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The Regenerative Rebuilding Strategy for

Sustainable Coastal Communities
An Architectural Thesis and Case Study of
Rebuilding Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka

KRISTINA IVERSON
Hampton University
SHANNON MASSIE CHANCE
Hampton University

Introduction entire water supply of the earth. There is life

in the water, not only in literal terms because
Developments are occurring at a rapid pace of wild animals and plants. Humans develop a
along coastlines all over the world. In fact a very intimate relationship with water: we are
full two-thirds of the world’s population, or 4 80% water at birth and even in religious sects,
billion people, live within 250 miles of a coast 1 . baptism, the process of cleansing and spiritual
In the United States architects have recognized renewal, occur in water. The ocean and beach
the negative effects of existing building are interdependent with human life. This
practices on beaches. In fact, designers have relationship is inseparable, which is why it is so
eagerly adopted methods of “sustainable difficult to see the beach and ocean raped by
design” to band-aid the problem. While the structures we build.
seemingly an improvement upon past building
practices, current movements in sustainable It is an easy parallel to consider beach
design focus on slowing down the degradation construction pollution on a level such as the
to the beach environment instead of battered Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina.
encouraging healing practices. If we are to But the issue of coastal overbuilding can be
sustain the existence of both mankind and the seen in many other more subtle ways. It is in
planet then just slowing down the damage is the smaller developments of coastal
not enough. To restore beach ecosystems a destruction that create the greater disasters
regenerative architecture must replace over time. For example, a former popular
exploitative architecture. In order to heal our surfing location in Virginia Beach was overrun
beaches architecture must integrate with the development of a condominium built
regenerative cyclic processes which develop within yards of a wildlife refuge. The shore
over time and which are found already existing itself was straightened out to allow for a four-
in beach ecosystems. Regenerative foot concrete retaining wall to protect the
architecture must promote co-evolution and precious concrete and steel structure. The
interdependency of both land and humankind condo had not only robbed the shore of its land
together, sustain existing ecosystems and but also removed its natural S-curve landform.
natural materials, and re-establish the As one can imagine, the condominium had no
relationship between human and water. relationship to the land it was built upon, or
the people who frequent the area; surfers,
Our relationship with the water permeates our sailors, and families.
very existence. The ocean is the source of the
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The “Sanctuary” offer. Instead architects, planners, and

corporate developments reshape her existence
The condominium development in Virginia until she barely resembles the shore she used
Beach is called “The Sanctuary at False to be.
Cape”designed by Cox Kliewer Associates
Architects. “The Sanctuary” is located within In the case of “The Sanctuary”, the shore was
200 feet of Back Bay Wildlife Refuge (8,000 straightened out. In order to “save” the
acres of unscathed wildlife habitat) and within shoreline from erosion, the architects designed
50 feet of the shoreline at low tide. The refuge and built a concrete seawall into the sand less
is home to thousands of geese, wild horses, than 50’ from the building. The seawall
sea turtles, and undisturbed sand dunes. protects the sand from eroding up to the
During the foundation and piling construction, building; meanwhile the shore will eventually
thirty-one pilot whales beached themselves erode up to the seawall. In that case, the
within two miles from the condominium. While shore between the building and the seawall will
information is currently inconclusive on the become “private property”. Clearly this is a
North Carolina/Virginia border whale stranding, blatant disregard for the beach, the meaning of
it is important to question if it was simply the shoreline, and the people who inhabit that
coincidence or was there a cause-effect area. Not to mention, the construction of the
connection? seawall itself has destroyed an entire
ecosystem in the process. The first line of
Besides being a danger to wildlife, “The defense against erosion is the sand dunes,
Sanctuary” uses nine of the most common however in order to be closer to the ocean, the
toxins in construction. According to the World sand dunes were removed and replaced with a
Health Organization 2 , 1/3 of remodeled “seawall”. The effects are now devastating.
buildings in America have some toxin in them
making people chronically ill. The effect is also An article written by Associated Press
devastating to animals and can produce correspondent Sue Lindsey (published in USA
mutations and kill entire ecosystems. The Today on May 14, 2005) describes the debate
“Sanctuary” is only one magnified example of between tourism dollars versus the
the rampant beach development occurring environmental health of beaches, specifically
throughout the United States and the world. Virginia Beach: “Coastal engineers say beaches
Now the question becomes: what can ravaged by storms naturally reshape
architects do? themselves to some extent within about six
months. But to maintain them as wide, sandy
Regenerative Architecture: Co-Evolution, spaces attractive to tourists, they need an
Co-Existence, and Interdependency infusion of sand every few years. Whether this
cycle of replenishing sand is the best use of
taxpayer money — and is good for the beaches
In order to establish a relationship between the — is a matter of ongoing debate between
beach ecosystems and architecture, a critique scientists and officials in beachfront towns. And
of the existing movement of “sustainable it only heats up after intense hurricane
architecture” is necessary. Currently the big seasons.” The article continues with Duke
movement is to think “green”. We build out of University geologist Orrin Pilkey, who said:
“sustainable” products and we create “The problem is people build too close to the
organizations such as the USGBC (US Green shoreline and now they come to us to save
Building Council) and LEED who can put them." He continues to say that the action of
stamps of approval on architecture and pumping in sand has a dramatic effect on the
announce the building as being ‘safe’ for the ecosystems in the ocean. It’s an even worse
environment. Unfortunately there still is an reaction on the ecosystems once the sand is
extreme disconnect between the “green” which dumped onto the shore. The “new” sand kills
is approved and actual green design which everything already existing there, especially if
relates and interacts with the land. While we the sand is drastically different. In addition,
have made great strides in the past twenty the sea level is rising and if we continue our
years, we are still experimenting with fully building patterns in this way we will need to
ecologically sustainable architecture. Existing pump even more sand in the coming years.
architecture does not conform to mother- How long can we keep pumping sand? What
nature or benefit from the systems she has to
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price will we pay if we destroy the existing The Cycle

ecosystems?
Architect William McDonough 4 is on the
The Ecosystems Pay the Price forefront of the sustainable movement. His
idea has evolved from a decade ago when
There are four types of beach ecosystems 3 . thinking “green” was just making things “less
The first is the beach/dune/barrier island bad”. In fact, he termed the phrase “less bad
ecosystem. This ecosystem is the most does not equal more good”. His book Cradle to
dynamic of all four. It contains multi-cellular Cradle explains the rationale that to be
organisms from insects to birds. The sustainable we must reconsider the way we
beach/dune/barrier island ecosystem acts as make things and ultimately “remake” them.
the first line of defense of the land from We must see the beginning and the end of our
hurricane destruction from large, pounding structures as contributing to the environment.
surf. The second ecosystem is the salt marsh; In other words, we do not recycle (“downcycle”
home to plants and animals acclimated to high as McDonough describes), we must learn to
salt content. Grasses, sedge, some fish, and “upcycle”. The term “upcycling”, for example,
invertebrates are most common in this would mean that a structure would have a
ecosystem as well as raccoon, otter, and sea “cradle-to-cradle” effect. In essence, it is the
turtles. The third ecosystem is estuaries; term “cycle” that instigates the validity in the
where freshwater and saltwater join. Oysters, regenerative argument. In theory, the
mud flats, and shellfish are the most common structure would never “die” instead its
organisms and this ecosystem is the most substance would just cycle back and return to
productive. Finally, the mangrove ecosystem its ecosystem by natural process producing a
is a series of deeply rooted plants and trees positive effect.
which can grow in the water. They act as
natural filters of estuaries and naturally Regeneration and the Environment
remove pollutants from the water (Back Bay
Wildlife Refuge).
The Gaia Theory developed by James Lovelock,
Dian Hitchcock, and other scientists described
The ecosystems act as a barrier and filter from the idea of the earth being a living organism
pollutants and natural occurrences. It is not and it being dependent upon human life. In
just pumping sand and rising sea levels we 1979, Lovelock wrote the book Gaia: A New
should be concerned about. According to the Look at Life on Earth which stated that: "... the
World Health Organization, the building physical and chemical condition of the surface
industry regularly uses nine deadly toxins in of the Earth, of the atmosphere, and of the
construction. These toxins are used in building oceans has been and is actively made fit and
materials found throughout beach architecture comfortable by the presence of life itself. This
and structures everywhere. When natural is in contrast to the conventional wisdom which
disasters such as hurricanes occur, or even held that life adapted to the planetary
when water runs through the pipes in your conditions as it and they evolved their separate
home or when the sun beats down on a ways." So in essence, life is needed to sustain
structure the toxins are released into the the earth. With that being understood, then
environment and even into your own body. there must be a series of natural process that
These toxins cause cancer, lung disease, can explain this theory.
kidney inflammation, and behavioral issues in
humans. Meanwhile in beach ecosystems it
“One process by which carbon dioxide is
causes things such as disease in fish and birds,
removed from the atmosphere is rock
beaching of whales and dolphins, and the
weathering, where rainwater and carbon
extinction of entire ecosystems. So with all the
dioxide combine with rocks to form
leading technology in sustainable design the
carbonates… The carbonates are washed away
question still needs to be asked: where is the
into the ocean, where microscopic algae use
ecological sustainability in beach architecture?
them to make tiny shells. When the algae die,
their shells sink to the bottom of the ocean,
forming limestone sediments. Limestone is so
heavy that it gradually sinks underneath the
Earth's mantle, where it melts. Eventually
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some of the carbon dioxide contained in the were lighter, less energy would be spent
limestone will be fed back into the atmosphere constructing buildings, since all materials must
through another volcano 5 .” be transported or lifted by machinery at one
time or another”. Given this idea of lighter
This is a perfect example of a natural process materials, Peter Testa Architects and MIT
of materials which pass through multiple students created a theoretical Carbon
ecosystems of the beach and ocean where Skyscraper: a skyscraper which “uses sinuous
there is a cradle to cradle effect. Russian strands of resin-impregnated carbon fiber that
scientist Vernadsky said: “Life appears as a are lighter and stronger than steel”. Built out
great, permanent and continuous infringer on of modular construction techniques, the
the chemical 'dead-hardness' of our planet's skyscraper would conserve energy and reduce
surface ... Life therefore is not an external and the weight of the structure on the soil beneath
accidental development on the terrestrial it. In the case of beachfront architecture,
surface. Rather, it is intimately related to the would it be possible to utilize a new ultra-light
constitution of the Earth's crust, forms part of material form to build structures? Are there
its mechanism, and performs in this other materials yet to be discovered that can
mechanism functions of paramount be used in the same way?
importance, without which it would not be able
to exist." With the understanding that life and Architecture embodies a spirit which is defined
the earth can only exist in unison together, can by a form. The spirit is simultaneously created
a structure generate a valuable contribution to and discovered by its inhabitants as an
the life cycle and become part of the process? intangible emotional attachment that makes
the structure come alive. It is this spirit which
will create the regenerative architecture and
Regeneration and Design
allow for it to sustain in the constantly moving
edge between water and shore. Through
“Our design practices need not only to do no regenerative architectural forms this respect
harm, they must initiate regenerative can be reclaimed in the spirits of all types of
processes to replace the degeneration resulting people on the shore.
from past practices” as stated by Pamela
Mang 6 in her online article, Regenerative
The Regenerative Cycle
Design: Sustainable Design’s Coming
Revolution. In this same article, Pamela Mang
describes Sym Van der Ryn’s writing: “any Understanding regeneration in terms of a cycle
form of design that minimizes environmentally is the most important conceptual realization.
destructive impacts by integrating itself with The cycle will occur over a period of time and
living processes” is indicative of ecological the actual amount of time will be paramount to
design. In order to save human life and what the life of the structure. A cyclic process will
ecosystems remain, architecture must be more have a positive effect on the environment
than just “green” and more than “sustainable”. throughout its life. Deriving the cycle from
existing ecosystem organisms will drive the
Theory and Design design process. As found in the Gaia Theory,
the earth and humankind need each other to
exist. The goal of determining a cycle in
A contradiction of architecture itself is that in
regenerative architecture is to make the beach
order to build we must destroy. However,
and structure a continuous cycle which each is
regenerative architecture may turn that
dependent on the other, even if the structure
paradigm on its head. What if our new form of
is only semi-permanent.
beachfront architecture was created from a
naturally occurring lightweight material? What
Life Creates Conditions Conducive to Life 8 , a
if regenerative architecture was to allow for the
paper distributed by the Business Ecology
continued growth of that material and
Network at Florida A&M University in 1998.
encourage its reproduction all while filtering
The paper condenses the meaning of an
the ocean’s tidal water and returning it to the
economy of ecological standards. Based on
ocean?
this paper, the following was determined:
-Life builds from the bottom up
In his book Lightness 7 , the Dutch physicist
-Life uses benign manufacturing
Adriaan Beukers claimed that: “if materials
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-Life fits form to function Scientists from Cornell University, Texas A&M,
-Life is cyclic processes and recycles Georgia Tech, and the U.S. Geological
resources Survey 10 studied the events of the tsunami.
-Life is locally attuned and resourceful The tsunami struck Sri Lanka on the eastern
-Life adapts and evolves shores. Scientists found that the reason the
-Life coexists within a cooperative framework south-western areas were hit so hard was
Existing organisms hold these characteristics because: “By removing some of the coastal
by nature’s design and regenerative protection, a conduit was created through
architecture will imitate their processes. which the tsunami could flow freely” and
inevitably allowed the tsunami to even speed
In David Eisenberg and William Reed’s thesis up in some places and hit the south and south-
entitled Regenerative Design: Toward the Re- western areas. As the article continues, the
integration of Human Systems with Nature 9 scientists further state: “…coral mining and
they state: human development in Sri Lanka helped
“We are more likely to achieve large December’s tsunami sweep even further inland
improvements if we participate with nature on than it might have.”
its own terms… Regenerative design requires
that we participate with nature in a mutually According to Arjan Rajasuria 11 of the National
beneficial relationship… instead of trying to Aquatic Resource, Research, and
stabilize natural systems by brute force and Redevelopment Agency of Sri Lanka eighteen
the creation of ‘manageable uniformity’ (Lyle), million people live in Sri Lanka and half of
we must identify the key systems (living and those live in coastal areas. The article further
geological) involved in a “place” and explains that “nearly all of Sri Lanka’s reefs are
understand what permits these systems to located within 40km from the coast” (par. 4)
maintain viability over time and allows them to and “since 1994 the reefs have been reduced
evolve in relation to each other (a continuous to 13.2% coverage”. The coral reefs of Sri
birth, life, death cycle).” Lanka are clearly in danger. Not because of
the tsunami, the reefs remained intact after
Finding the System the tsunami, but from harvesting the reefs for
limestone and other building products.
Reduced reef coverage caused the fish to leave
From the same thesis, in a later statement and also leave the shore unprotected against
Reed and Eisenberg state: “Healthy ecological erosion.
systems don’t maintain a stasis; they have a
spiraling, complex growth pattern that has The danger for Sri Lanka now lies in the
continuous and changing birth/life/death rebuilding efforts of the coastal fishing villages.
cycles. Living and natural systems are not Vernacular buildings were constructed out of
merely closed loop systems, but continually natural materials and coral-based building
evolving open systems.” materials. The coral reefs cannot sustain
Understanding these systems in a place-based mining any longer. Sri Lanka desperately
form will generate the architectural remedy. needs to find a way to rebuild without using
coral limestone. Sri Lanka can continue with
The Regenerative Case-Study: disastrous building practices or they can begin
Sri Lanka a revolution and adopt an entirely positive
form of architecture that will benefit the land
Sri Lanka was affected by the tsunami on and economy.
eastern, southern, and south-western coastal
areas. Unawatuna, on the south-western edge Research through Design: The Animal as
of Sri Lanka, is surrounded by several coral Cycle
reefs and before the tsunami was a popular
tourist location as well as surfing location. The
people of Unawatuna have had their entire Research through design begins as a process
economy destroyed. Villages were obliterated from the site analysis and discovering which
and where people once sold fish right off the organism or animal to base the derivation of
boat, is now desolate shoreline. structure and skin. Coral is an animal who
survived the tsunami and which has value to
both humans and the land and reveals several
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_________________________ THE REGENERATIVE REBUILDING STRATEGY _________

symbiotic relationships explained in a cyclical In Sri Lanka there lies the possibility of causing
form. It is created from layers upon layers of a revolution for the environment.
dead coral bodies. The layers calcify and
create a bony skeleton while multiple live Sri Lanka Benefits from Regeneration
layers build to create the skin.

Sri Lanka has 183 species of stony coral and The architectural program for rebuilding Sri
they fall into the following groups: acroporidae, Lanka needs to benefit not only the people, but
favilidae, portidae, and pocilloporidae 11 . These also the economy.
four groups all have properties of asexual The first conceptual model was a visual
reproduction and spawning, as well as the understanding of the reef and the way the
ability to mutate into other species. The new ocean and beach respond to it. A wave begins
coral spawns and mutates to create larger at sea and as it approaches shore, it gets
barriers beneath the wave break line. The larger. When a coral reef is present below the
evolutionary process of spawning was built in a surface, the wave will break upon the reef.
physical model. To summarize, this model The reef survives on this energy from the wave
revealed how the female and male parts of while the wave is reduced in size by up to
coral spawn and find each other randomly in 75%. This barrier prevents erosion of the
the ocean. This process of reproduction makes shoreline. In this conceptual model, the
it possible to “install” regenerative coral forms structure grows up from the ocean and the
in the ocean for coral to grow on and coral becomes a part of the structure. The
eventually take over- thus the process being structure spawns forth onto the shoreline and
revealed. anchors here. The model illustrates the
symbiotic relationship between wave and reef
Symbiosis + Regeneration and structure, which has become yet another
cycle in this search for regenerative
architecture.
Symbiotic relationships are essential to coral
life. Coral is part of a positive up-cycle of life.
The cycle begins with coral spawning, which
was previously explained. As the coral grows,
fish find homes within the coral habitat. Fish
supply the coral with bacteria and smaller bait
to live on and in turn the fish live within the
coral for protection. As the fish multiply,
fishermen from the village come into the reef
to gather a day’s catch. This in turn “feeds”
the economy of the village as tourists and
other villagers come to buy the fresh fish. The
tourists stay in the villages and see the reef as
Fig. 1. Conceptual Model
a vacation destination, in turn “feeding” the
economy as well. As the economy increases,
the villagers are able to reinvest this money The Final Synthesis of Cycle +
into their village and their architecture, Regeneration
supplying more regenerative buildings on the
land. A regenerative cycle is revealed and
comes full circle. The cycle is termed as
“Emergence-Evolution-Reclamation”. In terms
of defining regenerative architecture, this cycle
becomes the most important revelation.

This cycle is part of a series of cycles that

intertwine to design the complex and dynamic
symbiotic relationship of regenerative
architecture. Regenerative architecture is
about consciousness of these cycles and
influencing the environment and the people.
Fig. 2. Market fishermen untangling nets
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The project becomes a cycle of symbiotic structure, and finally the form which the
relationships through time. As the structure shading devices are attached. The
emerges slowly coral grows on foundation convergence of these forms creates a dynamic
elements in the water allows for anchoring of and complex pattern which reveals the essence
the structure on the shore. As the structure of the cycle and the symbiotic relationships
emerges from the water, the skin will be found in coral.
applied. The structure will eventually take
form while the coral and animal growth Endnotes
continues. Eventually the structure will begin
to become apart of the coral, as layers 1
Hinrichsen, Don. “Ocean Planet in Decline.”
emerge, decay, and return to earth. The (October 12, 2004).
structure erodes while the coral growth
2
thickens over time. Eventually the part of the World Health Organization
structure in the ocean will decay and be
3
“reclaimed” by the animal. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. U.S. Department of Commerce.
Norfolk, Virginia.
4
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make
Things. North Point Press. NY, NY. (2002).
5
Lovelock, James. Gaia: A New Look at Life on
Earth. Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed
edition (November 23, 2000)
6
Meng, Pamela. “Regenerative Design:
Sustainable Design’s Coming Revolution.”
Design Intelligence. Greenway Communications
Fig. 3. Market Structure and Design Futures Council. (July 1, 2001).
7
Beukers, Adriaan. Lightness. Uitgeverij 010
Publishers. (July 1998).
8
Life Creates Conditions Conducive to Life.
Business Ecology Network. Florida A&M
University. (1998).
9
Eisenberg, David and William Reed.
“Regenerative Architecture: Toward the
Reintegration of Human Systems with Nature.”
City of Boston. (February 2, 2003).
10
Miller, Jeff. “Evolution of Coral Reef Monitoring
at Virgin Islands”. U.S. Geological Survey.
National Park Service- U.S. Department of the
Interior. National Resource Year in Review (par.
4). (2001).
Fig. 4. Plan 11
Rajasuria, Arjan. “5 Coral Reefs of Sri Lanka:
Current Status and Resource
The coral forms in the water depict a complex Management”. National Aquatic Resources,
“growing” structure. At the location of the Research, and Development
shoreline, the polyps grow in a radial for Agency of Sri Lanka (par. 2-6). (June 5, 2002).
simplifying the structure and revealing a place
for human habitation. This structure is the fish
market. The fish market curves around the
shore and is designed using three different
forms: a form for gathering/sitting, a form
which creates the actual marketplace