen , as ecommended by he B und land
Repo [
1
], o solu ions ha a e ecologically egene a i e, ca bon-posi i e, and cul u ally
en iched [2].
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/su17115004
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 2 o 27
Mode n sus ainabili y p ac ices in buil en i onmen s ha e educed hese nega i e
impac s. Ye , schola s a gue his ‘do less ha m’ app oach is insu icien in he ace o clima e
change and ecological deg ada ion [
3
]. Regene a i e design has eme ged as a pa adigm ha
goes beyond mi iga ing damage o ac i ely imp o e ecological and human well-being [
4
,
5
].
I can be de ined as a design ha es o es, enews, o e i alizes i s sou ces o ene gy and
ma e ials, in eg a ing he needs o socie y wi h he in eg i y o na u e [6].
Wi h his in mind, a chi ec u al s udios should in eg a e deepe ecological and sys-
emic ans o ma ions [
6
,
7
] and enhance and es o e ecological sys ems [
8
–
11
]. This pe spec-
i e sees a chi ec s shi ing om a human-cen ic o a na u e-cen ic app oach [
12
,
13
], em-
phasizing coope a ion wi h na u al sys ems and acknowledging sus ainabili y’s dynamic
and sys emic cha ac e is ics. This shi ad oca es o g ow h wi hin plane a y bounda ies
and a social ounda ion [
14
] and is unde pinned by he need o building and u ban deca -
boniza ion o p e en i e e sible clima e b eakdowns [
2
,
15
,
16
]. Fu he mo e, ma e ials
and cons uc ion choices should be planned o ex ended li e cycles, con ibu ing o ai ,
wa e , and soil emedia ion [17,18].
Building on hese concep s, his esea ch aimed o c ea e a ame applied o he
hi d-yea s udio o he Bachelo o A chi ec u e a he Canadian Uni e si y, Dubai, o
boos hei echnology. Cen e ed a ound 20,400 m
×
400 m u ban plo s, each acing a
dis inc deg ada ion phenomenon in Dubai, he s udio led s uden s o de ise solu ions o
p oac i ely enhance ecology and biodi e si y, c ea e ca bon-abso bing cycles, and gene a e
cen e ed public heal h while enhancing socio-cul u al and economic i ali y.
The s udio app oach consis s o i e key s ages: gene a ion s a emen , egene a i e
in e disciplina y sys emic diag am, design concep and o mula ion, egene a i e ec onics
and p og am, and egene a i e açade and echnology. I employs a ailo ed sys emic
amewo k o ad ance c ea i e egene a i e design using quan i a i e digi al me hods.
This amewo k in eg a es en i onmen al simula ion ools wi h measu able me ics o
clima e esilience, ca bon seques a ion, biodi e si y, and heal h ou comes, enabling p ecise
e idence-based assessmen s o egene a i e design pe o mance. The s udio was based
on an o iginal and cus om-made mul is ep egene a i e design ope a ional amewo k
e e ed o h oughou his s udy as he ‘educa ional egene a i e design amewo k’ ha
was examined acco ding o wo in e ela ed esea ch ques ions cen al o he pedagogical
explo a ion o sus ainable egene a i e design:
1.
To wha ex en does he egene a i e amewo k suppo s uden s in applying da a-
d i en me hods o egene a i e design challenges in a chi ec u al educa ion?
2.
How does his s uc u ed pedagogical amewo k a ec unde g adua e s uden s’
unde s anding and applica ion o egene a i e a chi ec u e p inciples?
These ques ions e lec he s udy’s dual ocus: ad ancing he p ac ical amewo k o
os e ing egene a i e hinking while e alua ing s uden s’ cogni i e and p ac ical capaci y
o engage wi h ad anced complexi y.
In subsequen sec ions, we discuss he heo e ical ounda ions o egene a i e design,
si ua ing i s p inciples wi hin he con ex o a chi ec u al educa ion and i s esponse o eco-
logical and clima ic impe a i es. This discou se is ollowed by a icula ing he pedagogical
amewo k employed, suppo ed by examples o s uden p ojec s and design explo a ion.
The emainde o his pape is s uc u ed as ollows: Sec ion 2 e iews he e olu ion,
heo e ical amewo ks, and ansi ion o sus ainable egene a i e design; Sec ion 3de ails
he Sus ainable Regene a i e Design S udio; Sec ion 4discusses he ma e ials and me hods
o assessing he e ec i eness o s udio pedagogy; and Sec ion 5p esen s he Resul s and
Discussion on Ad ancing Knowledge in Sus ainable Regene a i e Design Pedagogy.
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 3 o 27
2. Backg ound
2.1. O igins and E olu ion o Regene a i e Design
The o igins o egene a i e design can be aced o ecological land use p ac ices and
indigenous knowledge. Pe macul u e, o mula ed by Da id Holmg en and Bill Mollison
in he 1970s, pionee ed a pe manen ag icul u al e hos ha in eg a ed human se lemen s
wi h na u al ecosys ems [
19
]. In he ea ly 1980s, Robe Rodale in oduced egene a i e
o ganic ag icul u e a ming, which main ains yields and le e ages he na u al endency o
ecosys ems o eco e and egene a e [
20
]. By he 1970s, designe s had begun ansla ing
ecological ideas in o buil en i onmen s. John T. Lyle is a pionee who saw he connec ion
be ween Rodale’s egene a i e ag icul u e and o he human sys ems. This ision, an ea ly
call o a sel -su icien egene a i e communi y, e en ually led o he c ea ion o he Lyle
Cen e o Regene a i e S udies [21].
In 2002, a chi ec William McDonough and chemis Michael B aunga popula -
ized closed-loop design wi h hei book C adle- o-C adle: Remaking he Way We Make
Things [
22
]. The app oach, a biomime ic amewo k, modeled indus ial p ocesses on
na u e’s cyclical me abolisms and sees ma e ials as nu ien s ci cula ing in heal hy, sa e
me abolisms a he han ending as was e. By he ea ly 2000s, Reed and 7g oup [
11
] a gued
ha while sus ainable design neu alizes impac , egene a i e design seeks o build capac-
i y in social–ecological sys ems, os e ing a co-e olu iona y pa ne ship be ween human
communi ies and na u e. Regene a i e concep s we e o malized in high-pe o mance
building amewo ks in he mid-2000s. The Li ing Building Challenge [
23
] was launched
in 2006 as he mos igo ous g een-building s anda d [24].
2.2. Theo e ical F amewo ks
Key heo e ical amewo ks and philosophies unde pin egene a i e design [
25
]. These
include biomimic y, ne -posi i e design, ci cula economy [
26
], egene a i e u banism,
and whole-sys em hinking. These amewo ks a e complemen a y and o e lapping; in
p ac ice, egene a i e p ojec s d aw on mul iple heo ies simul aneously ( o ins ance, a
design migh employ biomimic y and ci cula economy p inciples o achie e ne -posi i e
goals [
27
]). Collec i ely, hey o m he in ellec ual ounda ion o egene a i e a chi ec u e
and u banism, as obse ed by Naboni e al. [3].
One ounda ional amewo k is biomimic y, popula ized by Janine Benyus’s seminal
book Biomimic y: Inno a ion Inspi ed by Na u e (1997). Maib i Pede sen Za i [
28
]
desc ibes his app oach as designing he buil en i onmen o gene a e ecosys em se ices
in u ban a eas. In p ac ice, his could mean buildings ha pu i y ai and wa e , seques e
ca bon, suppo biodi e si y, and enhance human well-being by echoing na u e’s o ms
(e.g., en ila ion sys ems inspi ed by e mi e mounds o s uc u es ha sel -shade like plan
canopies). The second heo e ical pilla is ne -posi i e design, championed by hinke s such
as Janis Bi keland. In he book Posi i e De elopmen [
29
], she in oduced an al e na i e
pa adigm, in which he buil en i onmen inc eases he heal h o ecological and social
sys ems. A p ojec should lea e a si e and i s su oundings be e a e de elopmen ,
wi h mo e biodi e si y, ecosys em se ices, and g ea e social alue han he p e iously
un ouched si e.
A ci cula economy is o en de ined as an economy ha is es o a i e and egene -
a i e by design, in con as o he adi ional linea ake–make–was e model. The Ellen
MacA hu Founda ion [
17
] emphasizes h ee design-d i en s a egies: elimina ing was e
and pollu ion, ci cula ing p oduc s and ma e ials a hei highes alue, and egene a ing
na u e. Fo example, a ci cula app oach o building design would p io i ize ma e ials ha
a e biologically o echnically ecyclable, plan o easy disassembly and euse o compo-
nen s, and ensu e ha any was e ou pu s (g eywa e , “was e” hea , o ganic was e) become
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 4 o 27
inpu s o o he p ocesses (i iga ion, hea ing, compos ) in he local ecosys em o he econ-
omy. Beyond ma e ials, he ci cula economy also ex ends o u ban sys ems: dis ic -le el
ene gy cascades (whe e was e hea om one building hea s ano he ) o indus ial symbiosis,
whe e he by-p oduc s o one acili y a e aw ma e ials o ano he .
Al hough much o he egene a i e design discou se began a he building o p oduc
scale, i has implica ions o ci ies and u ban planning. Regene a i e u banism ex ends he
p inciples o ecological egene a ion o he scale o neighbo hoods, ci ies, and egions. He -
be Gi a de [
30
] has a gued ha ci ies mus ansi ion om linea me abolisms (impo ing
esou ces, expo ing was e) o ci cula , egene a i e me abolisms ha unc ion mo e like
li ing ecosys ems. This implies ha a ci y would es o e he wa e sheds, o es s, and soils
in i s bio egion e en as i consumes esou ces, e ec i ely paying back he ecological “deb ”
ha ci ies o en accumula e.
The key cha ac e is ics o egene a i e u banism include closing loops o wa e ,
nu ien s, and ma e ials wi hin he ci y; posi i e ene gy dis ic s ha gene a e su plus
enewable ene gy; ex ensi e g een in as uc u e ha p o ides habi a and ecosys em
se ices; and u ban ag icul u e ha enhances ood secu i y and soil heal h. The egene a i e
ci y concep also emphasizes a symbio ic ela ionship be ween me opoli an a eas and
hei hin e lands, whe e u ban was e s eams (e.g., compos , eclaimed wa e ) a e used
o e i e u al landscapes, and heal hy hin e lands, in u n, eedback ecosys em se ices
( esh wa e , clean ai , biodi e si y) o dense a eas/ci ies.
2.3. The Eigh P inciples o Regene a i e Design
Rega ding newly cons uc ed dis ic s, which is he s udio’s scale, ‘g een’ dis ic s
ha e a highe ecological pe o mance han ypical designs, aiming o educe ‘nega i e’
impac s. Cole [31] iden i ied eigh a ibu es o sus ainable design.
•Reduces damage o na u al o sensi i e si es;
•Reduces he need o new in as uc u e;
•Reduces he e ec s on na u al ea u es and si e ecology du ing cons uc ion;
•Reduces he po en ial ecological damage om emissions and ou lows;
•Reduces he con ibu ions o global en i onmen al damage;
•Reduces esou ce use—ca bon, wa e , ma e ials;
•Minimizes he discom o o building occupan s;
•Minimizes ha m ul subs ances and i i an s wi hin building in e io s.
Howe e , he a ge s es ablished by he 2015 Pa is Clima e Ag eemen , he 2015 Uni ed
Na ions Sus ainable De elopmen Goals (UN SDGs), and he 2023 IPCC [
16
] epo will
no be achie ed by slowing he a e o deple ion and deg ada ion o he en i onmen and
human heal h. The UN Sus ainable De elopmen Goals, as ansla ed in o a chi ec u al
p ac ice by Mossin [
32
], ou line a comp ehensi e agenda o ope a ionalizing sus ainabili y
wi hin he discipline. To u he in eg a e egene a i e p inciples in o design me hodologies,
he ollowing adap a ion o he Regene a i e Design F amewo k o iginally p oposed by
Naboni [
33
] in oduces a se o c i e ia ocused on sys emic pe o mance and ne -posi i e
ou comes in a chi ec u e and u ban design:
A ne -posi i e app oach is equi ed o mee he a ge s and undo he damage al eady
done. Mo eo e , he a chi ec u al ansla ion o he UN SDGs, as de ined by Mossin
(2020), p omo es a - eaching sus ainabili y. Finally, his upda ed able a icula es a e ined
in e p e a ion o Naboni’s [
33
] egene a i e amewo k, inco po a ing ecen sys emic
hinking and an expanded ecological agency wi hin he buil en i onmen (Table 1). Each
p inciple ansi ions om ounda ional egene a i e in en o ac ionable, pe o mance-
based ecological design, and was used as a d i e in he cou se objec o his s udy.
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 5 o 27
Table 1. The eigh p inciples o egene a i e design ad ance he ne -posi i e and sys emic design by
Emanuele Naboni (2019–2025).
Co e Regene a i e P inciple Design Ta ge s
1. Res o es and Ele a es Ecological Value o
Sensi i e Landscapes
Re i es neglec ed o agile ecosys ems by ein eg a ing na u al
p ocesses and ac i a ing la en ecological unc ions.
2. Gene a ing Li ing Ecological In as uc u es
Cons uc s in eg a ed habi a sys ems g een, blue, and g ey ha
ope a e as unc ioning ex ensions o he biosphe e.
3. Ampli ies Biodi e si y and Si e Me abolism Ca alyzes he ecological p oduc i i y o si es by designing o
species in e dependence, soil egene a ion, and low.
4. Heals Legacy Damage om Emissions
and Ou lows
Engages in place-based ecological emedia ion s a egies ha
de oxi y and econdi ion an h opogenically al e ed zones.
5. Scales Con ibu ions o Global Ecological Repai
Embeds local design ac ions wi hin ans-scala egene a i e
ne wo ks and es o a ion alliances.
6. P oduces Ca bon, Wa e , and Ma e ials Th ough
Ci cula Regene a ion
Shi s he buil en i onmen in o an ac i e s a e o clean esou ce
p oduc ion ia closed-loop and adap i e sys ems.
7. Op imizes Mul ispecies Com o and Resilience Designs o clima ic adap abili y, habi a cohabi a ion, and
senso y cohe ence ac oss di e se o ganisms.
8. Syn hesizes Regene a i e Subs ances Wi hin he
Buil En i onmen
I ac i a es a chi ec u e as a biochemical in e ace, p oducing
bene icial ai , mic oclima es, and bioac i e en i onmen s.
2.4. In eg a ion in o Educa ion and Dissemina ion o Regene a i e P inciples
As egene a i e design gains p ominence in p ac ice, i should pe mea e he a chi-
ec u al and planning educa ion. The aining o u u e a chi ec s, enginee s, and u ban
designe s should g adually shi o include egene a i e p inciples o ensu e ha upcom-
ing p o essionals ha e he mindse and skills o ad ance his ield. This sec ion e iews
how egene a i e design has been inco po a ed in o uni e si y cu icula, design s udios,
and educa ional amewo ks. Resea ch ne wo ks, such as COST Ac ion RESTORE, ha e
p oduced educa ional modules o dissemina e egene a i e design p inciples ac oss design
schools [3].
In jus a ew a chi ec u al and planning schools, egene a i e design is augh as a
dis inc opic o in eg a ed in o sus ainabili y sequences. A no able example is he Mas e
o A chi ec u e and Ex eme En i onmen a he Royal Danish Academy in which Naboni
con ibu es [
6
], whe e Naboni impa ed modules o Regene a i e Design (Figu e 1). In his
case, he Eigh Regene a i e Design P inciples d o e s uden esea ch and design. Sys emic
collabo a ion be ween scien is s and a is s was he basis o his p ocess.
The Uni e si y o B i ish Columbia’s School o A chi ec u e and Landscape A chi-
ec u e [
34
] o e s “Regene a i e Design in Theo y and P ac ice” cou ses. The cou se
desc ip ion emphasizes a wo ld iew shi owa ds eco-cen ic alues and “mu ualis ic
ne -posi i e ou comes o all li ing sys ems” [
34
]. Simila ly, a Ha a d’s G adua e School
o Design, s udios like “Ci cui s, Ci cles, and Loops: Towa ds a Regene a i e A chi ec u e”
challenge s uden s o design a chi ec u es wi hin ci cula ma e ial ecologies, in oking
ci cula economy and egene a i e concep s. The Uni e si y o Texas a Aus in o e s a
“Regene a i e A chi ec u e” s udio o in eg a e egene a i e building sys ems in o he
design p ocess [35,36].
Finally, a hi d-yea a chi ec u al enginee ing s udio a he Uni e si y o Liège (Bel-
gium), epo ed by A ia [
37
], explici ly in oduced egene a i e design and ci cula econ-
omy p inciples o s uden s [
37
]. The key ques ion was: “How can a chi ec s cons uc
buildings wi h a posi i e en i onmen al impac while add essing he ma e ials, ene gy, wa-
e , and biodi e si y challenges?” A ia’s s udy ound ha his app oach inc eased s uden s’
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 6 o 27
unde s anding o sus ainabili y a a deepe le el and in luenced hei design hinking
o become mo e in eg a i e. Impo an ly, eedback om he s uden s highligh ed bo h
exci emen and challenges; hey app ecia ed he pu pose ul goals bu ini ially s uggled
wi h he added complexi y o he mul i-sys em design.
A chi ec u al acc edi a ion bodies and o ganiza ions a e also slowly nudging cu ic-
ula owa ds egene a i e opics. The Associa ion o Collegia e Schools o A chi ec u e
(ACSA) hos ed wo kshops and con e ences on clima e change and egene a i e design
pedagogy. The In e na ional Union o A chi ec s [
38
] adop ed he UIA Sus ainable De-
elopmen Goals Commission [
32
], which includes egene a i e design as an ad anced
a ge o a chi ec u al educa ion o add ess he UN SDGs. In summa y, he in eg a ion
o egene a i e design in o educa ion is slowly unde way, hough no ye uni e sal. As
educa ional ins i u ions con inue o e ol e, one can expec egene a i e design o mo e
om a specialized opic o a co e compe ency in a chi ec u e and u ban design p og ams.
Figu e 1. Example o egene a i e p o o ypes de eloped indi idually by s uden s a he Royal Danish
Academy. This sys em eeds local ecology, abso bs CO
2
, and p oduces ene gy and nu ien s. (C edi s:
Tiago Da Cos a Vasconcelos, Da id Ga cia, Emanuele Naboni).
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 7 o 27
3. The Regene a i e Design S udio
Sus ainable Regene a i e Design S udio was conduc ed as a hi d-yea unde g adua e
a chi ec u e s udio a he Canadian Uni e si y Dubai. The s udio an o 15 weeks, wi h
wo 4 h weekly sessions du ing he Sp ing 2024 semes e . Nine een s uden s pa icipa ed
in he s udio, which was led by he i s au ho wi h heo e ical, p ac ical, and digi al
compe encies in egene a i e design, and e iews om he o he au ho s wi h angles in
c i ical egene a i e hinking. Th oughou he cou se, s uden s we e asked o p oduce a
se ies o deli e ables, including a degene a ion s a emen , a egene a i e in e disciplina y
sys emic diag am, design concep s and o mula ions, egene a i e ec onic and p og am
p oposals, and egene a i e açade and echnology designs.
Da a we e collec ed h ough eal- ime engagemen wi h compu a ional ools (as-
sessing s uden p o iciency and design ou comes), e lec i e jou nals (cap u ing s uden
lea ning and challenges), o ma i e eedback sessions (documen ing ins uc o guidance
and s uden p og ess), design p ojec analysis (e alua ing he applica ion o egene a i e
p inciples), and su eys (gauging s uden s’ pe cep ions and a i udes owa ds egene a i e
design). Quali a i e da a om jou nals and eedback sessions we e analyzed using he-
ma ic analysis, whe eas quan i a i e da a om p ojec analysis and su eys we e analyzed
using desc ip i e s a is ics.
3.1. S udio Me hodology and Thema ic Pilla s
T adi ional design s udios some imes p io i ize indi idual a is ic exp essions o iso-
la ed echnical p oblems. In con as , a egene a i e design s udio os e s collabo a ion,
sys ems hinking, and humili y in complex li ing sys ems. In he s udio, s uden s we e
encou aged o wo k wi h consul an s om o he disciplines (biologis s, enginee s, and
sociologis s) on hei s udio p ojec s, mi o ing he in eg a i e p ocess equi ed in egene -
a i e p ojec s. Mo eo e , we b ough e hical and communi y dimensions in o he s udio,
p omp ing s uden s o engage wi h eal communi ies wi h s akes in egene a ion ( o ex-
ample, wo king wi h an indigenous communi y on he eco-cul u al es o a ion o a si e o
collabo a ing wi h a ci y go e nmen on a egene a i e neighbo hood plan).
We in oduced an app oach o a chi ec u al educa ion, ocusing on ecological design,
egene a ion, and adap a ion o e mi iga ion; dynamic design p ocesses o e s a ic ones;
and in eg a ed sys ems o e isola ed componen s (Figu e 2). Taugh con en spans ecology,
enginee ing, and design. Addi ionally, he adi ional compa men aliza ion o cou ses
(s uc u es, HVAC, design, his o y, e c.) has no been implemen ed o suppo he in eg a-
i e na u e o egene a i e design. S uden s lea n abou he dynamic na u e o ecological
sys ems, which equi e adap able designs capable o e ol ing. Pedagogical emphasis
on i e a ion and eedback loops in oduces s uden s o design a con inuous, esponsi e
p ocess. The s udio encou ages a sys em hinking app oach, c ea ing design solu ions
wi hin b oade ecological ne wo ks, and os e ing adap i e and li e-suppo ing designs.
Fou hema ic pilla s cha ac e ize he s udio.
-
Adap a ion o Clima e Change. The s udio emphasized clima e esponsi eness. I
uses ools such as G asshoppe wi h plugins such as Ladybug o help s uden s model
and simula e u u e clima e scena ios.
-
Ecosys em Regene a ion. I ac i ely enhances local ecosys ems by in eg a ing g een
in as uc u e, such as li ing oo s and walls [
39
,
40
], biodi e si y co ido s, and wa e -
sensi i e u ban designs.
-
Deca boniza ion. In addi ion, he s udio aimed o ca bon posi i i y a he han jus
educing ca bon emissions. This can be achie ed by in eg a ing enewable ca bon
sys ems, using ca bon-seques e ing ma e ials, and designing buildings ha con ibu e
o educing a mosphe ic ca bon le els.
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 8 o 27
-
Salu ogenesis [
41
]. The s udio’s ocus on human heal h and well-being se s i apa
om he adi ional sus ainable design p ac ices. S uden s c ea e en i onmen s ha
enhance hei physical and psychological heal h by p io i izing na u al ligh , esh ai ,
and biophilic design elemen s.
Figu e 2. Sys em u u es unde a ying de elopmen ajec o ies. The g aph illus a es ou pos-
sible de elopmen al pa hs, s a ing om a common decision poin in 2025. Degene a ion (dashed
ed) e lec s his o ical ends leading o sys emic decline. Businesses as Usual (solid ed) p ojec s
con inued deg ada ion o ecological, ca bon, and heal h condi ions. Sus ainabili y (black) s abilizes
sys ems wi hou e e sing exis ing damage. Regene a ion (g een) ac i ely imp o es ecological
in eg i y, educes CO
2
emissions, and enhances public heal h. The ansi ion yea ma ks a pi -
o al momen o choose be ween con inued collapse and long- e m sys emic imp o emen . (C edi :
Emanuele Naboni).
3.2. Cul u al Re e ences In luencing he Regene a i e Design S udio
The s udio is ounded on he p inciples o ansdisciplina y knowledge and sys ems
hinking, in eg a ing con empo a y educa ional heo ies wi h adi ional knowledge sys-
ems o de elop inno a i e a chi ec u al solu ions. Cen al o his app oach is he esea ch-
h ough-design me hodology, whe e he design p ocess se es as an enqui y ool, aligning
wi h F ayling’s [
42
] concep o add essing ex e nal p oblems h ough design. This i e a i e,
eedback-d i en p ocess gene a es heo e ical insigh s, making i a na u al embodimen o
p agma ism. This app oach emphasizes applying knowledge o eal-wo ld con ex s.
A c i ical componen o his s udy was i s digi al ocus. Oxman [
43
] highligh ed how
ools allow s uden s o me ge abs ac and heo e ical unde s andings wi h hands-on expe -
imen a ion. These ools enable he isualiza ion and i e a i e es ing o egene a i e design
concep s. Wo king wi hin hese digi al en i onmen s encou ages s uden s o expe imen ,
adjus based on eal- ime da a, and e ine hei design. The s udio in eg a es sys ems
hinking [
44
], mo ing away om educ ionis pe spec i es and making i s designs pa
o b oade biological, ecological, and social ne wo ks. As pe Caje e [
45
], his app oach is
en iched by including indigenous knowledge sys ems, p omo ing a cul u ally g ounded
iew ha con as s wi h Wes e n science’s o en educ ionis endencies.
S uden s a e encou aged o e alua e hei design decisions as hey de elop, c i ically
assessing he impac o each choice on ecological and social con ex s. This e lec i e loop
is c i ical o os e ing he adap abili y and esponsi eness undamen al o egene a i e
design [
46
]. S uden s engage in hands-on p ojec s ha add ess eal-wo ld clima e change,
ecological deg ada ion, and ca bon managemen challenges. Thei lea ning p ocess is
oo ed in expe imen a ion, eedback, and c i ical hinking cycles, ensu ing ha hey con in-
ually loop back o meaning ully assess and e ine hei design choices [
47
]. S uden s a e
encou aged o con on diso ien ing dilemmas, such as mo ing beyond sus ainabili y o
emb ace egene a ion and c i ically e lec ing on hei belie s and assump ions [48].
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 9 o 27
In addi ion o con empo a y educa ional heo ies, he s udio also d aws upon in-
digenous knowledge sys ems o p omo e a cul u ally g ounded iew ha con as s wi h
Wes e n science’s o en educ ionis endencies. While his aspec was no he p ima y ocus
o he pilo s udy, he cu iculum included gues lec u es om local expe s on adi ional
Emi a i building echniques and en i onmen al managemen p ac ices. S uden s we e
encou aged o esea ch and inco po a e hese p ac ices in o hei designs, ecognizing he
impo ance o cul u al con ex and local knowledge in egene a i e design.
Fo example, adi ional Emi a i building echniques, such as wind ca che s (ba jeels)
o na u al en ila ion and he use o na i e plan species o biodi e si y enhancemen ,
e lec sus ainable p ac ices deeply oo ed in local cul u e [49–52]. These me hods empha-
size ha mony wi h he en i onmen , in con as o he Wes e n educ ionis app oaches.
Fu u e i e a ions o he s udio will u he emphasize he in eg a ion o indigenous knowl-
edge sys ems h ough expanded pa ne ships wi h local communi ies and mo e in-dep h
explo a ion o cul u al pe spec i es on sus ainabili y.
3.3. Building he F ame o a Sus ainable Regene a i e Design S udio
This esea ch adop s a heo e ical amewo k in he s udio, whe e egene a i e design
p inciples, pa icula ly ele an o Dubai’s u ban and clima ic con ex , a e augh and
es ed. This consis ed o i e assignmen s (Table 2).
Table 2. Phases o egene a i e s udio in es iga ion.
Ti le Desc ip ion
Degene a ion S a emen
S uden s examine local ecological deg ada ion challenges, pa icula ly
hose ela ed o ca bon cycles, ecology, and heal h.
Regene a i e Sys emic Diag am
S uden s c ea e in e connec ed diag ams ha isualize he s uc u e o
hei egene a i e sys ems, ocusing on ecology, ca bon, and heal h.
Design Concep Fo mula ion Elabo a ion o design s a egies based on da a-d i en analysis and
c ea i e ision.
Digi al Regene a i e Tec onic and
P og am Making
De ails how a chi ec u al massing and o m con ibu e o egene a i e
design by compu a ional ools and he modynamic calcula ions.
Regene a i e Façade and Technology Focus on açade designs and echnological in e en ions.
3.3.1. Degene a ion S a emen
Bill Reed and Raymond Cole [
53
] a gued ha egene a i e de elopmen equi es
engaging he co-e olu iona y, pa ne ed ela ionship be ween human and na u al sys ems.
This en ails a deep unde s anding o place— he unique ecological and cul u al con ex in
which a p ojec is si ua ed. Whole-sys em design o en begins wi h ques ions o place and
pu pose (How is he ecosys em deg ading? Wha a e he p ima y ca bon emissions ac o s?
Wha does his communi y su e om?) and hen designs i om he whole o he pa ,
ensu ing ha each pa con ibu es o sys emic heal h.
The Degene a ion S a emen we de eloped o his cou se ou lines he p essing eco-
logical, ca bon, and heal h challenges, p ima ily d i en by clima e change, which call o
egene a i e design s a egies. In he Degene a ion S a emen making phase, s uden s con-
duc a de ailed analysis o each speci ic si e, inco po a ing bo h p esen and u u e clima e
p ojec ions and ela ed pa ame ized a iables. Using G asshoppe 3D, s uden s pe o m
ini ial analyses o sola adia ion and localized empe a u e a ia ions and o mula e a
hype local plo o how clima e dynamics in luence ecological sys ems, ca bon cycles, and
public heal h (Figu e 3).
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 16 o 27
Figu e 9. A suspended canopy ha a enua es sola adia ion, enhances pedes ian he mal com o
along a linea co ido , while simul aneously suppo ing sub-canopy ege a ion and e apo a i e
anspi a ion. (C edi : Leen Tasneem).
Figu e 10. A cou ya d-based, low-ca bon a chi ec u al o m, cha ac e ized by deep can ile e ed oo s
and in eg a ed soil– ege a ion sys ems. This ypology gene a es localized humidi y, educes su ace
empe a u es, and es ablishes mul ispecies mic oclima es unc ioning as egene a i e sanc ua ies o
humans, insec s, and a i auna. (C edi : s uden Camilia Yaghi).
O he s uden p ojec s econcep ualized he açade as a egene a i e and echnological
in e ace. One p o o ype in eg a ed a kine ic shading sys em wi h sun- acking panels on
guided acks, using e lec i e composi es o minimize sola gain, educe cooling loads, and
modula e dayligh . The en elope unc ions as an ac i e he mal egula o . Ano he design
embedded algae- illed luid ubes wi hin he açade, using he liquid’s he mal ine ia
and ca bon abso p ion capaci y o s abilize in e io empe a u es and enhance spec al
e lec i i y. The sys em suppo s ege a i e g ow h and a ac s biodi e si y.
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 17 o 27
Figu e 11. Illus a es he massing pe o mances, wi h g een a eas deno ing op imal zones o ege a-
ion. These zones ha e been iden i ied h ough ecological analysis u ilizing G asshoppe algo i hms,
which assess empe a u e, sola exposu e, and mois u e e en ion. (C edi : Emanuele Naboni).
4. Assessing he E ec i eness o he S udio Pedagogy
The e alua ion amewo k p oposed in his s udy is designed o in es iga e he
pedagogical app oach o sus ainable, egene a i e design educa ion. The i s dimension
explo ed he capaci y o he educa ional amewo k o enable he de elopmen o obus
and sys emic egene a i e design p ocesses by s uden s (RQ1). This in ol es assessing how
well he amewo k in eg a es ad anced compu a ional ools, ecological unde s anding,
and design p ac ices o add ess clima e, ca bon, and heal h issues. The second dimension
examined he cogni i e accessibili y o egene a i e design concep s o unde g adua e
s uden s (RQ2). I ocuses on whe he s uc u ed pedagogical app oaches can demys i y
hese complex p inciples and acili a e hei applica ion o a chi ec u al design educa ion.
The amewo k employs a mul ime hod app oach o add ess hese dimensions by
combining quan i a i e and quali a i e s a egies. Each me hod was selec ed o s udy
dis inc ace s o s uden engagemen , lea ning ajec o ies, and design ou pu s. This
me hodology aims o p o ide empi ical e idence o he pedagogical model’s e icacy and
gene a e ac ionable insigh s o e ining educa ional p ac ices. The me hods a e s uc u ed
o align wi h he o e a ching esea ch ques ions, ensu ing a cohe en and sys ema ic
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 18 o 27
in es iga ion in o he dual challenges o ope a ionalizing egene a i e design p inciples
and os e ing s uden s’ comp ehension o hese in ica e concep s.
The e ec i eness o he Sus ainable Regene a i e Design S udio was e alua ed based
on he ollowing c i e ia, as lis ed in Table 4. The s uden s’ use o digi al ools o en i-
onmen al simula ions was assessed o in es iga e hei abili y o gene a e da a-d i en
solu ions (RQ1). The inal p ojec s we e analyzed using UTCI (an index used o de e mine
ou doo he mal com o by conside ing empe a u e, humidi y, wind, and adia ion e -
ec s) and ca bon seques a ion me ics o e alua e egene a i e design ou comes (RQ1).
Re lec i e jou nals and eedback sessions ha e explo ed cogni i e shi s and design e-
inemen , add essing Resea ch Ques ions 1 and 2. Addi ionally, a su ey was conduc ed
o in es iga e s uden s’ pe cep ions o egene a i e design challenges (RQ2). The s udy
in ol ed 19 s uden s om he Canadian Uni e si y o Dubai.
Table 4. E alua ion amewo k o he sus ainable egene a i e design s udio.
Me hod Desc ip ion Resea ch Ques ions
Add essed Da a Collec ed Tes ed Knowledge
Gene a ed
5.1. Real-Time
Engagemen wi h
Compu a ional
Tools
Obse e s uden s’ use
o digi al ools
(G asshoppe , Ladybug,
and cus omized sc ip s)
o simula e
pe o mance
RQ1: In es iga es
s uden s’ digi al abili y
o gene a e da a-d i en
egene a i e solu ions
Obse a ions o
s uden s’ use o ools
Insigh in o how
compu a ional ools
in luence sys ems- hinking
capabili ies,
decision-making p ocesses
5.2. Design P ojec
Analysis
Assesses he
in eg a ion o
egene a i e p inciples
in inal p ojec s using
p ede ined me ics
RQ1: Quan i ies he
pedagogical
amewo k’s capaci y
o p oduce ac ionable
egene a i e designs
Nume ic da a on
en i onmen al
pe o mance
Quan i a i e e alua ion o
he success o inal designs
in mee ing egene a i e
goals, and p o iding
empi ical e idence o how
egene a i e p inciples
ansla e in o measu able
ou comes
5.3. Re lec i e
Jou nals
Documen s s uden s’
e lec ions on
challenges,
b eak h oughs, and
i e a i e lea ning
RQ2: Explo es how
s uc u ed pedagogical
app oaches enhance
accessibili y and
comp ehension o
complexi y
Re lec i e jou nals
we e analyzed o
ecu ing hemes on
cogni i e hu dles,
b eak h oughs, and
concep ual p og ess
Unde s anding how
i e a i e e lec ion os e s
he in e naliza ion o
egene a i e p inciples,
acks cogni i e shi s, and
iden i ies lea ning
bo lenecks
5.4. Fo ma i e
Feedback Sessions
T acks how i e a i e
eedback e ines
s uden s’ designs and
imp o es ecological
and ca bon- ela ed
ou comes
RQ1 and RQ2: E alua e
design imp o emen
(RQ1) and concep ual
cla i y h ough
eedback (RQ2)
Class-wide eedback
discussions a e ied o
jou nal analyses;
simula ion me ics a e
acked o e cycles pe
s uden o measu e
design e olu ion
Highligh s in e en ions
ha enhance ca bon
abso p ion, biodi e si y,
and he mal com o
5.5. Su ey
Explo es s uden
pe cep ions o
egene a i e design
challenges and
accessibili y
RQ2: In es iga es
cogni i e load and
accessibili y o
egene a i e design
concep s o
unde g adua es
Analysis o quali a i e
and quan i a i e da a
Deep insigh s in o
cogni i e ba ie s,
educa ional suppo
e ec i eness, and he
balance be ween design
complexi y and
pe o mance
4.1. Real-Time S uden Engagemen wi h Compu a ional Tools
Obse a ions we e made du ing s uc u ed s udio sessions and ocused on key aspec s
o s uden s’ digi al wo k lows. These included (1) ool na iga ion, speci ically, s uden s’
compe ency in using unc ionali ies wi hin G asshoppe and Ladybug, such as de ining
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 19 o 27
en i onmen al pa ame e s and selec ing sui able simula ion componen s; (2) simula ion
con igu a ion, which in ol ed se ing inpu pa ame e s such as geome y, clima e da a, and
ege a ion cha ac e is ics o cons uc accu a e digi al models; and (3) i e a i e p oblem
sol ing, which encompasses he abili y o oubleshoo simula ion e o s, e ine digi al
se ups, and adap p ocesses in esponse o changing design cons ain s o echnical issues.
The eaching eam documen ed hese in e ac ions using a combina ion o eal- ime
anno a ions and sc een eco dings. Emphasis was placed on he wo k low sequence om
he ini ial model con igu a ion, h ough he unning o simula ions, o he in e p e a ion
o en i onmen al pe o mance ou pu s. A en ion was also gi en o s uden s’ abili y o
in eg a e hi d-pa y plugins and modi y pa ame ic wo k lows. Quan i a i e da a de i ed
om simula ion ools p o ided di ec e idence o pe o mance, o e ing a measu able
basis o e alua ing each p ojec ’s success. Ra he han elying solely on concep ual in en
o checklis -based assessmen s, he s udio emphasized igo ous pe o mance moni o ing
o alida e egene a i e claims. This app oach e lec s a b oade indus y shi owa ds
e idence-based design, in which success is measu ed h ough angible ou comes.
The o e all me hodology aligns wi h F ayling’s (1993) esea ch- h ough-design
pa adigm, whe ein design and he esul an p ojec ou pu s se e as a legi ima e me hod o
enqui y. To his end, s uden s employed G asshoppe and Ladybug o e alua e i e c i ical
en i onmen al me ics.
4.2. Re lec i e Jou nals
Re lec i e jou nals, oo ed in Schön’s [
46
] e lec i e p ac ice model and Kolb’s [
47
]
Expe ien ial Lea ning Theo y, se e as c i ical pedagogical ools in design s udios, en-
abling s uden s o syn hesize heo e ical unde s anding and expe ien ial insigh s. Jou nals
unc ion as a cogni i e sca old and e alua i e ins umen by documen ing challenges,
b eak h oughs, and i e a i e p ocesses. The s uc u ed use o e lec i e jou nals aligns wi h
Kolb’s expe ien ial cycle, as s uden s ac i ely eco d and c i ically analyze hei expe i-
ences, linking abs ac concep s, such as ca bon seques a ion and ecological in eg a ion, o
angible design applica ions. These jou nals also ope a ionalize Schön’s e lec i e model,
si ua ing e lec ion as an in insic elemen o he design p ocess, in which i e a i e lea ning
ans o ms ini ial concep ual unce ain y in o ad anced echnical and ecological luency.
Collec ed a ou in e als coinciding wi h he p ojec miles ones, he jou nals cap u ed
accoun s o weekly eedback, p ojec e olu ion, and in ellec ual challenges. A con en anal-
ysis o hese en ies e ealed hema ic pa e ns ha elucida ed he lea ning p ocess. Fo ex-
ample, s uden s ini ially g appled wi h he complexi ies o he ca bon dynamics. Howe e ,
hey demons a ed cogni i e shi s h ough i e a i e simula ions and eedback loops, ansi-
ioning om supe icial concep s o a nuanced unde s anding o he
egene a i e sys ems.
4.3. Fo ma i e Feedback Sessions
The o ma i e eedback sessions we e designed as i e a i e checkpoin s o cap u e
and analyze he e olu ion o s uden s’ designs and hei unde s anding o egene a i e
p inciples. Feedback sessions we e execu ed o e ou cycles and aligned wi h e lec i e
jou nal submissions. Each session was s uc u ed o collec quali a i e and quan i a i e
da a, o e ing insigh in o how eedback mechanisms e ine design ou pu s and cla i y
complex egene a i e concep s.
To ga he ac ionable knowledge, he eaching eam began each session by p esen ing
con en analysis indings om e lec i e jou nals, highligh ing he sha ed challenges and
b eak h oughs ac oss he coho . These insigh s p o ided a baseline o class-wide dis-
cussions, whe e s uden s we e encou aged o e alua e hei own and pee s’ app oaches.
Ins uc o s ha e documen ed he discou se o ace ecu ing pa e ns, such as he impac
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 20 o 27
o speci ic eedback on design adjus men s and s uden s’ abili y o in eg a e simula ion
ou pu s in o i e a i e e inemen s.
Quan i a i e simula ion da a, acked in pa allel h ough ools such as G asshop-
pe and Ladybug, complemen ed he quali a i e obse a ions. By pai ing jou nal analy-
ses wi h eal- ime simula ion esul s, he sessions acili a ed a dual-le el unde s anding
o he concep ual shi s occu ing h ough eedback discussions (quali a i e) and mea-
su able changes in design pe o mance me ics such as ca bon abso p ion and he mal
com o (quan i a i e).
4.4. Su eys
Su eys g ounded in Bandu a’s [
54
] sel -e icacy heo y we e de eloped o assess
s uden s’ con idence in applying egene a i e design p inciples h oughou he cou se.
Adminis e ed a he semes e ’s conclusion, he su ey aimed o gene a e quan i a i e da a
on s uden s’ sel -assessed compe ence, wi h a ocus on unde s anding sus ainable design
concep s and e alua ing he e ec i eness o ins uc ional me hods.
The su eys we e conduc ed online o ensu e pa icipan anonymi y. Da a we e an-
alyzed using s a is ical so wa e o iden i y ends, co ela ions, and signi ican changes.
Speci ically, desc ip i e s a is ics, including mean, pe cen age imp o emen , and ange,
we e calcula ed using Mic oso Excel o quan i y changes in s uden pe o mance and
p ojec ou comes. Open-ended ques ions we e inco po a ed o cap u e quali a i e insigh s,
which we e subsequen ly coded o hema ic analysis. The su ey ques ions we e s uc-
u ed using Like scales o ensu e consis ency while allowing o nuanced esponses ac oss
a ious dimensions o lea ning. The key a eas o inqui y included he ollowing:
Sel -e icacy: How con iden do you eel abou applying egene a i e design p inciples
in eal-wo ld p ojec s?
Concep Cla i y: To wha ex en do you ind egene a i e design concep s clea and
applicable? Which speci ic elemen s a e he mos help ul o challenging?
Pedagogical E ec i eness: How well do you belie e eaching me hods, such as case
s udies and g oup p ojec s, ha e enhanced you capaci y o implemen sus ainable design
in you wo k?
G ow h and Obs acles: Wha aspec s o he cou se ha e con ibu ed mos o you
p o essional de elopmen , and which a eas do you s ill ind he mos challenging?
5. Resul s and Discussion: Ad ancing Knowledge o he Sus ainable
Regene a i e Design Pedagogy
This sec ion p esen s an analysis o he esul s. The discussion con ex ualizes he
indings o add ess he s udy’s wo p ima y esea ch ques ions: (RQ1) To wha ex en does
he pedagogical amewo k enable he de elopmen o adap i e, da a-d i en egene a i e
design p ocesses? (RQ2) How accessible a e egene a i e design p inciples o unde g adu-
a e s uden s h ough s uc u ed educa ional s a egies? Each subsec ion elabo a es upon
he insigh s gained.
5.1. Real-Time Engagemen wi h Compu a ional Tools
Ini ially, a signi ican pe cen age o he s uden s (60%) epo ed di icul ies in se ing up
and na iga ing he ools. Re lec i e jou nal en ies om ea ly in he semes e encapsula ed
his us a ion, wi h one s uden w i ing, “I eel los ying o inpu clima e da a and igu e ou
how i impac s ege a ion g ow h a es”. Howe e , 85% o s uden s demons a ed signi ican
p o iciency in he mid-semes e h ough i e a i e engagemen and s uc u ed guidance.
The ou comes demons a e he e icacy o compu a ional ools and also highligh he
pedagogical amewo k’s abili y o os e adap i e, da a-d i en design p ocesses. One
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 21 o 27
s uden e lec ed, “Seeing he esul s immedia ely helped me ealize he ecological impac o design
changes”. The quali a i e da a co obo a ed hese quan i a i e indings, wi h s uden s
exp essing how eal- ime simula ions helped b idge he gap be ween abs ac ecological
p inciples and angible design applica ions. Fo example, one pa icipan no ed in an
in e iew, “A i s , I was o e whelmed by he complexi y o he ools, bu once I saw how changing
e en one pa ame e a ec ed he en i e design, i all clicked”. These e lec ions unde sco e he
ole o compu a ional ools in ad ancing RQ1, demons a ing how s uden s ansi ioned
om ial-and-e o app oaches o sys ema ic, pe o mance-o ien ed decision-making.
Mo eo e , he i e a i e sca olding p o ided by he eaching eam suppo ed RQ2, showing
how s uc u ed me hodologies can demys i y complex digi al wo k lows, making hem
accessible o unde g adua e lea ne s.
5.2. Design P ojec Analysis
As seen in Table 5, he designs educed he inciden sola adia ion om an es ima ed
p e-design a e age o 2000 kWh/m
2
/yea o app oxima ely 1700 kWh/m
2
/yea , ep e-
sen ing a 15.2% dec ease. This sugges s ha s a egic shading is e ec i e in diminishing
hea gain. Wi h a p e-design sco e o app oxima ely 1.2, indica ing limi ed ecological
di e si y, he pos -design a e age o 2.21 ep esen s an imp o emen o oughly 84%. This
boos demons a es ha inco po a ing ege a i e zones and en i onmen al co ido s has
success ully c ea ed iche , mo e laye ed habi a s ha suppo a wide a ie y o species
and ecological unc ions. The pos -design a e age o app oxima ely 14,360 kg CO
2
/yea
abso bed ma ks a 60% imp o emen o e he hypo hesized p e-design alue o 9000 kg
CO
2
/yea . This enhancemen , achie ed by in eg a ing addi ional ege a ion and op imized
plan ing s a egies, sugges s an inc eased po en ial o ca bon cap u e [
55
]. CHI, which
combines he mal com o , na u al iew access, biodi e si y exposu e, and pollu ion mi i-
ga ion, imp o ed om app oxima ely 0.65 o 0.744, a 14.5% inc ease. This comp ehensi e
me ic unde sco es he dual bene i s o design in e en ions: hey enhance en i onmen al
pe o mance and signi ican ly con ibu e o human well-being by imp o ing mic oclima ic
condi ions and access o na u al elemen s.
Table 5. Regene a i e pe o mance me ics.
Me ic P e-Design
A e age
Pos -Design
A e age
Imp o emen
(%)
Range
(P e-Design)
Range
(Pos -Design)
Sola Radia ion Exposu e
(kWh/m2/yea ) 2000 ±100 1700 ±100 ~15.2% 1800–2200 1500–1700
Biodi e si y Index (BI)
(0–3) 1.2 ±0.1 2.21 ±0.15 ~84% 1.0–1.5 2.0–2.5
Ca bon Seques a ion
(CS) (kg CO2/yea ) 9000 ±500 14,360 ±1000 ~60% 8500–9500 13,500–15,000
Cus omized Heal h Index
(CI) (0–1) 0.65 ±0.02 0.744 ±0.03 ~14.5% 0.60–0.70 0.70–0.80
The quali a i e e lec ions om he s uden s con ex ualized hese me ics, e ealing
he cogni i e p ocesses unde lying hei design decisions. One s uden no ed in hei
jou nal, “I was challenging o balance aes he ics wi h ecological goals a i s , bu seeing he
numbe s align wi h my design in en was a b eak h ough”. This sen imen was echoed in he
e lec i e jou nal, whe e ano he s uden s a ed, “I s a ed o see my design no as a s andalone
s uc u e bu as pa o an ecosys em—i was a shi in hinking ha he me ics made possible”.
The eaching eam obse ed ha 75% o he s uden s e ec i ely inco po a ed egene a i e
s a egies, using me ics as benchma ks o i e a i ely e ine hei designs.
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 22 o 27
The p ojec analysis di ec ly add essed RQ1 by p o iding empi ical e idence o he
amewo k’s capaci y o ansla e heo e ical p inciples in o ac ionable design ou comes.
5.3. Fo ma i e Feedback Sessions
These sessions we e conduc ed o e ou cycles, complemen ed by quali a i e dis-
cussions and quan i a i e simula ion da a, o c ea e a dynamic lea ning en i onmen .
The analysis o e lec i e jou nals and su eys p o ides insigh s in o he e ec i eness o
hese eedback sessions in acili a ing cogni i e lea ning and he p ac ical applica ion o
egene a i e design p inciples.
S uden s who engaged in eedback discussions achie ed 20% highe me ic imp o e-
men s han did hose who we e less engaged. These quan i a i e imp o emen s we e
co obo a ed by quali a i e da a om he jou nals, whe e 78% o he s uden s documen ed
signi ican b eak h oughs in hei unde s anding by he second submission. Class discus-
sions ha e eme ged as a c i ical componen , os e ing a collabo a i e lea ning en i onmen .
This collabo a i e dynamic was e lec ed in s uden eedback, wi h one pa icipan no ing,
“The discussions we en’ jus abou my design; hey made me hink abou how di e en app oaches
could wo k in my con ex ”. The jou nal’s da a u he emphasized he impo ance o hese
eedback sessions, whe e 80% o he s uden s highligh ed hem as c ucial in making com-
plex concep s manageable. One s uden ema ked, “The e lec i e p ocess and eedback cycles
ga e me a way o p ocess complex ideas o e ime; i was like building a puzzle piece by piece”.
The i e a i e na u e o hese sessions helped add ess s uden s’ ini ial cogni i e o e -
load. Ea ly jou nal en ies e lec ed us a ion and unce ain y, bu he s uden s success-
ully in eg a ed egene a i e p inciples in o hei inal en ies. The e ec i eness o he
eedback sessions was u he e idenced by su ey da a showing ha 93% o he s u-
den s epo ed inc eased con idence in applying egene a i e p inciples by he end o he
semes e . The i e a i e eedback p ocess di ec ly add essed RQ1, enhancing he ecological
pe o mance o s uden s’ designs.
Addi ionally, he s uc u ed c i ique cla i ied complex egene a i e concep s, add ess-
ing RQ2 by p o iding s uden s wi h he ools and amewo ks needed o e ine hei
app oaches i e a i ely. In conclusion, o ma i e eedback sessions p o ed o be a co -
ne s one o he pedagogical app oach, e ec i ely b idging he gap be ween heo e ical
unde s anding and p ac ical applica ion.
5.4. Su eys Resul s
The Regene a i e Design S udio’s pedagogical app oach was e alua ed using a mixed-
me hods s a egy, which le e aged a su ey o ga he bo h quan i a i e and quali a i e
da a om s uden pa icipan s en olled in he cou se. Mul iple-choice ques ions we e
employed o quan i y s uden pe cep ions ega ding hei expe ience wi h digi al ools,
con idence in applying egene a i e ene s, and assessmen o pedagogical app oaches. A
c ucial open-ended ques ion was included o elici quali a i e esponses, allowing s uden s
o a icula e hei expe iences and pe spec i es in hei own wo ds and o p o ide a mo e
in e p e i e unde s anding.
The su ey link was p o ided o he s uden s, which included i e mul iple-choice
ques ions and one open-ended ques ion. The da a analysis in ol ed calcula ing he pe cen -
age dis ibu ion o esponses o each mul iple-choice op ion. Open-ended esponses we e
analyzed h ough hema ic coding. This p ocess in ol es iden i ying ecu ing pa e ns
and key hemes, and in e p e ing he da a wi hin he social and educa ional con ex s o
he design s udio. Quan i a i e da a analysis o he digi al ool in eg a ion e ealed a
gene ally posi i e, albei nuanced, s uden esponse. Speci ically, when p omp ed o assess
he ease o se ing up and na iga ing he digi al ools used in he s udio, mos espon-
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 23 o 27
den s, cons i u ing 60%, cha ac e ized he p ocess as “Manageable”. This indica ed he
success o in eg a ing hese ools in o he cu iculum. Howe e , 40% o he esponden s
selec ed ei he “challenging” o “highly challenging”, demons a ing a clea p og ession
in add essing he ques ion o p o iciency de elopmen using hese digi al ools o e ime.
Meanwhile, a smalle segmen o esponden s, 20%, epo ed eeling p o icien “A e week
h ee”, indica ing a apid acclima ion o some, he majo i y, ep esen ing 60%, s a ed ha
hey achie ed p o iciency “A e he mid e m”. The emaining 20% chose “o he ”. This
dis ibu ion emphasizes ha a signi ican pe iod o engagemen and p ac ice is essen ial
o mos s uden s.
The su ey posi i ely a ec ed s uden s’ con idence in applying egene a i e design
p inciples, a co e objec i e o he s udio. In esponse o he ques ion conce ning he
inc ease in hei con idence le els h oughou he cou se, a unanimous 100% o esponden s
a i med his posi i e end, wi h 60% selec ing “Fully Ag ee” and 40% selec ing “Ag ee”.
Fu he mo e, when asked abou he po en ially o e whelming na u e o egene a i e
design p inciples, 100% o esponden s selec ed “Disag ee”.
Examining he pedagogical app oaches ha con ibu ed o he lea ning expe ience,
he su ey da a highligh ed he impo ance o clea s uc u e and suppo i e guidance. The
pedagogical app oach iden i ied as mos e ec i e by mos esponden s (60%) was “B eaking
down he p ocess s ep by s ep”, unde sco ing he alue o a sequen ial app oach in con eying
complex in o ma ion. Some esponden s ecognized ‘ eedback sessions’ as bene icial (40%).
No s uden men ioned “ he s uc u al app oach” o using a “Re lec i e jou nal”. The e o e,
he e was a p e e ence o an a icula ed, s ep-by-s ep p ocess, coupled wi h oppo uni ies
o eedback.
The quali a i e da a om he open-ended ques ions p o ided con ex o he quan-
i a i e indings. S uden s we e lauded o he in oduc ion and applica ion o speci ic
so wa e ools. One s uden a icula ed, “The adia ion analysis h ough g asshoppe sc ip s
has aided me in analysing building exposu e ega ding su ace a ea. This has helped me ans o m
some designs o i he clima e o he UAE, wi h ca e ul conside a ion h ough wind and adia ion
analysis”. Ano he s uden e lec ed, “The s udio was way mo e han bene icial; i in oduced us
o g asshoppe , which I mainly use o my p ojec s since hen”, emphasizing he las ing in luence
o he cou se and he ins uc o ’s ole in acili a ing his lea ning.
The quali a i e esponses also equen ly highligh ed he ans e abili y o he skills
and knowledge gained, wi h s uden s desc ibing how hey applied he ools and me hod-
ologies in o he cou ses, and a s uden summa ized: “The so wa e ools (Rhino + G asshoppe
+ Ladybug Tools) in oduced o us we e use ul is analysing he eal wo ld calcula ions o sunligh
wind e c on he expe imen a ions o o m/decisions we we e making. Thus, o he i s ime, we
could be con iden ha ou building would be mo e e icien o less e icien , cooled well, e c. (unlike
when we manually analysed all o he semes e s). I would be pleased o lea n mo e om such
me hodologies”.
Beyond he s udio’s con ines, his ecu ing heme o applicabili y alida es he
cou se’s b oade impac on educa ion. Mo eo e , s uden s expanded on hei commen s
abou he bene i s o he “ci cula concep ” and hei imp o ed abili y o c ea e “clea
and concise diag ams”, showcasing a holis ic enhancemen o hei design hinking and
communica ion skills.
5.5. Re lec i e Jou nals Analysis
The analysis o e lec i e jou nal en ies, complemen ed by he su ey, p o ided a
iew o he s uden s’ cogni i e lea ning jou ney h oughou he semes e . The jou nal
en ies e ealed dis inc phases o cogni i e and emo ional engagemen h oughou he
semes e s. In he ea ly phase, 60% o he s uden s epo ed ini ial di icul ies in linking
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 24 o 27
abs ac p inciples o design applica ions. One jou nal en y s a ed, “I don’ know how o
make my design ac as a ca bon sink; i eels like I am missing he connec ion be ween ecology and
a chi ec u e”. This aligns wi h he su ey esponses, whe e 60% o s uden s ini ially ound
digi al ools challenging o highly challenging. By he mid-semes e phase, as e idenced in
he second jou nal submission, 78% o he s uden s documen ed signi ican b eak h oughs
in hei unde s anding.
One e lec ion no ed, “Feedback helped me see how small changes, like adjus ing ege a ion
placemen , impac he mal com o and biodi e si y”. This p og ess co esponds wi h in e -
iew da a showing ha 80% o he s uden s ound he s ep-by-s ep app oach help ul in
o e coming concep ual ba ie s. The inal phase, ep esen ed by he las jou nal en ies,
demons a es a deep in eg a ion o egene a i e p inciples. One s uden w o e, “This s udio
comple ely shi ed my pe spec i e; design is no jus abou o m, i is abou c ea ing ecosys ems
ha in e ac and h i e”. This e olu ion unde sco es he impo ance o i e a i e e lec ion
o os e ing a nuanced unde s anding o complex concep s. Semi-s uc u ed in e iews
co obo a ed and expanded he jou nal’s indings. A he end o he semes e , 93% o
s uden s epo ed inc eased con idence in applying egene a i e p inciples. Fu he mo e,
s uden s emphasized he impo ance o eedback sessions in making complex concep s
manageable, and ci ed he s uc u ed app oach as c ucial o hei lea ning p ocess. One
s uden ema ked, “The e lec i e p ocess and eedback cycles ga e me a way o p ocess complex
ideas o e ime; i was like building a puzzle piece by piece”.
6. Conclusions
This s udy de eloped and es ed a s uc u ed pedagogical amewo k ha embedded
egene a i e a chi ec u e in o unde g adua e educa ion h ough a phased, da a-in o med
design me hodology. Applied in a hi d-yea s udio in Dubai, he amewo k guided
s uden s h ough sequen ial s ages: degene a ion analysis; sys emic diag amming; concep
gene a ion; ec onic de elopmen ; and echnological in eg a ion g ounded in ecologi-
cal, clima ic, ca bon, and mul idimensional heal h da a. Compu a ional ools we e used
h oughou o quan i y design pe o mance. The amewo k was c i ically examined
h ough a mixed-me hod esea ch s a egy ha included engagemen wi h simula ion
ools, e lec i e jou nals, eedback sessions, and p ojec e alua ions. I s e ec i eness was
assessed using wo guiding esea ch ques ions.
6.1. Add essing Resea ch Ques ion 1: To Wha Ex en Does he Regene a i e F amewo k Suppo
S uden s in Applying Da a-D i en Me hods o Regene a i e Design Challenges in A chi ec u al
Educa ion?
This amewo k enabled a obus and mul idimensional egene a i e design p ocess.
I has mo ed beyond con en ional pedagogical models by imme sing s uden s in a sys em-
based, pe o mance-o ien ed me hodology g ounded in eal-wo ld da a. S uden s we e
no passi e ecipien s o abs ac heo y, bu ac i e pa icipan s in egene a i e hinking,
d i en by compu a ional eedback and si e-speci ic clima e condi ions.
Th ough he sequenced phases, he amewo k demanded di ec engagemen wi h
egene a i e me ics. S uden s esponded by p oducing designs ha in eg a ed clima e
change managemen , ecological es o a ion, and ca bon-nega i e ma e ials and we e salu-
ogenic. These ou comes con i m ha he amewo k was bo h a concep ual o e iew and a
p ima y ope a ional ool o embedding egene a i e p inciples ac oss all scales. Howe e ,
he amewo k’s ambi ion imposed a cogni i e load ha challenged a po ion o he coho .
S uden s s uggled ansla ing en i onmen al da a in o e ec i e a chi ec u al ac ions. This
di icul y exposes he need o mo e p ecise sca olding du ing he ea ly s ages. Despi e
his, he inal ou pu s con i med ha he amewo k did no me ely in oduce egene -
a i e design; i ins i u ionalized i as co e design e hics. I p o ed capable o equipping
Sus ainabili y 2025,17, 5004 25 o 27
s uden s wi h a mindse and ools ha di ec ly align wi h clima e, ecology, ca bon, and
human well-being.
6.2. Add essing Resea ch Ques ion 2: How Do S uc u ed Pedagogical F amewo ks A ec
Unde g adua e S uden s’ Unde s anding and Applica ion o Regene a i e A chi ec u e P inciples?
Yes. Regene a i e a chi ec u e can be made ully accessible o unde g adua e s uden s
h ough a igo ously s uc u ed and con ex -d i en educa ional amewo k. The pilo s udy
demons a ed ha complexi y is no a ba ie o igh ly calib a ed sequencing, eedback,
and applied ele ance. Eigh y pe cen o he s uden s iden i ied s uc u ed sca olding,
phased me hodology, and i e a i e eedback as c ucial in mas e ing co e egene a i e
p inciples. Ca bon seques a ion and biodi e si y enhancemen we e no ea ed as he-
o e ical supplemen s bu as pe o mance impe a i es, di ec ly linked o s uden design
ou pu s. Compu a ional ools, such as G asshoppe and Ladybug, ans o m abs ac
da a in o isual and measu able ou comes, he eby ein o cing s uden s’ abili y o make
in o med decisions.
The amewo k posi ioned s uden s wi hin local clima ic eali ies, pa icula ly in
Dubai’s ex eme condi ions. This spa ial and en i onmen al ancho ing makes egene a i e
s a egies angible and u gen . Combined wi h collabo a i e pee exchange and acul y-led
c i ique, his app oach exposed s uden s o a b oad spec um o ecological, echnical, and
cul u al a iables. The esul was no pa ial unde s anding; i was ope a ional luency. The
egene a i e a chi ec u e was no simpli ied, bu i was made ac ionable. Unde g adua e
s uden s, wi h a p ope pedagogical s uc u e, can engage ully wi h in e disciplina y
complexi y and eme ge wi h he abili y o design clima e- esponsi e, socially embedded,
ecologically ac i e a chi ec u e.
7. Limi a ions o he S udy
The s udy’s sample size o 19 s uden s limi s he b oade applicabili y o he indings.
I also emphasizes he ecological and echnical aspec s o social conside a ions, o e ing
limi ed explo a ion o he cul u al and socie al impac s. Finally, he long- e m implica ions
o he amewo k on s uden s’ p o essional p ac ice emain unassessed, highligh ing he
need o u he esea ch and longi udinal s udies.
Au ho Con ibu ions: Concep ualiza ion, E.N.; me hodology, E.N., S.A. and M.I.; backg ound
s udies, E.N.; alida ion, E.N., S.A. and M.I.; esou ces, E.N.; da a cu a ion, E.N. and S.A.; w i ing—
o iginal d a p epa a ion, E.N.; w i ing— e iew and edi ing, E.N. and S.A.; adminis a ion, S.A. All
au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o he manusc ip .
Funding: This esea ch ecei ed no ex e nal unding.
Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d S a emen : The s udy was conduc ed in acco dance wi h he Dec-
la a ion o Helsinki, and app o ed by he E hics Commi ee o Canadian Uni e si y Dubai
(PROVOST/042025/REC/EAN0003, 10 Ap il 2025).
In o med Consen S a emen : In o med consen was ob ained om all subjec s in ol ed in he s udy.
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : The o iginal con ibu ions p esen ed in he s udy a e included in he
a icle; u he inqui ies can be di ec ed o he co esponding au ho .
Acknowledgmen s: The au ho s hank ARC 362: Housing S udio class g oups, deli e ed as pa o
he p o essional i e-yea p og am in a chi ec u e a he School o A chi ec u e and In e io Design,
Canadian Uni e si y Dubai.
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic s o in e es .
