Presenter:

Bill Reed, President, Integrative Design Collaborative

In order to achieve true sustainability, we will need to redevelop a conscious understanding of the whole system of life-giving processes that shape the places we live in order to reintegrate our buildings and communities with life on Earth. The current trend of making buildings, cars, light bulbs, products, and processes more efficient and less toxic is simply the beginning point for achieving this goal, and continues to reflect thinking in terms of parts rather than the whole.  Whole system design is not as hard as it may seem – in truth, it is easier than working with hundreds of fragments and gluing them together; but it is a real change in the way we think.  It requires a change in us in order to change the nature of our engagement with the web of life.

This presentation by Bill Reed introduces the practical concepts of pattern understanding as the means of integrating socio-ecological, technical and living system design, and developmental economic thinking. Following an opening presentation, The group will engage in dialogue clusters of two to four people; Socratic questions will be posed that require people to delve more deeply into who they are and what is truly meaningful to them as they evolve on this planet.
 

Session Format:  BREAKOUT. 

Presenter Bios

Bill Reed

An internationally recognized proponent and practitioner in sustainability and regeneration Bill is a principal in three firms focused on green buildings, living systems, and living education working to lift building and community planning into full integration and co-evolution with life. His work centers on structuring and managing an integrative, whole-systems design process. The objective: to improve the overall quality of the physical, social and spiritual life of our living places and therefore the planet.