Principles of Regenerative Design

Nestedness: The Architecture of Life

In a previous article, we introduced the Seven Principles of Regenerative Design — a framework for reimagining how we align our systems with the living, dynamic patterns of nature. These principles serve as a compass for addressing the interconnected challenges of our time, offering a path toward solutions that regenerate rather than deplete.

An article preceding this one takes a closer look on the first of these principles: wholeness. Wholeness isn’t just a starting point; it’s the foundation upon which all the other principles rest. To truly understand its power, we need to explore the deeper patterns that make wholeness possible. Let’s dive in.

As much as we talk about a whole as something singular, alive, and evolving, it doesn’t stand alone. Like any living system, it is composed of interdependent principles that make it whole.

One of the most profound is nestedness.

Let’s start with this: every whole is nested within something larger, and simultaneously, it contains systems nested within itself. Think of a person. I’m not just “me.” I’m nested in my family, which is nested in my community, which is nested in my city, my country, and ultimately the planetary ecosystem. And within me, there are…