Conscious Design promotes the emergence of places that have an awareness of and responsibility towards people, communities, and ecosystems. These qualities are intentionally designed through co-creation, Science-Informed Design, and the activation of an ongoing Person-Space dialogue.
The concept emerged out of the Conscious Cities Manifesto which advocates for the understanding of the built environment as inseparable from the health outcomes of individuals and communities.
Conscious Design is continuously debated and developed by the Conscious Cities Movement and those involved in researching and practicing the approach. As such, the CCD works to collate and present the evolving work of a community of practice.
Shared intention emerges out of a cross-sector dialogue and collective imagination.
Stakeholders and a multidisciplinary team are involved in ideation and design decisions.
Building processes involve local knowledge and craftsmanship, and include the participation of the community.
People-Place relationships emerge from shared stewardship and transparent management.
Project goals are framed by research of social and ecological settings.
Design decisions are informed by scientific insight.
Building processes, material sourcing, and planned use are sustainable and regenerative.
Impact is observed, measured and analysed to generate insights.
Project goals are periodically reconsidered, affirmed, or reimagined.
Environments are a result of design iterations responding to feedback.
Environments possess inherent adaptability to accommodate people-driven changes.
Environments are reactive to the People-Place Dialogue, setting into motion cycles of evolution.