Heather Venhaus

Heather Venhaus is principal of Regenerative Environmental Design, specializing in performance-based design that connects natural and built systems in mutually beneficial ways. She works with project leaders to clarify priorities, develop site-specific goals, and translate sustainability aspirations into actionable, measurable outcomes.

Through integrated design processes and collaborative partnerships, Heather addresses global challenges, such as extreme heat, biodiversity loss, resilience, human health and well-being, through a local lens, embedding science, regional data, and nature-based solutions. She advances beyond conventional sustainability by assessing system vulnerabilities and prioritizing durable, regenerative approaches.

Nationally recognized for leading the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), Heather is a contributing author to the Sustainable SITES Handbook and author of Designing the Sustainable Site. Her work includes Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park (2024 Austin Green Awards Project of the Year), Midtown Park in Houston, and sustainability consultant for the Campus Transformation Project at the University of Texas El Paso.