The Hummingbird Learning Lab has selected two practices to design its neuroscience-based learning space – and invites your help with getting the project off on the right track. Client Beau Lotto, ‘critical friend’ Sumayya Vally of Counterspace and Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio will host an interactive brainstorm at Regenerative Design 2026 to challenge the conventions that stand in the way of collaborative, regenerative design.
From left to right: Beau Lotto from the Hummingbird Learning Laboratory; Sumayya Vally of Counterspace and Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio.
For the last 12 months the Hummingbird Learning Lab has been working with Architecture Today to work up a brief for a learning space that reflects its neuroscience-grounded approach to education and community engagement, and to run a competition to select a design team from the Regenerative Architecture Index. Having selected two practices, it now faces the very real challenge of facilitating and funding collaborative work.
As Hummingbird embarks on its new project, its founder, neuroscientist, educator and client Beau Lotto is joined by ‘critical friend’ Sumayya Vally of Counterspace and Piers Taylor from Invisible Studio to discuss the challenges of setting up and managing the project in a way that unlocks the radical potential collaborative, regenerative design.
The workshop, which takes place between 8.30 and 11.30 am on Tuesday 27th October at the Building Centre in central London, will explore key challenges including:
- How to establish and nurture working relationships that foster creativity and collaboration without duplicating effort and costs
- How to challenge the siloed working and adversarial culture enshrined on traditional models of appointment, procurement and insurance
- How to arrive at a schedule of deliverables and, crucially, fee payments, that represents a just reward for all parties while acknowledging the realities of fund-raising, financing and phased delivery
- How to incentivise all parties to work together to minimise costs and carbon and deliver the best possible results
Members of the audience are invited to share own challenges, problems and experiences as the panel explores ideas about how to organise and manage the project in a way that does justice to the client’s regenerative ambitions.
Launched by Architecture Today, Regenerative Design 2026 is a month-long programme of exhibitions and events that takes place at the Building Centre throughout October 2026.
