Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm
Speaker:  Taylor Hatfield, MHS Project Seminar
Title: Regenerative Landscape Design in the Southeast
Host: Anne Spafford

Location: 121 Kilgore / Hybrid
Join Zoom Meeting: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/92586277428?pwd=OGxpamFSVHZqOFlZZmNTWE5wU2JjQT09
Meeting ID: 925 8627 7428
Passcode: 569748

 Hatfield.Abstr.pdf

Abstract:
Regenerative landscape design uses a holistic approach to create landscapes that serve the homeowner, environment, and greater community on multiple levels. Regenerative designs are not only sustainable, but also rebuild and strengthen connections in a system, instilling resilience for future generations. To see how these design principles are performed by professionals and to assess how they affect a company’s business model, I interviewed Southeastern landscape design companies, selected based on the keywords found on their websites and social media accounts, their proximity to Raleigh, NC, and their availability to meet in Spring of 2024. Data garnered from these interviews was utilized to gauge the use of regenerative design practices and carry out a business model comparison with the Business Model Canvas framework. The comparison showed that companies who expanded their value proposition to include edible plants and/or permaculture could also increase revenue streams through educational offerings and add channels for connecting with their customers. Permaculture is a regenerative design practice that extends beyond the installed design and accounts for the economic and social effects of a landscape design. Only one out of the five companies had more than 20% edible/useful plantings in their design. Interviews also revealed that companies do not have evaluation protocols to assess the effectiveness of their designs, relying instead on customer feedback and maintenance requests. Often companies do not evaluate the effectiveness/success of their designs after installment – which should be part of any design process, but especially for regenerative design. Overall, design companies manage to run successful businesses in the Southeast by focusing on high-end residential customers, presenting value-driven value propositions, and attempting to include regenerative design practices. Based on these results, design companies could be more regenerative by including evaluation protocols, investing in customer relationships, and emphasizing edible/useful plantings in their designs. The pertinent takeaways from this study will be utilized in developing my own regenerative landscape design company.