From carbon-positive buildings to biodiversity-led business models, the most compelling work in the built environment is no longer satisfied with ticking green boxes. The Future of Design is Regenerative invites Melbourne’s design community into a candid conversation at HIP V. HYPE's Better Building Exchange about what it really takes to design places that give back more than they take.
On Wednesday 12 November, the HIP V. HYPE’s Better Building Exchange in Brunswick will play host to a conversation many in Melbourne’s design community are already pondering: is being ‘sustainable’ enough?
The Future of Design is Regenerative, a B Local Melbourne event, brings together practitioners who are already reshaping how projects are imagined, financed, designed and communicated – moving beyond ‘sustainable’ as a checkbox and towards design that actively restores place.
On the panel:
Aleesha Callahan (me!) – Founder of About Futures, a platform dedicated to regenerative ideas, materials and services for the built environment.
Katya Crema – Head of Customer Journey at HIP V. HYPE, a purpose-led developer pushing for more equitable, climate-conscious urban futures.
Marnie Hawson – Certified B Corp architectural photographer and founder of Business of Biodiversity, working at the intersection of visual storytelling and nature-positive practice.
Patrick Kelly – Architect at Certified B Corp studio Breathe, advocating for carbon literacy and accountability throughout the design process.
Guided by moderator Alice Blackwood, Director of AB Storytelling, the discussion will unpack what “regenerative” actually looks like on the ground – from materials and metrics to community outcomes and business models – and why incremental change won’t be enough in the decade ahead.
Alongside the panel, the evening is also an opportunity to meet other architects, designers, developers, researchers and practitioners who see the built environment as a lever for genuine systems change. Expect thoughtful provocation, practical insight and space for conversation over the course of the night.
An initiative by About Futures, with thanks to HIP V. HYPE as event partner, this B Local Melbourne gathering invites you to be part of a growing local network working towards a future worth inhabiting.
