This Primer is the entry point to a comprehensive curriculum that covers every major system of regenerative design and construction. The books that follow are organized by system, moving from the broad and introductory to the detailed and technical. Each book is designed to be read alongside construction of the relevant system, providing both the conceptual foundation and the practical step-by-step guidance needed to build and commission a complete regenerative building or community.
Book 1: Regenerative Design Primer (this book) — Introduction to the philosophy, systems, and integrated design process
Book 2: Site, Land, and Construction — Site analysis, solar geometry, earthworks, permitting, and construction management
Book 3: Earthship and Natural Building Construction — Tire walls, adobe, cob, straw bale, hempcrete, can and bottle work, natural plasters, and structural systems
Book 4: Heating and Cooling Buildings — Passive solar design, thermal mass, insulation, climate-specific strategies, cooling systems, and the physics of thermal comfort
Book 5: Water Systems — Rainwater harvesting, cisterns, water filtration, the WOM, solar water heating, and maintenance
Book 6: Liquid Waste Water Treatment — Botanical treatment cells, plumbing systems, plant selection, gWOM and tWOM, composting, and solar toilets
Book 7: Off-Grid Energy Systems — Solar PV, battery storage, charge controllers, inverters, wind energy, community microgrids, and load analysis
Book 8: Natural Building Materials and Finishes — In-depth material science, construction techniques, performance data, and plaster systems for all natural building materials
Book 9: Food Systems and Growing — Greenhouse design, aquaponics, botanical cell food production, composting, permaculture design, and food forest establishment
Book 10: Community Design and Land Development — Community-scale planning, shared infrastructure, earthworks, governance structures, land tenure models, and the Pangea development platform
Review Questions
1. What is integrated design, and how does it differ from conventional sequential building delivery? Why does it produce better outcomes for regenerative buildings?
2. List the seven stages of the integrated design process described in this chapter. At which stage are the most important passive solar decisions made, and why?
3. Why is commissioning particularly important for a regenerative building? Name three systems that should be formally commissioned and describe what commissioning of each involves.
4. What is the recommended approach for working with building officials on alternative construction methods that are not explicitly addressed by local building codes?
5. You are beginning the design of a three-bedroom off-grid home for a family of four in a semi-arid climate with 300 mm of annual rainfall. List the five most important site analysis questions you would need to answer before beginning concept design, and explain why each matters.