Designing With Nature: How Regenerative Leadership Is Shaping the Built Environment
By Jill Barrett, Evolve Impact Founder & Managing Partner
Across the creative and built environments, a quiet shift is underway.
Architects, designers and developers are stepping into a deeper conversation — one that doesn’t just center humans, but invites in the wisdom of nature, the rhythms of place and the values of culture and community. In an industry that has long focused on speed, scale and structure, there’s a rising call to slow down, reconnect and design with intention.
Hotel Terrestre
image © deduce | @deducedesign
The Return to Local: Building With Integrity
In recent years, there’s been a growing recognition that local materials, hands and minds are not only more sustainable, but often more meaningful. Builders and developers who respect the land, site history and cultural context are leading a regenerative shift — one that makes space not only for people, but for peace, stillness and renewal.
In the words of Carlos Couturier, cofounder of Grupo Habita and creative visionary behind Hotel Terrestre in Puerto Escondido, Mexico:
“Creating a sanctuary… and little by little you become ego-free. It’s about freedom, so life truly flourishes. Returning to the rhythms of the earth. Reconnect with the universe and rediscover who I am.”
Couturier’s work is a reminder that design can be a spiritual act — a way of honoring life, place, and the quiet essence of what it means to feel at home in the world.
Nature as the Ultimate Designer
Modern regenerative and biophilic design principles often return to a single truth: Nature is the original teacher. As Beatrice Girelli, lead designer of the Westin Maui renovation, reflected:
“We forget that we are part of nature. We are not separate from it. The narrative isn’t centered on us — it needs to be more of a conversation.”
That conversation shows up in many forms:
Large trees as focal points inside courtyards
Layered ferns climbing gently curved walls
Spaces designed not as objects, but as living organisms
Natural light that shifts with the day, supporting circadian rhythms
Use of local materials that reflect and preserve the landscape
This is not just aesthetic — it’s functional, emotional and deeply human. It’s a recognition that design isn’t decoration; it’s experience. Architecture can be an invitation to re-center ourselves in time, in place and in purpose.
Hotel Mitsui Reception
Human-Centered Design With Soul
From Kyoto to Maui to coastal Mexico, projects that are earning global attention share a common thread: they are deeply rooted in their environments — celebrating what is genuine, poetic and culturally resonant.
As designer André Fu said of Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto:
“There is something genuine in what we are trying to express. A celebration of what is true and authentic to the local area… a conversation between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Wonder, peace, inspiration.”
Leadership in the AEC Industry: A Time for Intention
At Evolve Impact, we work with leaders in the architecture, engineering, construction and design industries who are holding a bold line in an increasingly fast-paced world. These are leaders who are asking harder questions:
What does it mean to design with reverence?
How can we integrate nature instead of opposing it?
What role does self-awareness play in shaping spaces that heal, connect and inspire?
Through coaching, facilitation and strategy partnerships, we help firms lead with clarity — rooted in values, committed to transformation and aware of their impact not just on projects, but on people and the planet.
Because what’s at stake is real:
Our relationship with nature
Our ability to build thriving, human-centered cultures
The health of our communities and ecosystems
And what’s possible is profound:
Environments that regenerate rather than deplete
Organizations that lead with integrity and vision
A built world that reflects our best values — not just our best plans
Ready to Lead Differently?
At Evolve Impact, we believe the future of leadership in the built environment is human, grounded and regenerative.
Whether you're designing a hotel, developing a city plan or running a mission-driven firm, we’re here to support your journey with depth, clarity and purpose.
Let’s shape what’s next — together.
*quotes Marriott International, Inc.