Architects Declare's Next Gen Ambassadors took over The Building Centre for the last event of Regenerative Design 2026, bringing together emerging architects, designers and researchers to explore alternative approaches to practice, material reuse, architectural education and collective action.

At Regenerative Design 2026, six speakers explored how architects, clients and consultants can challenge conventional approaches to collaboration, procurement and project delivery to realise ambitious projects that deliver lasting environmental, social and economic value.

Architects, engineers, designers and researchers came together at Regenerative Design 2026 to explore bamboo’s potential as a mainstream low-carbon construction material, and the challenges of bringing it into wider use in the UK.

At Regenerative Design 2026, Atelier One founder Neil Thomas explored how trees, bamboo and the natural world can transform our approach to structural engineering, materials and design, with contributions from artist Barnaby Steel, pianist Sarah Nicolls and Atelier One’s Ralf Saade.

Anna Hollyman, Co-Director of Policy and Industry Intelligence at UKGBC, sets out why scaling the use of natural and sustainable materials demands a coordinated approach to policy, procurement, skills and supply chains. Watch Anna's talk in full here.

Rowland Keable, Director of Rammed Earth Consulting, makes the case for earth as an overlooked construction material, demonstrating how locally-sourced clay and soil can create durable, adaptable and genuinely circular buildings. Find out more by watching Rowland's talk here.

Jordan Panayi, Part II Architectural Assistant at Groupwork, explores how structural stone and timber can replace carbon-intensive construction systems, drawing on the practice's experience of designing and delivering buildings with natural materials. Watch Jordan's talk here.

Eleonora Regni, Associate at Webb Yates Engineers, examines the structural potential of natural stone, explaining how innovative engineering can reduce embodied carbon without compromising performance. Find out more by watching Eleonora's talk here.

Siri Zanelli, Founding Partner of Collective Works, shares practical lessons from specifying natural materials, exploring how architects can overcome barriers relating to cost, regulation, construction methods and client expectations. Watch Siri's talk in full here.

Lee Fox, project architect at BakerBrown Studio, shares lessons from the Bradbury Den project, showing how material reuse, straw bales, and locally-sourced earth can be incorporated into a modestly funded education building. Watch Lee's talk here.