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How To Design Your Property The Process Of

Permaculture Design Explained
July 29, 2015 by papprentice / 2 Comments

Youve finally got your hands on the piece of land of your dreams and now youre
looking forward to making the best possible use of it. You want to use a permaculture
design but there is a problem, no one has explained to you how the design process
actually works and maybe you just dont have the $1000 to afford a Permaculture
Design Certificate.
Permaculture design is a mysterious concept that everyones talking about but its
hard to convey the underlying process without taking a PDC. One could well say
permaculture design is elusive and enigmatic form of alchemy.

Recently I finished Geoff

Online
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to the actual design. When I searched the web for a tutorial about the process of the
design I found it very hard to visualise it clearly: there were books out there and
encyclopaedias such as Designers Manual but what I needed was a straightforward
guide with simple steps.
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What
I discovered is, when we take apart an idealised permaculture design, we can

see 5 fundamental, interrelated actions:

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People Analysis and Assessment

Site Analysis and Assessment

Design Concept Development

Detailed Design

Implementation & Evaluation

In this article I will provide a step-by-step guide to the phases that lead to the final
design and design itself, as well as touch on the implementation phase. Although
there might be other people involved in the project, today I will focus only on you.
Before we dig any deeper, just note that I cannot teach you design, you are much
better off taking a PDC and discovering your design process for yourself. Nonetheless
here is a guideline, though without going too deep into each stage of the process. For
further reading, there are are good books out there, such as Permaculture: A

Designers Manual, Gaias Garden, Edible Forest Gardens, The Basics of Permaculture
Design. from which I derived much of the info.

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There will be many obstacles on your way; having a clear vision will help you achieve your
goals.

Before we go any further, lets consider fundamentals. That means taking some time
and getting to know YOU, and if needed, perhaps use this for others too. Why is this
important? Read on!

1. Know Yourself Because You Can Only Build On Your Strengths

Everything starts with you, so who are you? David Holmgren claims: When I was

designing for a client before anything I wanted to know what kind of person are they;
are they an animal, plant, technical or people person.
You need a clear idea of what you are capable of and what relevant skills and
knowledge you can offer.
What are your personal strengths that you can use to your advantage? If you want to
succeed you have to build on your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Remember what Aristotle said:Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.

2. Identify Your Vision

Goals To
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Envisage your future, what do you want? This is the why of your project your vision.
This will be your north star, guiding you towards successful achievement of your
goals. Eventually, someplace down the line when to the going gets tough it will remind
you of why all of this matters.
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In his book, Gaias GardenA Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, Toby Hemenway

suggests how to do this: The visioning phase begins with a no-holds-barred
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brainstorm, limited to some degree by finances and really only by ecological and
ethical
constraints.
6
6 articulate your goals, what specifically you want to achieve, what you need that
Next

your property or farm to provide for you (what kind of food, herbs, medicinal plants,
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firewood, timber, or other products would you like to have?), what do you want your
property to be (how it would look and feel like, and what could be happening there?)
In their book Edible Forest Gardens Eric Tonsmeier and Dave Jacke suggest
that:Articulating your answers to those questions, represents a foundational task of

the design process.This is the stage where you identify what will be the focus of the
design. These goals will help direct attention to the most important aspects of the site,
acting like a filter when analysing and assessing the site in the next step. The best way
to articulate your ultimate objectives to write them down. By the end you should have
a written statement that clearly defines what you wish to achieve.

3. List Your Personal Resources And Limitations To Know What Youre

Bringing To The Table
How much time, money, and energy can you devote to the design, implementation,
and maintenance of the landscape? Which of these resources could come from your
family, friends, neighbours, or community?
Assess the resources on-hand for the project. What personal resources, supplies and
tools do you have? What money is available for investing in the project? Is it available
in a lump sum or small amounts over a longer duration? Are there any outside funding
options available?

Additionally, consider
limiting
personal
social issues or
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any other you can think of might restrict you in some way.

Site Analysis and Assessment

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Sector analysis Ive done for my design work.

Any landscape is a whole system, yet one composed of elements or parts, in this
phase you should analyse them. The first thing that youll need is a map.

1. Get A Base Map Or Make One To Have A Basis For Your Design
A base map forms the basis for the design. Maps are easily acquired using Google
Earth, Google Maps or other similar online tools. If you also can acquire a contour map
showing the terrain, it will prove extremely useful during the next step.
If you cant get a map for whatever reason, maybe you could sketch one, creating a
rough base map that shows the sites most critical features and what is currently on it. I
would suggest to include names, north indicator, location, scale, and anything that
cannot be changed.

Remember, the map

isour
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other layers of your design and any observations you make on the field.

2.Collect The Info About The Site Through Observation And Research
-Direct observation on the field
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Key to permaculture is good observation. Ideally you should do nothing for a year or
so and simply grow familiar with the four seasons, the existing weather and
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environmental patterns; wheres the wind blowing, water flowing, pollution drifting,
neighbours
walking, exposure to sun and wind, and so on..
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Walk
the site and conduct surveys. What wildlife is there? What is the soil like and
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does it vary across the site? What plants are growing on the site and in the wild?

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Identify
any free or cheap resources available on or close to the site, along with water

possibilities and sources on the land. What are the boundaries of the site, note the
existing buildings and paths. Make lists of what you see.
-Info from other off site resources
Toby Hemenway recommends: After making the initial observations, do research via

books, local experts, or the Internet to learn more about characteristics that cant be
observed directly.
Most information comes from direct observation, but data from other sources can also
be of aid. Search the internet for more detail about rainfall, hydrology, insolation, and
wind speeds. Read up on the context of the site: regional (geographic) and bioregional
(flora and fauna), site history and development patterns of the locality.
Talk with neighbours and people from the local community to gather invaluable
intelligence that may not be available from any other source.

3. Analyse And Assess The Site To Understand What You Got

You have collected the bulk of information you need, now you are ready to analyse
the data and see what it reveals.

Eric and Dave note:Join

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deep understanding of each piece of it. At this point, you should organise your
observations and identify the strongest influences that you need to design for by
exploring all of the landscapes components.
Start with climate first, this will exert the strongest influence on your site and cant be
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altered.
Analyse the info about rainfall, insolation, frost dates and plant hardiness.

112 get your base map of the site and mark the boundaries (site dimensions), chart
Next,

the existing infrastructure buildings, roads, paths and fencing.

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Analyse geography, slope and aspects, major land features such as ridges and valleys.
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Water drainage and watercourses, water sources such as creeks, dams, and ponds.
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Existing trees and other principal plants growing at the site. Soil types (clay, sand,
gravel, rock) and conditions (wet, dry, boggy) across the site.
Do a sector analysis and map the forces coming from outside the site, factors such as
sun, wind, flooding, fire, pollution, and wildlife. By locating and mapping out the various
sectors you can later place your pieces of design in proper relationship to the outside
forces entering the site.
Define microclimates or differences around the site based on topography, slope
aspect, overall land configuration. This will influence your plant species selection and
location and enable you to plan for greater crop diversity.

4. Summarise And Evaluate To See If Your Goals Are Achievable

Summarise the info in a drawing, a rough sketched summary of the site analysis
diagrammed as overlapping bubble diagrams, focusing on relevant forms of incoming
energy (wind, views, sun) and the microclimates or differences across the site.
Derive directives for the process of evaluation from your goals and the land. Make a
bullet-point list and identify your sites natural characteristics, any potential key limiting
factors of the site and evaluate your resources to see if they will make your project
feasable.

This is a summary of
your
current
reality,
and
you
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big picture and
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give your design a direction.

The Process of Design

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Permaculture Principles thinking tools for an era of change

Designing is all about connecting your vision with the observations made. Here you
should determine what goes where using the design methods and being guided by
the permaculture principles. Each of the methods offer a way to help you draw
connections between elements of the design. There are many methods of design
outlined by Bill Mollison in his Designers Manual, and for more info I would
recommend reading his chapter on the design methods. Nonetheless, here I will focus
on several of the most commonplace ones. And dont forget those permaculture
principles.!

1. Create A Concept Design And Integrate Your Injury Results Into A Coherent
Whole
The core part of the design lies in the relative placement and proportioning of the
areas. The details of the size and shape of individual elements then later evolve into

the detailed design Join

phase.
Here
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Erics
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work out rough layout, focusing on the relationships amongst major features,
elements, functions, as well as approximate sizes, shapes, and locations.
So, start by locating, shaping and sizing the required areas, as opposed to the
individual bits and pieces, and use rough bubble diagrams with notes. The design is
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actually
a map or plan showing the placement of elements or components, so use

your base map as your base layer and draw.

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To help you determine the rough layout and design connections in this phase use the
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info from the analysis and assessment phase in combination with zone and sector
planning;
one of the master methods of design. Toby explains: Zones organize the
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pieces of a design by how often they are used or need attention, and sectors help

1
locate
the pieces so they manage the forces that come from outside the site. Using

zones and sectors together, we can make the best use of the connections within a
design.
To make things easier use components of the Scale of Permanence and layer each
component of the scale upon the last one. There are variations of this scale that
different teachers have developed, but, for now, just be aware that in the design phase
going down the scale is not a hard-and-fast rule, but it can help you organise your
design thinking.
Its best to begin with essentials, start with infrastructure: water systems (water
storage, harvesting, irrigation), access (farm roads, tracks, paths), structures (house,
outbuildings, portable structures) what Geoff Lawton terms mainframe permaculture.
After experimenting the with infrastructure layout distinguish main areas based on
microclimates and determine planting areas for gardens, crops, orchards, and
forestry.
Define fencing (permanent, living, electric) around the site and consider how animals
will integrate into the system, as they are essential to the maturation of any
permaculture system.

2. Create A Detailed
Design
And Go
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Concept design drawings are sketchy and not very accurate, mainly taking the form of
bubble diagrams. Principally, they deal with relationships between functions and
spaces. Detailed design drawings are harder-edged, clearer, drawn with accuracy.
Here you can start to more precisely define about all the features and characteristics
202earlier laid out roughly in the conceptual design, moving from the placement of
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overlapping areas to the placement of distinct things and making as many positive
connections
as possible.
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To6see how the pieces of our design can be connected to create a living landscape
and make those positive connections Toby suggests that: we need to think about how
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each
piece of the design behaves and what its relationships are with the other pieces

of the landscape and with us, the human inhabitants. He recommends using a linking
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process, often termed a needs and yields analysis, whereby each plant, structure, or
other element in a design should ideally have its needs provided for by other design
elements, and offer yields that themselves nurture other elements.
If you find yourself stuck with finding connections you can use another creative
method of analysis: random assembly where you list major elements and explore
the effects of combining them randomly. Creative thinking can lead to unexpected
positive connections. Random assembly helps bust through creative blocks and
rewards us with combinations and connections we probably would never have
thought of.
During detailed design you will make a host of decisions regarding a myriad of design
particulars and sketch in details of the various planting beds, trees, walls and fences,
patios and decks, and any other design elements. Go down the Scale of Permanence
again and map out in detail your water layer, roads and building. For planting areas
determine the desired species, scrutinize your site preparation and map out your
strategy development strategy.
Ultimately you should aim to create hard line drawings detailing the exact size, shape
and location of every element. Bill Mollison in his Designers Manual also suggests
attaching appendices such as maps, drawings, plans, layouts, details, part lists, and
photos. Therefore, make construction diagrams with notes, species and material lists,

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Example of the detailed design, courtesy of N. Huggins & M. van den Berg MB Equine Services

Implementation Timeline Make A Plan Of Action To Follow

If you want turn your paper dream into concrete reality you need to have a plan.
Depending on your situation you might be able to start implementing straight away, or
you may have to wait until you have enough capital to start, either way making a plan
of action saves time and makes things easier further down the road.
In the implementation phase you will actually install your design in the field and
evaluate as you go. The installation often occurs in phases, depending on a
combination of personal, environmental, technical, seasonal and financial factors. I will
leave discussing the installing phase for a comprehensive post later and for now just
focus on making a plan because implementing a design is crucial and it requires
planning in logical order.
At this stage just make a plan what youre going to do, a timeline of establishment,
something like a to do list that you can follow when you forget what the next step will
be. Lay out a basic timeline with suggested tasks. Make a plan what you be doing in
years 1, 2, 3 based on your priorities and your budget, determine how much you can
afford to pay out in the establishment phase.

Remember to plan according

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If there is an existing house plan to begin the installation at your doorstep and work
outwards. The logical order for implementation is: look after what you have first,
restore what you can next and then finally introduce new elements into the system.

Conclusion
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Design is an integrated process, whereby every piece relates to and feeds the others.
The
stages of the process, analysing & assessing you and the site constitute the
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foundation, following this you integrate your inqury results into a coherent whole a
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design
concept. Moreover, you must design the details of that whole to a point where

you can gather all that is necessary to create it. Then you must implement the design
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on the ground and evaluate it regularly.

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A detailed design will look more impressive for sure, but the true gem is actually the
concept and the rest merely variations on an underlying theme.
In Summary:
Start with yourself and get a clear idea of what relevant skills and knowledge you
have along with your strengths.
Identify your vision and goals because clear intentions speed both design and
implementation, prevent wasted effort and save time.
List your personal resources and limitations to know how much time, money, and
energy you can devote to the project.
Get a base map, its the base layer and it forms the basis for the design acquire
one easily from Google Earth or Google Maps.
Collect info about your site from direct observations on the field and off- site
resources such as books, local experts and the internet.
Conduct an analysis and assessment of your site to gain a deeper understanding
of each aspect of it.
Summarise the info from the site analysis and assessment into a rough sketch to
see if your goals are attainable.
Begin designing with a concept design and determine the relative placement and
proportioning of the areas, use zone & sector planning and work through the
scale of permanence.

 Go into details Join

with
design
determining
and locations of
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individual elements, use needs & yields and random assembly methods to
determine how to connect pieces of design.
Make a plan for implementation; a plan of action to follow based on your
priorities, budget and logical order of establishment, remember to plan in
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to the scale of permanence.

To be honest this subject was a tough one, with all the info scattered across the web
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and
all the details in the books it was really hard cohere it into something simple to

follow, but Ive given gave it my best shot!

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Let6 me know what you think in the comments below!

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Filed Under: Design

Comments
Kevin Espeseth says
July 30, 2015 at 4:02 pm
thanks, this method should work well with other, similar, projects as well.
new material added
see also: facebook.com/alowcosthome
Reply

Sandrine says
July 30, 2015 at 5:30 pm

I like your view on the

The article
a good book on
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permaculture design, but it clearly sums up what most books lack a clear and
concise overview of the steps to take when designing
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