▁goal ▁setting , ▁strateg ies ▁and ▁syn erg ies , ▁and ▁whole ▁systems ▁approaches . ▁Each ▁stage ▁ra ises ▁important ▁questions ▁that ▁require ▁the ▁design ▁team ▁to ▁define ▁place ▁and ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁project ▁in ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁context , ▁identify ▁key ▁resources ▁flows ▁and ▁understand ▁the ▁complex ▁hol istic ▁systems , ▁determine ▁syn erg istic ▁relationships ▁and ▁identify ▁approaches ▁that ▁prov oke ▁the ▁co e volution ▁of ▁both ▁humans ▁and ▁e colog ical ▁systems . ▁The ▁visitor ▁centre ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁project ▁that ▁Per kins + Will ▁worked ▁on ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁an ▁e colog ist . ▁In cor por ating ▁an ▁e colog ist ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁team ▁allowed ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁project ▁from ▁a ▁larger ▁scale ▁and ▁understand ▁how ▁the ▁building ▁and ▁its ▁specific ▁design ▁would ▁interact ▁with ▁the ▁surrounding ▁e cos ystem ▁through ▁its ▁energy , ▁water ▁and ▁environmental ▁performance . ▁ ▁Reg ener ative ▁design ▁for ▁retro f itting ▁existing ▁buildings ▁ ▁Import ance ▁and ▁imp lications ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁buildings ▁estimated ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 5 0 ▁have ▁already ▁been ▁built . ▁Additionally , ▁current ▁buildings ▁account ▁for ▁roughly ▁ 4 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁energy ▁consumption ▁within ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁This ▁means ▁that ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁meet ▁climate ▁change ▁goals ▁- ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Paris ▁Ag re ement ▁on ▁Cl imate ▁Change ▁- ▁and ▁reduce ▁green house ▁gas ▁em issions , ▁existing ▁buildings ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁updated ▁to ▁reflect ▁sust ain able