Living

Tree Eco-Village Planning

Workshop Series with Whole Systems Design, LLC

Workshops take place in the Whole Systems Design (WSD) Studio, at the WSD Research Farm
and Homestead and at Living Tree Alliance Site in the Mad River Valley, Vermont, USA
Cost: $450
Instructors: Ben Falk and Cornelius Murphy
Email Ben Falk ben@wholesystemsdesign.com to register and for more information.

ONE DAY WORKSHOP: RESEARCH PHASE: SUN JAN. 11, 2015

Morning: Designing and Living in High Performance Building

Immersion in a maximally resilient and highly effective home while uncovering the
patterns, principles, materials and systems at work to create such space.
Discuss common issues in design and operation, cost-saving strategies, low
maintenance techniques, material options, indoor air quality enhancements,
daylighting, moisture challenges, window choices, energy conservation, and other
key challenges to creating high functioning shelter in a humid cold climate.
Afternoon: Multifunctional Wood Heating and Resilient Water Systems
Learn how to develop a secure heat supply in a cold, forested climate and cut wood
consumption by 20-50% per year.
Discuss the challenges and opportunities of wood heat within a high performance
home ecosystem.
Understand forest management of a small woodlot, planning and developing
fuelwood hedges, hauling methods, splitting, storing, stacking, fire-building,
creosote-free high-output burning, etc.
Examine four different types of wood stoves, including advantages and
disadvantages of each and spend time in various wood-heating scenarios (shop,
office, home and sauna).
Examine multiple durable methods for water supply and heating (wood and solar)
in the home and on the farm.

ONE DAY WORKSHOP: DESIGN PHASE I: SUN FEB. 8, 2015

Goals and Project Inventory, Base-Mapping, Site analysis, Schematic Design

Identify and clarify project goals, opportunities and challenges using Whole Systems
Designs client-process.
Walk through the base mapping process where a scaled map of existing
site/conditions is developed.
On-site analysis, understanding wind, sun, shade, drainage, soils, microclimates,
landform and other existing features and processes.
Create a schematic design of site to resolve challenges and maximize opportunities.
Discuss A Pattern Language, and patterns manifest in the spaces as WSD and ways
to create spaces that echo themes of readings.

ONE DAY WORKSHOP: DESIGN PHASE II: SUN, MAR 8, 2015

Develop design program (stakeholder needs for the project to meet) for the LTA
community design
Integrate lessons from previous workshops into developing designs for various
scales of this project (from individual buildings to whole site)
Produce analysis and schematic designs
Present ideas and integrate into unified plans