For Gary Clark of HKS using regenerative principles as a design driver yields long-term benefits, not just for communities and the environment, but for business too.

Gary Clark, Principal and Managing Director of HKS London, with Nathmya Saffarini, Studio Design Leader, Hospitality, at HKS London’s Fitzrovia base.

For me, regenerative design is deeply personal. I grew up in Scotland on the edge of a city, where urban life met the countryside. From that vantage point, I saw how the built environment could flourish while still respecting the natural world. That connection has stayed with me. I’m inspired by how natural systems work in harmony, and I’m always asking how buildings can do the same.

At its heart, design is about improving people’s lives. Regenerative design gives us permission to think bigger about the impact of our work. That starts by asking better questions: What if the places we design leave people, communities, and natural systems stronger, healthier and more abundant than before?  Could a project capture carbon? Restore water or habitat? Use resources more wisely? Become more resilient and adaptable over time? These questions connect regenerative design to values our clients already care deeply about: the futures of their children, the resilience of their communities, and the beauty and health of the places they call home.

When we stop treating sustainability as a checklist and start embracing regenerative design as a design driver, it becomes an impact multiplier. Less risk. Greater resilience. Better long-term performance. Healthier people. Smarter use of resources. These aren’t just good outcomes; they’re good business. But it also comes back to personal experience. That feeling that comes from spaces that are connected to the land, responsive to climate, and attuned to natural flows – spaces that improve, prioritise and inspire life. Design that does both is not a luxury – it is a priority.  It’s a challenge that HKS embraces in our work and embeds in our culture and the places we design.

All photographs in the Reinventing Practice series will be on show at Regenerative Design 2026,  a month-long programme of exhibitions and events that takes place at the Building Centre throughout October 2026.