Research Report: Design for Regional Resilience

Design for Regional Resilience was a partnered research program within the Shumka Centre’s Circular Economies and Local Ecologies initiative (2021 – 2022). Partners included seven BC-based companies each working to activate and contribute to the circular economy. Share-repair-reuse initiatives, innovative product-services relationships and unique collaborations with other businesses characterize the work of this group. 

Design Researchers worked with companies for twelve weeks to prototype and ideate on a specific brief; the design cohort also worked collaboratively with facilitators from Material Matters, a sister lab within Emily Carr.

Project Team:
Sarah Hay, Faculty Lead; Chiara Schmitt and Olúwáṣọlá Kẹ́hìndé Olówó-Ake, Material Matters; Giulia Borba, Zeynep Bozdayi, Christa Clay, Leea Nadeer Contractor, Shelby Sixsmith, Mason Sorbara, Soumya, Alexander Swanson, Wei Wei; Design Researchers and Laura Kozak, Design Lead.

Report Design: Chiara Schmitt

Design for Regional Resilience was supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program in partnership with Reusables.com, Ellingsen Woods, Terraforma Systems, Jarr, Susgrainable, Janaki Larson Studios and Recycling Alternative.

Special thanks to Cemre Demiralp, Coordinator and Kate Armstrong, Director, Shumka Centre; Jerome Kashetsky, Industrial Technology Advisor, National Research Council of Canada; Jason Hawkins and Anastasia Kiku, Reusables.com; Aaron Ellingsen and Jeramie Peacock-Ellingsen, Ellingsen Woods; Robert Weatherbe, Terraforma Systems; Emily Sproule, Jarr; Marc Wandler and Clinton Bishop, Susgrainable; Janaki Larsen, Janaki Larsen Studios; Louise Schwarz, Recycling Alternative; Hélène Day Fraser and Keith Doyle, Material Matters.