The 29th issue of the Perkins&Will Research Journal brings together a set of research articles unified by a strong commitment to environmental accountability and regenerative design practice. Across interiors, façades and landscape architecture, the issue emphasizes the urgent need to reduce both embodied and operational carbon while adopting verifiable, data-driven methodologies to support design decisions.
A central theme throughout the journal is the evolution of sustainability from harm reduction toward active regeneration. The authors collectively argue that contemporary design practice must go beyond minimizing negative impacts to actively restoring ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity and strengthening long-term resilience. This shift reflects a broader social and environmental responsibility placed on architects, designers and planners.
One of the featured articles, “Reducing Embodied Carbon in Practice: A Roadmap for Minimizing Embodied Carbon Impact Within Interior Environments,” outlines a comprehensive framework for regenerative interior design. Using two commercial interior case studies, the research demonstrates how reusing existing spaces, salvaging and repurposing materials, prioritizing carbon-sequestering and certified wood-based products, and designing for disassembly can significantly lower embodied carbon. Life-cycle assessments confirm substantial reductions compared to conventional interior fit-outs, highlighting practical pathways toward circular and low-carbon interior environments.
Another contribution, “Sustainable Simplicity: The Future of Exterior Wall for Research and Education Buildings,” examines the historical development of façade systems and their environmental implications. The article positions research and educational institutions as ideal leaders in façade innovation due to their long-term ownership models. It identifies opportunities in prefabrication, standardized assemblies, circular economy principles and regenerative design. Durable materials such as advanced composites and photovoltaic-integrated panels are presented as promising solutions for achieving long-term energy efficiency with reduced material complexity.
The third article, “Data-Driven Landscape Design: Advancing Sustainability with Landscape Information Modeling (LIM),” addresses the need for more robust tools to assess biodiversity and carbon sequestration in landscape projects. As a proof of concept, the study integrates i-Tree and Climate Positive Pathfinder into a Landscape Information Model prototype, tested on a mixed-use development. By combining forestry analytics with carbon tracking, the research demonstrates how data-driven tools can significantly improve sustainable decision-making in landscape architecture.
Together, the articles in the 29th issue of the Perkins&Will Research Journal underscore a clear direction for the design profession: sustainability grounded in measurable data, regenerative strategies and long-term environmental stewardship.
