Positive Disturbance is a housing-led proposal developed by MAZi Architects in collaboration with a 10-strong, North East–based multidisciplinary team, including architects, landscape architects, environmental engineers, an artist, filmmaker, cost consultant and sustainability specialists. United by a shared curiosity for brownfield landscapes, the team approached regeneration as a process of care - ecological, social and spatial.

The project challenges conventional “clear-and-build” models by starting with what is already present. Soil health, existing ecologies and informal patterns of use are treated as assets rather than constraints. Research undertaken in collaboration with environmental engineers and soil scientists from Durham University informed a soil-first strategy, exploring in-situ remediation, phytoremediation and low-disturbance construction as alternatives to carbon-intensive soil removal. Environmental repair is therefore embedded into the design process, running in parallel with planning, landscape and housing delivery.

Housing is conceived as civic infrastructure: adaptable homes, shared landscapes and everyday routes that promote walking, play and social connection. Light-touch construction, timber systems and phased delivery respond pragmatically to viability, Biodiversity Net Gain and emerging policy frameworks. Long-term stewardship models - including co-operatives and community trusts - are integral to the proposal, helping lock in affordability, care and local ownership beyond completion.

Positive Disturbance proposes an alternative model for brownfield regeneration — one that listens before it builds, works collaboratively across disciplines, and measures success not only in homes delivered, but in health, inclusion and long-term resilience.