The Regenerate Way

A path and a typology for change.

Observing the disappearing wetland habitat and bird loss in Loch Moidart. Regenerating through a Biopod Programme.

The Regenerate Way, located on the disappearing wetland of Loch Moidart, responds to a landscape shaped by climate change and uneven conservation. While much of Lochaber is formally protected, these intertidal wetlands remain exposed to rising sea levels, warming waters and habitat loss. Contributing to the decline of bird species dependent on the feeding grounds. The project asks: how can architecture engage a disappearing wetland while revealing its decline without becoming another form of extraction? The proposal introduces a repeatable typology: a temporary walkway and Biopod programme that operates as both observatory and regenerative test. Extending across unstable mud and sand flats, the walkway follows the contours of the land, reflecting the tidal island – structuring a journey from stable ground into the intertidal zone. It reveals shifts between land, water and habitat as tides rise and fall, while remaining fixed as the landscape gradually transforms and submerges.

Along this route, Biodocks act as points of pause, access and intervention. These sheltered structures frame the wetland and enable direct engagement with Biopods. Here, biodegradable mycelium Biopods are deployed and anchored within the sediment. Planted with native species, they support regeneration by creating microhabitats and dispersing plant life over time, establishing regeneration. Constructed from locally sourced timber, the structure is designed for disassembly and reuse over a 60 year lifespan. The Regenerate Way repositions architecture as a participant in wetland regeneration, engaging a disappearing landscape while revealing its decline without extracting from it. Creating circularity through regeneration instead of a linear process of loss.

Disappearing Wetlands on the Coast of Lochaber and Map of Loch Moidart - Predicted Rise of Sea Level
Perspective - Observing from the Regenerate Way
Perspective - Observing the Regenerate Way from the Wetland
Perspective - Observing under The Regenerate Way - Working with Biopods
Site Section - Facing North
Isometric of The Regenerate Way in Context
West Elevation - Low and High Tide
The Regenerate Way in Context of Site Model
Sectional Tectonic Model - 1:50
Collage of the Observer's Journey
Dispersement of a Biopod
Plans - Timeline over 30 years
Enlarged Plan of Biodock and Biopods
Detail Section of Biodock and Biopod