our regenerative collective

We’re a self-organising collective who have come together to foster and guide the potential of A Regenerative Place to enable us to regenerate our human-made spaces.

We all know that our systems are too stressed and the status quo isn’t working. But, as we’ve developed our own regenerative journeys, we find that we thrive when we talk about why we’re really here — all of us felt deeply compelled to create a space in which we can discover what’s possible when we put life at the centre of everything.

A place where we can ask questions and figure things out — what’s our contribution to all of this; how do we take those steps; how do we keep deepening our practice; what do we want our own lives to look like?

get to know us

our people

We’re an intergenerational, transcultural mix of lived experiences. We’re parents, green building consultants, freelancers, chefs, marketing professionals, gardeners, and so much more.

We’re people who want to see real transformation in the built environment.

We don’t want to just do things a little bit better. We want to totally reset the course for the real estate sector, opening up the creation of our human-made spaces to all kinds of people, deepening our sense of place, and honouring our role as a keystone species that is part of nature.

Emmanuel Pauwels

Emmanuel Pauwels, the founder of Barcelona-based Green Living Projects, is a well-known figure in Spain’s green building sector. As USGBC Faculty and a 2021 USGBC Leadership Award recipient, Emmanuel has led the certification of some of Spain’s most prominent LEED projects. Originally from Belgium and now living in the Spanish Pyrenees, he transformed his medieval home, Cal Guerxo, into a net-positive and Europe’s only Living Building Challenge-certified residence. Graduating as a regenerative practitioner in 2019, Emmanuel draws inspiration from Regenesis, Carol Sanford, Capra, permaculture, and Daniel Wahl. In his downtime, Emmanuel enjoys gardening, yoga, tango, hiking, and DIY projects.

Connect on LinkedIn

Yanina Ibanez

Yanina is the embodiment of having zest for life. Her love for people, nature, and her two amazing kids always shines. Originally from Buenos Aires and now living in the Barcelona metro area, she has 15 years of experience as a green building consultant with LEED AP and WELL AP certifications and has spent 11 years as a university professor. Yanina now seeks to serve project teams by helping them find their higher purpose and co-develop new processes and technologies. Committed to connecting, giving, and sharing, she aspires to co-create a new collective story for life and nature within urban contexts, place by place.

Connect on LinkedIn

Xavi Ramon

Xavi, a Barcelona native, has been immersed in the sustainable built environment since 2008. As part of green building consultancy, Green Living Projects, he focuses on the sustainable ecosystem with a specific approach on materials. He finds inspiration for his regenerative practice in the work and teachings of Fritjof Capra, Francisco Varela, and Lynn Margulis and shares this knowledge through teaching and workshops. Outside of work, Xavi enjoys connecting with nature, hiking in the mountains, and practicing txi kung. He finds joy in cooking for loved ones and engaging in conversations with new people.

Connect on LinkedIn

Lizzy Campbell

Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, Lizzy has called Berlin home for six years after falling for the city during a short holiday. Her passion for creative communication led her to a marketing career specializing in brand and content. Lizzy’s journey with Regenesis’ regenerative practitioner series inspired her to integrate regenerative practice into her work and personal life. She’s inspired by the work of the likes of Carol Sanford, Daniel Wahl, Regenesis, and Joanna Macy, as well as her home, Aotearoa, and the people she surrounds herself with. When she’s not working, Lizzy enjoys reading, cooking, spending time with her dog, and (attempting) to grow things in her garden.

Connect on LinkedIn

Roberto Zin Teixeira

Originally from Brazil and now based in Barcelona, Roberto has worked in sustainability consulting for buildings and urbanizations, with a focus on LEED and WELL certifications. His work aims to create sustainable, efficient spaces while promoting occupant health and wellbeing. The start of his regenerative journey began when Emmanuel introduced him to the principles of regeneration through the Regenesis course, and he’s also influenced by permaculture, Carol Sandford, Paul Hawken, and Capra. In his personal life, Roberto enjoys cycling, surfing, reading, photography, and music.

Connect on LinkedIn

Valeria Fiorentino

Valeria, originally from Rome, Italy, moved to Barcelona at 19 and now resides in the Catalonian countryside with her family. Since joining Green Living Projects in 2013, Valeria has been actively involved in over 20 LEED and WELL Certification projects. She holds multiple professional accreditations, including LEED AP BD+C, LEED for Homes Green Rater, and WELL Faculty. As a co-founder of the Spain Living Building Collaborative in 2016, she’s also involved in the first Living Building Challenge project in Spain, Cal Guerxo. In 2021, Valeria completed Gaia Education’s course on Design for Sustainability & Regeneration, which changed her whole worldview, enhancing her whole-systems design and systemic thinking skills. Valeria co-created “Cami de llavors,” a project dedicated to regenerative agriculture and family-oriented activities. Her personal journey in motherhood, yoga, and mindfulness for children, as well as her newfound love for gardening, has deepened her connection to nature and ecological living.

Connect on LinkedIn

Davina Isackson

Davina is regenerative-focused designer, utilizing a bold approach to emphasize functional design, and human occupancy while instilling a strong connection and balance between science, art, design, and nature. She earned an MS in Biomedical Engineering, and more recently, an MFA in Interior Architecture and Design. She has LEED AP, Well AP, and Living Future accreditations. Her cross-disciplinary learning and experience have resulted in a deep understanding and reverence for innovative, regenerative strategies and intraspecies wellness. Davina is committed to connecting and collaborating with other like-minded regenerative thinkers, and to propel others to embrace a regenerative mindset to solve some of the current, pervasive global issues. Davina splits her time between Northern California and Barcelona and enjoys hiking, cooking, travelling, volunteering at the local food bank, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

Connect on LinkedIn

Ella Wiles

Ella is based in Bristol, in the South West of the UK, a city full of life and surrounded by hills. Her background is rooted in community creation and mobilization. She’s led by questions around how to create spaces for engagement and action, how to work differently – for a regenerative future. Ella has worked in human rights to support community empowerment in London and Cambodia for those displaced of their land. She’s worked in London, setting up community gardens and green spaces and facilitating nature connection across boroughs. In the last few years, Ella has set up and facilitated online communities of practice for The Bio-Leadership Project. When she’s not supporting communities online, or in the woods on a run.

Connect on LinkedIn

interested in collaborating?

We’re a growing collective dedicated to growing the field of regeneration across the world in the real estate industry.

Here are some ways we might be able to collaborate:

Public speaking at your next online event
‘Intro to Regeneration in the Built Environment’ workshop tailored to your initiative
Tailored ‘Foundational Learning Journey’
Brand and content collaborations

If you have skills, experience, or ideas that you think might be useful to growing this field of work, please get in touch.